Predator Proof: Quail

Quail are little plump creatures and unfortunately for that reason the target of many predator attacks, from crows, to weasels, to dogs, to rats! So how the hey are we suppose to stop them?

From the Air

Crows, hawks, falcons, and eagles would all snack on a quail. So a roof is very necessary, made out of either hardware cloth or chicken wire. Simple netting is not satisfactory at all, a hawk could rip that up in seconds.

But aerial predators are not the hard ones

From beneath

Rats, skunks, or opossums can easily dig right under your cage. For that very reason I suggest at least a foot of wire covering the floor on all sides, if not the entire floor. Make sure it is tied, stapled or nailed to the sides of cage, weather boards or more wire, so they can’t get in between.

And don’t just use window screens, or flimsy wire. Rats can chew right through! I’d stick with hardware cloth. It’s strong and has small openings nothing can fit through, besides baby button quail, but those aren’t exactly predators.

Going Right Through

Chicken wire is positively trash when it comes to racoons, opossums, weasels or snakes. Snakes can fit right through, unhinge their jaw and eat your quail. They won’t be able to get back out with a quail inside, but that won’t stop them from getting in!

Weasels (my least favorite animal as they will stalk your quail, coming back every month, to suck their blood) can just rip right through! But they can’t climb. So a foot or two of hardware cloth, or wood, on the bottom of the sides, will prevent them.

Opossums and racoons are known for ripping wire enough for their arms and grabbing animals inside. So the same thing for weasels will stop that, because even if they climb and rip wire in the higher part of the pen, your quail won’t be levitating (I assume).

Snakes small enough to fit through hardware cloth are garters far to small to get your quail, however snakes are known to climb so you may want total hardware cloth sides if you can afford it. Or make the cage not really have great climbing access. Or have a pheasant with the quail as they eat snakes!

Dogs, either wolves or domestic, are also potential predators that can barge through hardware cloth. Thus I keep my quail pens inside a large fenced area. A dog proof fence should consist of wooden, welded, or woven fencing tall enough that dogs can’t jump over.

Chicken wire is not dog/wolf/coyote proof.

Good luck protecting your little round birds!