enclosure break! pic added

[fowlsessed]

Three of my nine button quail have flown out of their enclosures during the last three days. Either while I was feeding and watering them or cleaning out the bins. They flew right off the porch and into the five acre tornado stricken lot, They didn't even look back. And with all the downed trees and brush it's impossible to find them. It's been getting colder and colder here so I don't think they'll survive, although they've been kept outside but covered at night.

Two hens and a roo. Will they come back to the calls of the others?

 

[mochicken]

Its possible they will come back but usually they dont.

You need to forget about them and figure out how to stop the problem at hand, some people drape a net over the top of the cage when they open it, when I kept buttons I put a "false top" in their cage made of 1/4" bird netting and I framed a small door right above their food and water and put netting on it, that way I could fully open the top and had a small door to reach in to feed and water them, it was big enough I could get my arm through so they didnt have room to fly out. Unfortunately they do fly well enough to escape and about 50 yards after that, I never caught a single one that escaped, no matter how hard I tried to relocate them they were impossible to find.

You really need to figure out a way to fortify your cage setup to prevent further escape, if you want to post a picture we can all recommend different ways to "escape proof" it

 

[fowlsessed]

I'd be embarrassed to post a pic of it, but maybe I will. I've got a nice permanent "coop" for them but can't put them in it right now, it needs some modifications.
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[bfrancis]

Have you heard of a "call back cage"? Doesn't always work...never tried it with buttons...but it may be worth a try.

 

[mochicken]

we all have one of those "I wont show ya" kind of pens lol, I have posted pics of several of mine that are just thrown together, dont be embarrassed

 

[fowlsessed]

I don't have a call back cage, and I don't want to buy one. Also, button are really flighty and more fragile then the jumbos and brown coturnix I've raised, I don't think they would do to good in a call back cage. And I'd probably lose some in the process of getting them in and out of it. Thanks for the suggestion though. I think I will just forget about them like mochicken recommended. And I'll see if I can get some pics of my enclosures posted.
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[navasima]

fowlsessed: No embarrassment allowed - sorry.

There are some of us (waves hand - me!) who may have pictures of: projects underway which may be reviewed for revision recommendations. Maybe yours is one of those?

Please do post pics. I've read/seen suggestions here that are pretty amazing......

Sorry 'bout your little guys.....

 

[fowlsessed]

Here is the pic of where they are now, I can't find one of the permanent one, I'll have to wait for it to be delivered. There are six of them in there, two or three males and the rest hens. It is really amazing, they fly out right by my arm. I can feel their wings hit me as they are flying out.

 

[mochicken]

Yeah that is a pretty common setup for buttons, dont be ashamed.

Honestly as light as those totes are maybe an option would be to take it in your house or garage when you feed them then take it back out?

Another option would be to make a feed or water system where you could feed them without opening it?

I used pvc pip through the top of mine, I dump food in that tubing and it goes down into the feeder, then I use the pop bottle waterers that hang on the outside, I actually use similar totes as brooders and I just cut a hole in the side big enough for the drinking trough to go through and then two small holes for the springs to go through that hold the bottle in place. I dont have any pics of the brooders and I am not at home but here are a couple pics of my outside cages, this shows my feeders and waterers

 

[fowlsessed]

Nice. I plan on using the pop bottle waterer on my permanent coop. And the pvc pipe feeder idea is great! I'll have to figure out a way to use that with my permanent coop, thanks for the idea.