Predator Proof quail cages

[Ozarkhomesteader]

so, i have some old rabbit cages that i am going to be hanging against the house...i've always kept them inside a barn or shed, and now they will be outside. How do you predator proof them? like what would the best latches be? also, can a coon or fox hurt them from underneath, like bite their legs off of something? once i get a new LGD it will be good, but until then, how can i make it safe? Thanks!

 

[squirrelman1325]

What I did to make my pens predator proof is put 1/4 inch mesh wire in the bottom of the pens to keep their feet from hanging thru along with that I got screen wire like what goes in screen doors and wired it around the outside of my rabbit cages to keep anything from reaching in I had to do this after I lost two because of a rat along with that I would take maybe 1 inch wire and wire that up along below the cage but even with it so predators can not get under them and make them flush up and scalp themselves

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Thanks!! sounds great!

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Dried Buckeye hulls also work pretty good for predator proofing, and its fun placing them around the outside of the pen like Easter eggs.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Dried Buckeye hulls also work pretty good for predator proofing, and its fun placing them around the outside of the pen like Easter eggs.

hm...never heard of that..interesting! Do you have a picture?

 

[Little-Farmer]

Our dogs got ahold of a quail when we first put our cage outside. It was off the ground in a stand with 1/4" wire for a floor. We put 2x4 plywood bordering the base with another layer of 1/4" wire so that there was a two inch space between the two layers of wire. Nothing has been able to grab at their toes now.

 

[Sill]

I also use double wire under the elevated cages. They walk on one layer and the other is a couple of inches below to keep things from grabbing their toes. Also, keeping cages elevated will discourage terrestrial predators like coyotes, cats, etc. as they would have to hang off the sides of the cages to try to get to them. My cages are about 3 1/2-4 feet above the ground.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Thanks!! I will be keeping them elevated about 4 feet up, hanging on the side of a detached garage. I will add the second layer of wire around the bottom...just curious, would wire like chicken wire work? It is so much cheaper than hardware wire, and since it wouldn't have to keep things from actually eating them. I've got pretty cold winters...do you guys do anything to keep them warm? I threw in some hay this winter, but it was a little annoying to clean u.

 

[Little-Farmer]

Our winters in south Florida are pretty mild so I can't help you there. I do plan on putting a tray of wood shavings for them to bed in and they occasionally get a dust pan. I plan on using a heat lamp on the rare nights we have freezing weather down here.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

hm...never heard of that..interesting! Do you have a picture?

Buckeye hulls that I am referring to are actully sweet chestnuts. But there are others.

http://tree-species.blogspot.com/2009/03/edible-chestnuts-vs-horse-chestnuts.html

I do not have any current photos as last years hulls are buried in the ground (Hopefully), but squirrels live for the buckeyes so it seems. How they get into them, I would hate to see, but they do. Still the best way to describe them are baby porcupines or porcupine eggs and add humor to that.

The whole hull is about the size of a chicken egg but full of outward sticking 1/2 - 1 inch thorns or spines about the diameter of a needle and they are sharp. I am not talking about 50 or 60 spikes, try hundreds. When dry the are even more painful and you do not want to pick one up without gloves. They look exactly like a Sea Urchin if that gives you any ideas.

Beyond that I was adding a little humor to the subject, but I am sure they would help deter any predator. If I knew of a buckeye tree, I would not walk within 50 feet of it in a pair of sneakers. and that's no joke. I cringe every time I have to mow around the tree in fear of flat tires.