Quail Escaped - Will they return?

[CountryMom]

Ok, so my darling children were helping me feed last night. I have been down running fever and battling a nasty cold. Anyhow, this morning when I took the dogs out my lab started going nuts around a tree in the front yard. All was quiet except I could hear the chickens making noise in their coop way out back. Well, on my way down I see a quail roo sitting in front of the coop! I looked over to see the door to our breeding quail pen wide open! We were able to catch three hens and one roo. I can hear and see the rest floating around the pasture and front and back yard. I sectioned off the breeder pen to enclose the caught birds and leave the other side open. Will they return? I mean, I know that is how some flight pens work in big hunting ranches, but these guys have only been here a short time.

 

[Oblio13]

Sometimes a few of mine get out, but they hang around the coop trying to get back with the others and I've always been able to catch them again with my son's butterfly net after dark.

I think you're already doing what's best. Let us know how it works out.

 

[SportTees]

Mine normally come back by the next morning.

 

[CountryMom]

At least they are not too far. I can still hear them calling back and forth. Maybe they will just free range today and be back in their cage tonight. Should be an interesting night!

 

[lorieMN]

you can buy cages to catch excaped quail..they have a spot for a bait bird and a cone the escaped bird walks into and gets caught

 

[monarc23]

I was told by a local quail breeder to put a roo in a pigeon retrevial pen so he can call the hens back...hopefully it would call roos back too.

*heres wishin you luck!*

 

[the1much]

if that only catch's the hens,,, then after you catch the hens,, replace the "bait" roo with a hen.

 

[CountryMom]

It has been an interesting afternoon. I have been out fixing a few of our guinea pig cages (big ones) so we have been able to see the area around the quail cage from a distance. So far I have three roos and 8 hens caught up. That only leaves 19 to go! LOL I have a dog house set up below the cage with a wire front and a hole cut small for just the quail to walk into. Best I could do for a quail return pen at short notice. I guess this was the convincing factor for hubby to build me a framed wire avairy like I have been saying we needed. I can house the breeding cages inside and if this happens again they would only be in that avairy.

Hoping tonight proves more come home!

 

[quail tony]

I lost 2 last night 1 of them has returned this morning trying to get back in the run

 

[eHuman]

If it is close you may get lucky but generally they don't stick around like chickens.