Will rats kill quail?

[freechickens1]

We have quite a few rats in our garden around where we keep our chickens. The rats don't bother our chickens (our chickens roost high up and are quite big), but I was thinking of constructing a quail pen in our garden. However, I wasnt sure if rats will kill quail. I plan on giving them high places to roost too. I was thinking of getting coturnix quail.

 

[eggbert420]

It is possible, but mostly they will eat the feed.

 

[DK newbie]

Well.. The rats eat both chickens and pigeons at my parents' farm. My dad had had around 40 pigeons last summer. Now he has none. His own fault, because he didn't deal with the problem when they started dying and disappearing, and they didn't kill any chickens this time (they are in an enclosure right beside the pigeons), but we've had chickens in the enclosure the pigeons were in before and also lost quite a few back then. There is a concrete floor, but the rats find its weak points so even though we've poisoned them and poured new concrete in their holes several times, it just takes a few years before they are back. So I do believe they would consider quail a lovely snack, given the chance. I have buttons living just 6 feet from the pigeon enclosure and the rats didn't make it in there - yet - but if they do, I have no doubt I'd quickly have an empty aviary. So I'd definitely do my best to make a rat proof enclosure.

 

[freechickens1]

Thanks.

 

[JaeG]

Coturnix quail don't roost - they are ground birds and like to stay on the ground. Some people have taught their birds to go into an enclosed space at night but it does take some training.

Rats mostly come after food first and foremost but if there isn't enough of that they will attack quail and even from outside the enclosure they can attempt to pull a quail through the wire if it's chosen to sleep right next to it (and if the gaps are big enough for it to get its snout through). You would have to do some serious rat proofing to keep your quail safe.