What predator will do this? (Graphic picture.)

[natyvidal]

Hi everyone.
So I made a secure cage for my young quails. Heavy duty and one that I can move around in the pasture. Everything was great until one night. I went to check on the flock to Tuck them in and I see that out of 12 there were only three quails left in the cage. I removed them and placed them in a safer cage and tried to find the rest at night!. It was easy to find four of the white quails. All of them killed, head eaten and the insides pulled out and eaten. The bodies left alone. One had some of the chest meat nibbled.
Next day I found the rest of the quails. They returned to the cage and I guess they’ve hidden in the tall weeds and grass. I also noticed a hole was dug under one side of the cage.

So question? What predator kills this way? I would think a racoon, Fox would eat the whole thing. Right? The thing is I have similar cages in the same area. And these other bird cages have not been disturbed. All input welcomed.

 

[bruceha2000]

I agree that a coon will do that, I had a chicken killed by one once. Foxes take the entire bird away. Coons are persistent and I think you'll need to elevate the cage or put out some fence skirting to keep anything from digging under. Also make sure there is a lock/catch on the door that a coon can't open.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Looks similar to what a Skunk did to one of my birds last spring.

It actually tunneled into our run. I never found the entry hole, but I filled in the hole(s) in the run.
Apologies for the muddy run, this was before I started using run litter.

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

I'm betting on a raccoon. They are very wasteful predators, they rip off the head and eat the crop contents. I've dealt with them in the past. Make sure they are put up securely because the raccoon will come back for more.

 

[cmom]

One way to know for sure is to put up a camera and most likely the killer will get it's picture taken and it will be back. Good luck...

 

[cluckcluckhens]

Don't you just hate this happening. I'm sorry this happened to you. Remember coons have thumbs and can open doors I heard.

We have never saw a coon by us but, weeks ago out in rural in the PNW my one year old from last years hatch her neck and head was missing with a squirrel having dinner with her. Only one squirrel weeks ago so I got up earlier than normal for weeks watching. Nothing showed up. I count the chickens everyday and evening to make sure I have all of them. I count throughout the day just watching. All accounted for. Squirrel was different than the normal gray diggers. It did not run from me like they normally do. Peeking around the coop from the back of the coop. I guess it was more important to have dinner than run from me.

 

[natyvidal]

Thank you for your answers. Some of the members are recommending a camera to spy on the bird area. What type of cameras are we talking about? I would not mind installing one mobile camera, so I can move it around, to see what really is happening out there when we are all sleeping. Any recommendation of what type of camera. I am a neophyte when it comes to this techi things.

 

[bruceha2000]

Are you thinking about a trail camera that will take pictures based on motion or a camera you can "stream" live and see what is happening real time?

 

[natyvidal]

Is there a big price difference between them? Which one would you recommend to be best? I've been doing birds in the same property for three years. I never had any predators try to break into my cages. Most of them have heavy wire, a couple of them are made with chicken wire. The area is surrounded by a four and six feet high no climb fence. I think it has been efficient to keep the bigger predators away.

I just thought the quails would also be safe in the new cage I had made in the same area. On closer inspection, there was a declivity or small dug out area on one side of the cage. That's is how the quails got out when maybe spooked by the animal. The white quails were the ones targeted. The brown ones survived. In fact the cage was empty of the 12 quails I had in there when I checked. Four were killed. I thought all were lost and to my surprise next day the other eight were seen coming out from the bush into the run area. So 8 survived because they hid in the bush.

From how they were killed, and gutted, it provably was a small animal. Possum, cat, maybe racoon. The hole dug out was not very big. Whatever it was, if I had a camera, that could be set up to check though the night, it would help me decide how safe it is the cage I am making/make for them. If I knew how the break in/out happened.

So, after writing all of the above and my thoughts, I think a camera, maybe wireless, (the area is remote from the house,) waterproof, I do have electricity out there but I think battery operated would be better; then I can move its position or use it with wide lens so it covers a wide area would be helpful? Open for suggestions! Thank you for your help.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm afraid I've not done research on wireless cameras to know what range they have. I had to put a wifi repeater out in the little barn, 20' behind the house to get signal to the front of the big barn for the EV charger (power company requirement). The big barn is about 15' north of the little one and the chickens are in down in the lower back part of the big barn. The wifi signal doesn't get all the way down there. Maybe there are more powerful units than the one I got?