Murdo Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 After yesterday's exertions sleeping in would have been extremely attractive . Chief Assistant to the Managing Director wandered in at 0700 for permission to go down with the dog to see the chooks. Some ten minute later roused by sounds of distress, sounding like no chicken call they'd made before. Two or three low squawks then one higher one. Opened window, no sign of birds. Threw on trousers, thinking the neighbours aren't going to be pleased if the new chooks turn out to be early morning squawkers. But actually I was more concerned that it sounded like distress. Got outside and it turned out there was a good reason I'd never heard chickens make that noise before. There was a squirrel half way up the house calling out, presumably an alarm at the cats. Grrr... Never heard a squirrel make that noise before. Didn't I see air rifles advertised in Pratical Poultry ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Squirrels - cute, but what a pain! I opened the blinds in the kitchen this morning to find my newly filled peanut feeder GONE!! Next door neighbour said his frequently gets dragged away by squirrels Will be on a search later.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Oh,I love squirrels We had the most adorable little baby one in the garden yesterday ....it would have fitted into the palm of my hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahJo Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 (edited) Murdo ... my chooks "squak" when the squirel cuts through, on the fence behind their run . Its not that often though, so whenever one of them creates a racket I usually investigate, the other day a cat was waiting to pounce from the boys playhouse, and even more worrying, I returned from walking Tori, to see a Buzzard sat on the garage roof, looking into the chooks. . Edited April 2, 2006 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Red squirrels are beautiful, but grey ones a little *******! (soory) no words can discriba how much they annoy me! I put food out for the wild birds and they eat it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Squirells are increduibly noisy Murdo. I have dozens of the little beasts in the garden and they are very territorial and squeal at each other all summer They are talking about a major grey cull to stop them encroaching any further on the reds for health reasons and I do so hope that includes my garden Trouble with grey squirells is they carry squirell pox which causes them no problems but in the reds it kills them which is why they need to stop the spread north they used to think it was food competition but now they know it is a health problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Yes, grey squirrels are cute but I'm in favour of culling them. We often holiday (caravan) in the lake district our favourite caravan site is in the woods at the end of Derwen"Ooops, word censored!"er (Low Manesty). Lots of red squirrels, they are very tame and almost feed from your hand. I love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 we have squirrels living in our roof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Get rid of them Kaz destructive flea ridden beasties they are I'll lend you Tink if you like he a champion squirrel catcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 They are in the kitchen roof.. apparently they have been living there for about 10 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Find out where they are coming in and block it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Rats with bushy tails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Tree rats Annie I really don't like grey squirrels Can you tell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacedhopper Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 But they are animals and living creatures all the same, a cull is just legal cruelty, nature has a way of balancing these things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 They aren't native to the UK and they are wiping out our own species so nature can't balance that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Well,I still like having them in my garden & think they are really cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavey Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Nature can balance most excess numbers of a species, normally by having a creature higher up the food chain that eats them or by starvation (hence why wild deer are culled, we got rid of the wolf, their natural predator). Grey squirrels, like mink, are man-introduced and upset the balance. They must be culled if we want to save the native red. It's your choice: Red or Grey (to steal a line from a film, "There can be only one!") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I am happy to see squirrels in my garden & will continue to be so. I don't care if they are not native,I just LIKE them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 But they would steal and eat your eggs if you let them! And they eat baby birds. Yuk! I also love watching them and am happy they are around, but I do appreciate what a manace they are and that they need to be controlled, otherwise they would get totally out of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I am happy to see squirrels in my garden & will continue to be so.I don't care if they are not native,I just LIKE them If you had hand fed a red squirrel like I have you would know why I would like to reestablish them throughout the country. Something which can't be done where there are grey ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I have LJ,at Centerparcs where thay have established red squirrel colonys I love the red ones too.....I just really like squirrels of any colour Some people like cows....I like squirrels & I am not going to change....I think they are cute & funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 In the Isle of Wight there are NO grey squirellels just RED ones! Love 'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 I have LJ,at Centerparcs where thay have established red squirrel colonys I love the red ones too.....I just really like squirrels of any colour Some people like cows....I like squirrels & I am not going to change....I think they are cute & funny Apologies Cinnamon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacedhopper Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 They aren't native to the UK and they are wiping out our own species so nature can't balance that What has them being native to this country to do with the discussion? At the end of the day it still comes down to cruelty to animals, if as a animal lover, which you proclaim to be, how do justify a mass cull of a species ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken on a mission Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 I read a really good book a while back which discussed conservation and bought up some issues I hadn't considered before. It basically said, at what timeframe do you try to emulate in your conservation? The world is constantly changing so what period is the one worth conserving? For instance, if you have a a buiding dating back to the 16th century, are the additions and changes made in the 17th century to be considered as unworthy of conservation to be ripped out in favour of retoring the building back to its orginal state? The same thing applies to the environment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
