- Jul 19, 2009
- 189
- 7
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I was traumatized yesterday to find a cage of 3 lifeless bodies and one badly inured quail, who'd had her leg chewed off. Earlier this week one quail had vanished from the cage, and I found feathers below, and concluded a rat had gotten into the cage. So I covered the entire cage (which had 1 by 2 inch welded wire) with 1/2 inch hardware cloth to keep the rats out. Somehow, the rats got underneath some loose area of the hardware cloth, got in and ate the legs off all the birds, and ate part of the belly of one of them. I went to a local feed store and the owner told me that just securing the cage isn't good enough, that I have a bad rat problem that I have to deal with first, and he sold me powerful rat poison (Called "Just One Bite") which he says is the best stuff made. I have chickens too and I think the presence of the chicken food has caused a large rat problem.
So now I have brought my 2nd cage of 6 remaining quail indoors, to keep inside the house until I eliminate the rats, and perhaps, I'll have to give my flock of chickens away too, because I think that having chicken food out (some spills on the ground even if I bring the ffeeder in at night, and so there is always food for the rats at night) is just a big problem. ANy suggestions?
The injured quail I"m hoping to keep as a disabled quail. She's eating and drinking so I hope she survives.
So now I have brought my 2nd cage of 6 remaining quail indoors, to keep inside the house until I eliminate the rats, and perhaps, I'll have to give my flock of chickens away too, because I think that having chicken food out (some spills on the ground even if I bring the ffeeder in at night, and so there is always food for the rats at night) is just a big problem. ANy suggestions?
The injured quail I"m hoping to keep as a disabled quail. She's eating and drinking so I hope she survives.
