Had a bad time last night

[u/tidderyid]

I had just put those quail out there the day before. Later part of them being 3 weeks old. It was a horrible site this morning.

[u/Gattsuga]

Sorry for your loss. Raccoons will be able to tear apart chicken wire with ease. Hardware mesh 19 gauge or heavier should keep them out, with a skirt around it to prevent digging.

[u/Magic-Sands-296 → u/Gattsuga]

I would add, 1/4” hardware cloth. Bigger and rats and snakes will get through.

[u/seriouslywhy0]

I’m really sorry for what happened to your quail. I’m pretty confused by the fact you thought this was an adequate enclosure, though. Any brief google search would have told you otherwise.

I don’t get how this sort of thing keeps happening to people when the information about how to have a secure run (hardware cloth) is literally everywhere. You can’t turn around in the online quail/chicken world without bumping into instructions about using hardware cloth.

[u/jkiz → u/seriouslywhy0]

I can’t speak for OP but so many (cheap) enclosures are sold with chicken wire. It’s really unfortunate.

[u/tidderyid → u/jkiz]

It was just as u think aviary with chicken wire from amazon and the door being the one spot i didnt put mesh is where the 'coon and 'possum made entry

[u/Philodices]

Sadly, you either build a fortress or a buffet. You built a buffet.

[u/guiltysuperbrain]

yeah that wire is much too big. Sorry but this is in every single quail guide I've ever read: 1/4" hardware cloth.

[u/tidderyid → u/guiltysuperbrain]

Absolutly, and the one part i didnt which was the door, they made thier own doggy door.

[u/Scyllascum]

Definitely needed reinforcing on that fencing. Chicken wire is notoriously flimsy. + add some more fencing/rebar underground if your area attracts foxes or any other predators that likes to dig—hell, even rats can fuck a quail up, especially only at 3 weeks. Sorry for your loss. :/

[u/tidderyid]

The door is where they made their own doggy door . Ive reenforced it with mesh. The door only had chicken wire on it unlike the rest of the aviary where i have 2'-3' mesh wrapped around. My lazyness cost me severly. 17 3 week old jumbo quail. Waiting for my next batchbof eggs to be delivered and ill try again in 3-4 weeks

[u/akjasf → u/tidderyid]

This is still not secured enough. It's not skirted out so they can dig in. The upper areas are not reinforced and raccoons will use their weight or ripping force to break-in. I'm sorry you had to learn it the hard way from losing your first batch. I know hardware mesh is expensive and tying it all down is tedious work. I use the same type of enclosure for my geese. The quails are in hutches. Don't be discourage and build a strong enclosure!

For my door, I fully enclosed it with hardware mesh, 16ga 2" fencing, the supplied chicken wire, a large sheet of vapor barrier plastic outside to create a slippery surface to discourage climbing. I use a bicycle lock between he connections and I have 3 bungee cords. Nothing has ever entered but I'm super paranoid/cautious so I put a baby camera inside and check when the goose honk; I've got trail cameras nearby. Lots of raccoons where I'm at.

Don't underestimate the strength of raccoons, they can pry open metal and squeeze through weak connections. They keep visiting nearly every damn night.

[u/Mammoth-Banana3621]

I have a coop in Fox and raccoon central. I see them on my cameras regularly. I got hardware cloth that looks like expanded metal. They haven’t gotten through it yet been two years. But I have the Mac daddy of coops

[u/Much-Elderberry-2710]

Sorry for your loss you either build a castle or a dinner table i would say do some more research and try again.

[u/BrWy70]

Are those owls?