found dead quail in the cage please help need advice

[jm93030]

This morning I went out to feed my quails and I found one dead . The weird thing about this is that the bird shows signs of being eaten , it has a big hole betwen the neck and the breast but no blood or bleeding .

the hole is about 1.5 inches round


what animal can do this

the birds are in wire cages 2 feet avobe the ground.

I will post a picture when I get back from work

thank you

It didnt have ants in the morning

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
Since there was no blood, I think that indicates the hole may have occurred post-mortem. I wonder if it died of disease or some hidden injury, and then the other quail pecked it?

I guess the another possibility is some predator got it through the wire but drank or licked the blood?

Finally, maybe the hole was some kind of wound or abcess, like a bed sore, that didn't heal, and perhaps that's what killed it?

 

[Fat Daddy]

My vote would be the other quail in your pen. Sometimes birds just die... and are then prompty eaten by cage mates... Bill

 

[jm93030]

Quote:
I will never think of a quail eating another

I will post the pictures later may be you guys will get a better idea

 

[catsmithpuddin]

Quote:
I will never think of a quail eating another

I will post the pictures later may be you guys will get a better idea

Sometimes they don't wait for a dead quail to peck and eat quail. Good thing is that if you catch them early nuf they will heal from quite a beating.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Quote:
I will never think of a quail eating another

I will post the pictures later may be you guys will get a better idea

Anyone who has kept bobs for any length of time has seen this to some extent... pheasants are even worse.... Bill

 

[jm93030]

Quote:
I will never think of a quail eating another

I will post the pictures later may be you guys will get a better idea

Anyone who has kept bobs for any length of time has seen this to some extent... pheasants are even worse.... Bill

Now that you mentioned this

There are some Mexican speckle in this pen , but I never seen them peck on any other bird

the mexicans are the minority in this pen

 

[shelleyd2008]

Is anything missing? Like the crop? It sounds like it might be the work of a rat or weasel. I've never had quail eat each other.

 

[jm93030]

Quote:

 

[JJMR794]

Rule #1 Bobs And Coturnix Dont Mix Too Well.

The Wire Looks Like Chicken Wire With A Poly Netting Over It? If So Anything Could Reach In There And Get Ahold Of The Bird. Judging By The WouNd And Lack Of Blood My 1st Guess Is RaptOr. Coons Usually Pull Head Or Legs Off And There's Blood, Raptors Grab The Bird With Talons And Kill It Before They Pick Off Meat And Often Times They Start On The Shoulders Or Breasts Where There's More Meat