Quail-friendly plants

[FenDruadin]

I don't have catch pans under my wire pens. We have predators galore--and I've worked hard to make my pens impermeable to them. Still have occasional losses, usually due to negligence on my part. Raking up poo would not change this much for us--raccoons and foxes are going to prowl our property regularly regardless, going after the squirrels, and the chickens, ducks, and quail so enticingly displayed just out of their reach.

One way to manage waste under the pens is simply to rake high-carbon material under there to help it decompose faster. Straw, hay, dry leaves, etc. all work well for this purpose. It will also make the ground super fertile, and you can grow pretty much anything under there. Most plants are non-toxic, so you can grow almost anything you like, just pay attention to sunlight requirements--presumably your birds are in the shade, so you probably can't grow tomatoes down there.

Have fun!

 

[Pineapple]

This is the space in the back yard where I plan to put the pen once I build it. It's pretty boring right now, because I just moved in the other day, but it's under a bunch of trees so I hope that's shady enough. It'll also have a solid top.

I'd imagine there are tons of squirrels in those trees...

 

[FenDruadin]

Yup, those trees will provide adequate shade.

We have TONS TONS TONS of squirrels on our property. They've gotten so bad that last summer we had one decide that my shed was his personal pantry. He chewed holes in my solid plastic feed bins and every morning I'd have to kick the door to the shed before going in, so he could leave first. Otherwise, he'd startle and likely as not, bounce off of me in his hurry to exit--which happened more than once. Then he'd run up the nearest tree and yell at me for disturbing his peaceful meal.

Having said that, that is the worst that has ever come of squirrels. They really are not a huge nuisance most of the time, and have never caused significant property damage (unless you count the theft of bird seed and holes in plastic bins as property damage... wait, he also chewed a hole through the solid wood of the door to the shed to create his own entry point--he got tired of relying on me to accidentally leave the door open, I guess).

I sincerely wouldn't worry too much about them. Just don't leave your feed shed door open, and hopefully none of yours will take up residence there.

 

[Pineapple]

Thank you! Do you find that rat snakes, raccoons, or possums cause much of a threat? I've seen all of those downtown. I've never seen any hawks or owls. I'm going to secure the cage super well, but I just want to know what animals pose the most risk, I guess, in case I see one...

 

[FenDruadin]

Raccoons are my sworn enemy. They are strong, smart, and have dextrous hands. They will open gates, rip chicken wire, dig under fences, climb over fences and--worst of all--reach through the tiniest opening to grab any part they can and eat it off through the wire--no need to even capture the whole animal. It's gruesome.

Possums and rat snakes haven't caused me much trouble. We have both, but I've never lost a bird to a snake. Others have, so it's an imminent possibility. I did catch one in the henhouse (and wrote about it here), but I'm pretty sure he was after the eggs. Still disposed of him, though (in a distant wooded area). We also caught one at night up under the quail pens, stalking the quail. The odd thing is, we've had quail in very-not-snake-proof pens and still never lost any to snakes.


It's the raccoons you have to defeat. Make sure your pens are finished in wire mesh with openings no bigger than 1/2". We have had a raccoon catch a quail's toe through the wire mesh, pull a leg through, and eat it off. It bled to death, poor little booger. So on bottom, we installed a second layer of chicken wire about six inches from the floor wire. It seems to have worked.

Most of the time, my quail are on the ground (the wire pens are for growing out and so on). There is wire mesh buried under the soil of their pen. And wire mesh over the top. And everything is chain link with 1/2" hardware wire over it. There are plenty of spaces for snakes to go in, but nowhere a raccoon can reach through and grab a meal.

Electric wire is also good deterrent, if installed in a perimeter around the pens. I haven't tried it myself, but many others have and do.

Also make sure any closures are raccoon proof. They need to be complex and/or require human-level strength. If a very determined 5-year-old human child can open it, so can a raccoon. Some of my pens close with padlocks, but most are closed with either a simple bolt-and-screw through a latch (requires twisting the bolt and then opening the latch) or a good strong lynch pin that requires strength to open.

The chain link is closed with a standard chain link closure--it's high enough off the ground and requires enough strength and dexterity to be an impossible puzzle for a raccoon, who would have to climb up the fence, hold on with one hand, and lift a stiff latch with the other. Again, the 5-year-old human test works well here--my littlest one, who is ALWAYS very determined, needs help to get in, so it's raccoon-proof.

 

[TwoCrows]

Ah, I've seen a lot of cages on here without catch pans so I didn't realize they were required. I actually have a lot of 1/4" mesh leftover from another project, so I plan to use that. I don't know what kind of predators could grab toes through it, but I imagine a raccoon or cat probably could...

X2 on what iamcuriositycat says about raccoons. They are very intelligent and will work at something until they get in. And YES they can grab a hold of toes and feet hanging out thru wire. Look thru these archives here and you can read some horror stories about coons ripping off legs and toes. Not pretty.

So don't give these critters any chances. Coons, rats, snakes, skunks, cats even weasels are everywhere, And they will smell your quail a mile away. Seriously. The night time varmints are going to come exploring the first night you have quail in your back yard and they won't quit until they have picked, pried, jumped on, and chewed on your quail cages. So make sure they are completely impenetrable. Use locks on all doors, drawers, hinged anything. The one day you let your guard down, may be all these critters need to dine on your quail.

 

[Pineapple]

Yikes, that sounds scary!

Can coons get into 1/4" mesh? Should I buy pad locks, or will those slide-and-turn locks be sufficient? I'm still designing my cage so I can do whatever I need to (within reason)...

 

[TwoCrows]

Anything "slide and turned" can be opened by a coon. If you don't use locks, you can use cotter pins, bent nails or anything that you can slip into the lock area so it can not be turned. Coons have big teeth and will pull at anything hanging out of the bottom of the cage. So it is advised to baffle in the bottom wire. And as I said earlier, quail poop laying underneath your quail cage is going to attract predators.

1/4 inch works well on the sides, but poop won't fall thru that. You will need 1/2 inch mesh for the floor.

Just think like a predator. Pretend you are the varmint and want in this cage. LOL Then design it so you can't get in. LOL Don't under estimate these critters, they are strong and persistent.

 

[Pineapple]

No, I believe you that they're strong and persistent. That's why I'm asking so many questions to figure out what to do. I keep pet mice, and 1/2" wire could hurt them if they slipped and got their foot stuck. Will it not hurt a quail as easily?

 

[FenDruadin]

Whoops--cotter pin is what I meant, not lynch pin.

1/2" wire is what most quail pens are floored in, and it works fine. Just make sure the floor has an extra layer of protection of some sort--like I said, we solved the problem by installing a second layer of chicken wire about six inches from the floor. Latches & closures need to be difficult to open--not so difficult that it's a pain for you every day, but difficult enough that a raccoon either can't figure it out (like a combo lock) or doesn't have the strength (like a large, stiff cotter pin--these are cheap at the hardware store).

Do those things, and make sure any joints are well secured & can't be pried open. Over time, watch for rotting wood or other deteriorating elements that could cause weak spots.

For extra security, secure a hot wire around the pen--a raccoon is far less likely to keep prying for opportunities if he gets a shock every time he tries.

Predator-proofing is not impossible--it's not even all that difficult once you get started. But it must be done if you want a happy experience.