Oinkybacon
Chirping
- Dec 16, 2020
- 5
- 37
- 51
Hi, a few years ago me and my wife decided to get quail as we have an avid interest in quails and all animals really.
They made amazing companions, so sweet, harmless and therapeutic to be around, they cost barely any money to feed etc, so are perfect all round. Me and my wife built a fantastic enclosure by hand, made it safe, plenty of space and places to hide and play and they loved it, we then decided to introduce another 3 quails into the existing group of 1 male and 2 females, to give the girls a break more than anything.
introductions took a few weeks as the group was already established, they then all formed a close bond,
There was 5 Japanese cortunix, Mateo the boisterous yet protective and loveable male, then his 2 friends who were like sisters to eachother, Mia and Greta, I remember them always being together and running around shaking strawberries in their beaks when they were young, then their extended family and mine too Droopy wings (I think she was given to us earlier than should have been so never quite grew into her wings, had her checked over no problems, then there was smelly who was well small and cute and the. There was 1 Italian cortunix by the name of Brownie, due to being a beautiful shade of brown, her facial features looked just like a bird of prey and she was the outcast at first but then became an integral part of the group,
the first three were approximately verging on 2 and a half years Old and the others maybe nearly 2 years I’m assuming. My wife was only saying this morning that they are all in great health and due to their pampered relaxed life thinks that they may live for a few more years as although the average may be around 2 it’s not unheard of to last for four or more with good husbandry I believe.
anyway I said to my wife, remind me to check on the quail when I get up as I need to make sure they have enough food etc, i went out so my wife checked on them and called me inconsolable as four of my six quail had been eaten by rats!! our next door neighbour keeps her bird feeder by a shared hedge which is the opposite side of the garden from the quail enclosure but it’s full of rats, in the nights they’re everywhere and they will not do anything to sort it out , don’t get me started on the squirrels coming through a hole in their roof into my loft.
i came home to find our babies unrecognisable and completely gone. Just 2 were left, I believe to be Greta and Mia, traumatised just standing there and when they did move they were side by side which is very unusual for my quail, they nest together but all run around individually.
as I picked up the mutilated bodies I could only see 3, so turned everything upside down, as I picked up a small hutch I keep the feed in I found the 4th body, with rat still feasting, it ran under a small log pile placed over a very small patch of dirt in the otherwise concrete enclosure (never had any trouble before) so I lifted The log Up and saw a fresh tunnel, mound of dirt next to it where they had dug in. I severely doubt it was just one rat as there is so many every day by next door and my quails stick together, I found a poor little mouse they had killed before and a newt but they are just looking after themselves. The rats however left mutilated corpses of mice around by my garage last winter, in general if next door moved or took away the food source then the rats would leave but even after I told the, my birds had been killed and they need to move it or take it away, they paid lip service but it’s still there now after all day.
ive put the remaining two safe in an indoor enclosure now and they will only be going out for fresh air in a monitored enclosure .
you may be wandering just why I have written this post, or why I took so long to get to the point, all I can say is I love animals and my quails were my world, I just wanted to talk about them and tell people how wonderful they all are and how much they will be missed.
if you made it all the way through this post then thanks, we are devastated but I hope it was quick and they are at peace and I hope the ones remaining can have some sort of life without their family.
please give your best wishes and prayers if you’re that way inclined to my lovely quails, and I guess that it
thanks
P
They made amazing companions, so sweet, harmless and therapeutic to be around, they cost barely any money to feed etc, so are perfect all round. Me and my wife built a fantastic enclosure by hand, made it safe, plenty of space and places to hide and play and they loved it, we then decided to introduce another 3 quails into the existing group of 1 male and 2 females, to give the girls a break more than anything.
introductions took a few weeks as the group was already established, they then all formed a close bond,
There was 5 Japanese cortunix, Mateo the boisterous yet protective and loveable male, then his 2 friends who were like sisters to eachother, Mia and Greta, I remember them always being together and running around shaking strawberries in their beaks when they were young, then their extended family and mine too Droopy wings (I think she was given to us earlier than should have been so never quite grew into her wings, had her checked over no problems, then there was smelly who was well small and cute and the. There was 1 Italian cortunix by the name of Brownie, due to being a beautiful shade of brown, her facial features looked just like a bird of prey and she was the outcast at first but then became an integral part of the group,
the first three were approximately verging on 2 and a half years Old and the others maybe nearly 2 years I’m assuming. My wife was only saying this morning that they are all in great health and due to their pampered relaxed life thinks that they may live for a few more years as although the average may be around 2 it’s not unheard of to last for four or more with good husbandry I believe.
anyway I said to my wife, remind me to check on the quail when I get up as I need to make sure they have enough food etc, i went out so my wife checked on them and called me inconsolable as four of my six quail had been eaten by rats!! our next door neighbour keeps her bird feeder by a shared hedge which is the opposite side of the garden from the quail enclosure but it’s full of rats, in the nights they’re everywhere and they will not do anything to sort it out , don’t get me started on the squirrels coming through a hole in their roof into my loft.
i came home to find our babies unrecognisable and completely gone. Just 2 were left, I believe to be Greta and Mia, traumatised just standing there and when they did move they were side by side which is very unusual for my quail, they nest together but all run around individually.
as I picked up the mutilated bodies I could only see 3, so turned everything upside down, as I picked up a small hutch I keep the feed in I found the 4th body, with rat still feasting, it ran under a small log pile placed over a very small patch of dirt in the otherwise concrete enclosure (never had any trouble before) so I lifted The log Up and saw a fresh tunnel, mound of dirt next to it where they had dug in. I severely doubt it was just one rat as there is so many every day by next door and my quails stick together, I found a poor little mouse they had killed before and a newt but they are just looking after themselves. The rats however left mutilated corpses of mice around by my garage last winter, in general if next door moved or took away the food source then the rats would leave but even after I told the, my birds had been killed and they need to move it or take it away, they paid lip service but it’s still there now after all day.
ive put the remaining two safe in an indoor enclosure now and they will only be going out for fresh air in a monitored enclosure .
you may be wandering just why I have written this post, or why I took so long to get to the point, all I can say is I love animals and my quails were my world, I just wanted to talk about them and tell people how wonderful they all are and how much they will be missed.
if you made it all the way through this post then thanks, we are devastated but I hope it was quick and they are at peace and I hope the ones remaining can have some sort of life without their family.
please give your best wishes and prayers if you’re that way inclined to my lovely quails, and I guess that it
thanks
P
I would (as you seem to love you birds) to get more. Craigslist has some.
