Headless Quail ?

[Must Be Losing It]

I had a fox take the heads off two keets. But here's a question, aren't quail known for some canibalistic traits?

Sorry if I offended anyone w/ the question, but I read it somewhere.

 

[d.k]

* Read somewhere about certain predators (like owls) eating just the head/neck because they want the calcium concentration in the skull. Doesn't make the loss easier to take, though. Sorry about your birds.

 

[catfish]

Buddy that raised quails years ago had this happen, its hawks, they'd fly over and spook the quail they pop up and head comes through the wire and gotcha. Heads gone.
He went with two layers of top wire, one hard, the other nylon separated by 6 inches cured that problem.

Another issue was cured with barn metal along the bottom 18"s of the run.

 

[hinkjc]

I agree..it's a bird of prey. They make the quail flush to the roof and grab. I'm so sorry this happened to your quail.

Jody

 

[ronshoney]

About the owls.... a local farmer warned me when I ordered my chicks that the owls can make sounds to lure the chickens to stick their heads out and then they bite them off. I was told even with a covered pen to lock them up at night.

 

[SueNH]

A New England state....

lot of mink and weasel problems this year in the north. My guess is the insane winter.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Two words - fisher cat.