Who wants to hear some real crap... this will be long....

[MoonGoddess]

LOL Lunachick,
I was pondering this one too. Do they really? Gosh, I can't wait to hear that. It must be so funny and cute. Scary because your wondering what would cause a hen to growl....but uh...yeah.

 

[ivan3]

Sorry about the delay (few days off - finally check the site again - but doing lots of catch up on chores in between scanning posts).

Yes, the girls growl when the Barred Owls are cachinnating or something is moving in on the ground nearby, they chortle in unison when they are content/happy - at least I think that's what it's about. They also whine when they are cold (have to go out and lock down the shutters) and, of course, they engage in all sorts of irreproducible cacophonies as they work out who gets to roost where (9 hens, 1 roo, 11ft. of 2"x4" and never enough room for everyone!).

A slight drawback to monitor use: Every morning, the roo and his sidekick Big Red (hen with spurs) wake me up crowing (Big Red tries very hard to imitate the real thing) over the monitor!

Oh, sorry, the brand of baby monitor is SAFETY 1, it is just some cheap model that Cass picked up at the Dollar General, but it is good enough to pick up the high pitched squeaks of the Nocturnal Flying Squirrels (if I hear them at a distance first, then louder and louder - I know a ground predator is moving through the woods towards the backyard - if the hens then start growling it's time to harvest something for the Turkey Vultures).

 

[jmofaustin]

If anyone is interested in the software I downloaded, here is a clip of what it does...

 

[Llysse]

That is TOO awesome!

 

[MarkR]

I mean this in a tongue in cheek way, of course, or not, you decide, but, here's a book you might find useful. It's a monkeywrench gang kind of thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Even-Complete-Dirty-Tricks/dp/0873641868

Have fun with people!

Mark

PS I'm a bad bad guy. I am ashamed.

 

[MoonGoddess]

Oooooo...that's NAUGHTY.

 

[SpottedCrow]

If you had any suspicions that the neighbour poisoned your birds, get any of the animal welfare groups involved...even, gulp, PETA...
As for the kids trying to pry apart your barn, something lovely like a hot pepper wash would be a nice thing to do to keep them away...
Works for barnacles, I've heard...
I like the baby monitor too. They work really well. And the game cam with the bright spotlight would be awesome...

One neighbour's kid would throw things at my birds, chalks, tennis raquets, chunks of concrete and another offered to smash Slifer's head in with a tree branch...needless to say we called the cops and he had a nice tete a tete with the officers.

 

[mudlake]

A person in NY just went to prison for 2 years for killing a cat. Tony

 

[allen wranch]

I take my birds to the TVMDL lab in Gonzales. They charge $25 for a necropsy, and Dr. Lineres will let you watch if you want. He will explain everything he sees and send you a written report too. Based on what the organs look like, he can usually tell what happened. Yes, the lab work is extra, but it might be worth it if you end up in court.

http://tvmdlweb.tamu.edu/

 

[SunChick]

Justusnak,

I would suggest getting a donkey. They are I hear terrific for defending the property! Or a lama! They spit really well!