Quail dieing

[Team01]

I have a question about my quail. I have had 5 quail for since last Sunday. They are picked clean no feathers or insides. What would cause this. There are no holes in the cage. Why would the other quail do this.

 

[Nabiki]

Can you give us a better description? Pictures of the injuries and their home?

How much space do they have?
How many males? How many females?
Do they have hiding places?

 

[007Sean]

What size and kind of wire are you using for their housing? ....HC, or chicken wire? A pic of their housing would help.
Sounds like a cat may be the culprit or a rat.

 

[Whiskybear]

I smell a rat

 

[Nabiki]

I would be inclined to think rat over cat. Cats would leave the feathers and maybe the feet and eat everything else. A rat would hollow out the insides.

 

[quailheart]

The same thing happened to one of my quail a week or two ago. I had a ground pen of 5 or 6 quail and something must have gotten to it overnight because the next morning I found one the exact same way, except the feathers were still there. Giant hole from the backside to below the ribs, and the insides were completely cleaned out. Everything else was untouched and so were the other quail. I’m thinking it was either a rat, possum, or weasel since those are really the only predators that could have made it into my pen and would eat a quail like that. It wouldn’t have been another quail, it’s not very common for them to eat each other, especially not like that. Also they would have blood around their beaks or breasts when they’ve been attacking/eating each other.

 

[DAttard]

Just today I had to wrap the entire underside of my coop. Rats tore into feet of 3 of my quail overnight. Rats are new to us in recent weeks.
I have 1/4" hardware cloth that the hens walk on. See image with the new 'underside' Also in 19G 1/4" wire and is not just sides but also the ground, like a wire basement for poop, lol... sigh.