mystery of dead quails?

hi, i am totally new to this so forgive me as i have never used this frum before!

ive been keeping chickens for about 2 months now and its great, i have also got (or had 4 quail - 1 male and 3 female) in a seperate hutch with a run.

when i went this morning to feed them there were 2 dead female in the run. its wooden framed and covered with wire mesh, the  birds were dead in the run. i thought that a rat had got them but im beginning to doubt it and want some advicetheres no evidence to suggest a rat got in, i cant see any holes?

they were attacked from the back of the neck, the feathers were stripped off the neck and the neck bloodied. no other injury or damage to the body. they had laid eggs for the first time as well. 2 eggs and 2 dead females? could this be a rat or would the male have done this and why?

please help if anyone can?

thanks
scott

I'm afraid your living Quails are to blame

Had the same happen with mine

Spider

I had two females and one male, all seemed well until I found one of the females in a very bad way, neck feathers stripped and a lot of blood around the back of the neck, but still alive.
That was a few months ago now, and the female made a full recovery, but I have kept her apart from the other two. All seem pretty content tho I don't like keeping one on her own

I've hatched a few more, and plan on trying to introduce her to them

They are supposed to be very territorial, so I will build them a small aviary and put them in at the same time.

Hope things go ok with yours

Spider

If a weasel had got it, i would expect the body would have been dragged to the place it got in and it would have tried to take it away (or munched it there and then)

It wouldn’t just kill it and leave it where it was (Unless disturbed)

More likely to be in-fighting


Edit: also a mink or similar goes for the neck but usually to sever the spine, not likely to pull too many feathers - seems more like a pecking wound? - Others may disagree?