Predator Proof quail cages

[Ozarkhomesteader]

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.

thanks for the link...yikes, i bet that sure would keep them away! Those things look painful. We don't have any in our yard, but if we find a tree we might want to gather the nuts to eat and the hulls to put near the quail cages I bet if you put them on the ground underneath the cages, you wouldn't have a problem with animals biting the feet! I would want to catch that on video

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Yeah, you can eat the nuts on the chestnut but not the buckeye. I used that link so that people will not confuse the two, I know I did. Obviously I did not eat any. LOL

Looking at the versions edible vs toxic buckeyes, it seems that nature knows the value of the foods and makes it more difficult to access the preferred by providing a passive defensive /protection aka, Sweet chestnut, blackberry, walnut (stains and posinous), cactus............Makes you wonder what skunks would taste like! LOL

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Yeah, you can eat the nuts on the chestnut but not the buckeye. I used that link so that people will not confuse the two, I know I did. Obviously I did not eat any. LOL

Looking at the versions edible vs toxic buckeyes, it seems that nature knows the value of the foods and makes it more difficult to access the preferred by providing a passive defensive /protection aka, Sweet chestnut, blackberry, walnut (stains and posinous), cactus............Makes you wonder what skunks would taste like! LOL

LOL make you wonder...

 

[James the Bald]

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.

I was curious as to the composition of your "rabbit cages". My rabbit cages have 1/2" x 1" flooring, with 1" x 2 " sides and ceiling. The way I determined if my quail cages were predator proof was this: if I could stick more than 1 inch of my finger into the cage, then it is NOT predator proof. There are birds that can harm your quail; it's not just the ground critters you have to worry about. If a hawk or falcon were to land on your cage and put a talon through, you quail are done. Quail are fairly tame and have no fear, so they would be curious and move toward side of the cage to check things out. So your idea of using chicken wire over your rabbit cage will really afford no real protection; I would use 1/2" hardware cloth. If there was a way for a raccoon to climb the side of your garage, they would.
Good luck and keep us posted,
James

 

[Fat Daddy]

This owl stripped several of my quail and chukar down thru 1"x2" wire once he figured out how...... I think they just sit around and think up new ways to off themselves...... Dont make it easy for them....

 

[BobDBirdDog]

This owl stripped several of my quail and chukar down thru 1"x2" wire once he figured out how...... I think they just sit around and think up new ways to off themselves...... Dont make it easy for them....

Its amazing! 3 fairly impenetrable walls, and quail will always pick the most vulnerable spot, lean up against the wire and go to sleep. Yeah , that's a great IDEA says the other quail!!!!!.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

I was curious as to the composition of your "rabbit cages". My rabbit cages have 1/2" x 1" flooring, with 1" x 2 " sides and ceiling. The way I determined if my quail cages were predator proof was this: if I could stick more than 1 inch of my finger into the cage, then it is NOT predator proof. There are birds that can harm your quail; it's not just the ground critters you have to worry about. If a hawk or falcon were to land on your cage and put a talon through, you quail are done. Quail are fairly tame and have no fear, so they would be curious and move toward side of the cage to check things out. So your idea of using chicken wire over your rabbit cage will really afford no real protection; I would use 1/2" hardware cloth. If there was a way for a raccoon to climb the side of your garage, they would.
Good luck and keep us posted,
James

thanks! I did put hardware cloth on the bottom so their feet wouldn't slide through, but the sides are bigger spaces (1"x2"). I didn't think about birds...thanks. Guess i will have to do hardware wire on the sides. oh, the chicken wire was for the bottom...like what the others suggested putting 2"board along the rim then putting another layer of wire so toes won't get eaten off...it would be ok for that right?? Yeah, the coons would be able to climb in multiple places

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

This owl stripped several of my quail and chukar down thru 1"x2" wire once he figured out how...... I think they just sit around and think up new ways to off themselves...... Dont make it easy for them....

wow, awesome picture! lol

yeah, i know! I think they just want to die! I once had a quail get out of the cage during a move and while it was in the chicken coop for a day, and the chickens ate it! it was crazy. I felt bad for the quail...what a rough way to go. I've also had them kill themselves in a cage. They are a mess.