I need advice, BIGTIME.

[wbruder17]

Ok, I will try to make this short...I need help.

I had a problem with something digging in and killing my quail. Not eating them, just killing.

We moved the coop and run, dug a 2 foot deep "moat" around it. Buried aviary wire with gravel, large rocks, and chunks of asphalt, etc. I thought it was the Fort Knox of chicken enclosures.

Now, rearranging my bird's climbing structure, I just discovered another hole. Looks like a rat hole to me. Nice and cleanly dug. Beautifully hidden behind a large rock within the enclosure. I looked on the outside of the coop run and, what do you know, IN THE SAME BACK CORNER of the coop, was another cleanly dug, well hidden entrance.

WHAT THE HECK??? What is digging in that deep? We don't have any quail anymore, but Will it hurt my pheasants, who sleep up high, but are not locked in? I lock in my chickens, but would that get into the coop, which is off the ground, and possibly hurt them?

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Can you give us your location? so we might be able to search possibilitys?

 

[wbruder17]

I'm in Portland, Oregon. We have a creek and live in a watershed. We have Nutria, they're too big and dumb. Theres a coyote roaming around somewhere down here, but don't think its that either.

 

[theFox]

How big is the hole at both the entrance and exit.

Once a tunnel has been made it is possible for things other than the builder to use it.

So you could have small members of the weasel family paying your birds regular visits.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Or rats.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

does the hole look as such?

if so you have a large rat very good diggers can dig under concrete and will burrow tunnels to live in. I mean a rat large rat yucky giant rats ewwww. pour gas in the hole and seal it up make sure to seal it in real well with dirt.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quail can scare themselves to death running into the top of the cage, too. I had a snake get in once, through 1/2 x 1" wire - he only ate 2 quail, but 10 more died from stress/heart attack/running themselves into walls/ceilings...

 

[dieselgrl48]

I recently Just found out the hard way Rats WILL kill bird's.Especialy smaller one's.I had about 25 graduated chick's in one coop wiped out.None of the other bird's were bothered.We put poision in the celar underneath half and got some pretty good size rat's.Rat's will make hole's like that in ground so possible.Racoon's also can sqeeze through pretty small hole's in wire etc..I had 2 get into a coop We though was secure and kill off 5 of my 9 Millie Fleur's a few months ago and the only space was a relativly small spot where they found one weak spot in wire.We did manage to trap them.I have had some people around here tell me We have weasel also but I have never seen one but...It's so Many pesky predator's around and they all work different at getting to bird's and livestock.So sorry about your bird's. Maybe try a live trap. A smaller size one as whatever it is seem's to be smaller.Hope ya catch the critter.

 

[cindy99]

Tractor Supply has a 2-pack of live traps for $25. I would try that and see what you catch. If you could catch something - at least you would have an idea of what you were dealing with. Good luck

Do mink dig holes like that? If you live near the water maybe it is a mink or weasel?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'd guess rats or possums...