How to get quails to go under cover at night

[MontserratChick]

We recently had an attack by a stone marten (like a pine marten) that killed a huge amount of our chickens. I'm now worried about our quails, who live nearby. They have a lovely, solid, wooden hut to go into at night but seem to love sleeping outdoors in their pen. Stone Martens will be able to get through basically any sort of pen wire - they chew and pull wire apart and dig way down underneath - so I feel like getting the quail into their house at night is pretty imperative. Any ideas how? They're coturnix.

 

[DK newbie]

Pick them up and put them in. If you feed them in there, you might be able to herd them in before it gets dark, but I doubt you'll be able to get all of them to go in on their own at night.

 

[eHuman]

The only thing that I can think to be used as a reward to coax them during training is dried meal worms. Just opening the bag brings half my birds to my feet, shaking the bag brings the rest. If I don't give the treats quick enough they peck my feet and jump up to peck my hand and the bag.

 

[TwoCrows]

It helps to lock the birds in the enclosure for a few days straight, just as you might train chickens to become comfortable with their coop. This helps to teach the quail its a safe place to sleep as they dont understand what it is for until you teach them. However some quail still prefer to sleep outside at night. I have mine clicker trained to go in at night. Sometimes I just grab them and put them in one by one. Some quail will naturally head inside for cover at night, some wont. If you feel it is safer for the birds to sleep inside, make the decision for them.