The Time I Nearly Lost a Quail to the Grasslands [FUNNY]

TODAY we added 4 more little lives to Farmstead Smith!
And.. I almost lost one of them!

TWICE.

So, this morning I woke up excited. I was getting 4 new birds to add to the Farmstead! One rooster, a bantam Blue Langshan and three quail (one female, two males). My friend dropped them off today while I was out with the dogs to the vet. When I got home I was so excited to get them fixed up in their new digs!

All four were in this small transport cage. If quail are going to be in a cage, it is best to have a short one because they are able to fly so hard straight up that they can break their necks! So, naturally, I wanted to get them out of there and get them in their temporary cage until we get their run sorted. Just need to add some chicken wire and we should be golden there (hopefully this weekend!).

I was trying to figure out how I was going to go about getting these birds out of this container without anyone escaping. I had thought to myself that I should do it inside in the bathroom or something, I shrugged it off. So there I am sticking my hand in the cage. I thought that it would be best to try and take out the quail first. Smaller opening so that the rooster didn't escape.

One quail in the cage, check. Second quail in new cage, check - Hey this is... SHIT.

SHIT. Shit shit.

The rooster escaped. Shit.

Thankfully I had a tote beside me, I flipped that right over him without much problem. I turned around AND THERE'S A LITTLE F****** QUAIL JUST STRUTTING AWAY LIKE IT OWNED THE JOINT.

I DID NOT SHUT THE F****** DOOR TO EITHER CAGE.

*Note: I hadn't even paid for these yet. Omg. What do I do? *

I ran inside and grabbed another tote as fast as I could.
Thank goodness this little shit was not going fast. Just strutting around like it was meant to do that or something. I roll my eyes.

*For those that don't know... Quails aren't just like "friendly" they're wild little birds that have to be contained at all times or they will go off and do wild bird things. Yeah. So. Now you understand my predicament. *

So here I am trying to find this damned escapee quail. Tote in hand. FOUND IT. So what now, will it be fast? I chase it around a minute and it stops at a fence. WHEW. I throw the tote on top. I notice that maybe I might have smashed it's little shit head. No, good. It's fine.

*I wipe the sweat from my brow. *

Now. The f*** do I do now? They're the squirmiest little things.
Right, well, I will bring the cage over here and put it in the cage, simple. Cool. K. Got it.

...

I lift the tote slightly try and grab it.

AND IT F****** ESCAPES AGAIN!

Again, people!

There I am against this fence, thinking that I might have it outsmarted when it freaking squeezes right through the fence. OH MY GOLLY.

This guy is lost to the damn Grasslands now. I am screwed. Thankfully it was one of the males and not the only female. Von Voyage, brother.

I run inside to wake my roommate (he works night shift, so he's sleeping during the day). CY, I'm so sorry to wake you but I need your help right now. I RUN BACK OUTSIDE.

Find the little turd quail in my back yard he's about 15 feet from Grassland freedom! I knew if I didn't get him at this very instant he would be gone forever. I run around to the side, trying to get him not to bolt forward into the grassland abyss. SLAM the tote down on top of him and hold it down with all my force. not that he can like, move it or anything.

I wait for Cy to emerge from the house.

"Oh, you got him." He says.

"Yes, but he will escape, I don't know what to do."

Thankfully Cy's brain was clearer. He grabbed a tote lid and we totally used it like you would use a piece of paper under a cup for a spider. GOT HIM.

Now what. We gotta put him in the cage. Cy tries grabbing it and feathers are flying. I don't even know where this AMOUNT of feathers would come from on this small of an animal. But they were flying.

I got both of my hands in the tote and grabbed him securely and put him in the cage.

I started dripping sweat. The Quail was set in its new cage with its female and other male. Finally.

What about the rooster. WELL. I finally could get to him. I felt bad cause he'd been under this tote for however long. (probably really only 5-10 mins, but, still - stupid quail).

Grabbed the rooster and got him into his new temporary home so that my chickens and he can gradually get used to each other. In a week or two, I will stick him into the coop at night when everyone's roosting. Here is this gorgeous specimen. He is a bantam, meaning a mini sized chicken. I didn't know that when I accepted to get him (free). I made sure that the old breeder thought he would do fine with my chickens and he said yes. So there we have it. We have an accidental bantam. I plant to breed him with my full sized Blue Langshan Pullets next year - make some cutie chicks! Hehe.

So apparently this rooster is already a pain. He has huge spurs haha. He's two years old, and I feel like I am probably going to have my hands full with this little thing. I'll share more about him, and his crow, in another post!

This was the most stressful thing... Especially since I hadn't even paid for these little things yet! The heck! Haha. I am SO THANKFUL I was able to catch this little shit TWICE. That doesn't just happen. I wish I had someone videoing the whole thing or something. Cause I am sure that would have been funny. I also noticed today that... I cuss in my head and not out loud when alone. Haha

Here is everyone in their temp housing. My chickens are checking everyone out!

Everyone is now shut up nice and tight until tomorrow! <3

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As always @farmstead here blogging from FarmsteadSmith!



Photos by me using my iPhone 6s, unless stated otherwise!

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• Nature on the Farmstead - These posts will be educational and informative about the nature that happens on my farmstead. Look forward to posts about wild animals, birds, wildflowers and plants, insects, and more!

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