Baby Monitors for your barn

[Bluerocket]

I am wanting to use a Baby Monitor in my barn - have you used one? have you used this one?

In the past (before minis) I had a baby monitor in my barn so I could listen in on my horses -- and especially so I could listen to them for foaling time.

We have a metal skinned barn and a metal siding manufactured home. Our barn is about 200 - 300 feet away from the house. It is a clear sight line from house to barn.

I am looking at the Fisher-Price 2.4GHZ Ultimate Range Monitor

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?...3A86325%3A86354

Anyone use a baby monitor in their barn? I know several of you have computer camera hookups -- we can't do that yet -- will hope to do that next year.

Any advice - any experiences with this product or something similar?

Thanks

JJay

 

[Kathy2m]

I have the 900 MHz. my barn is wood, about the same distance as yours, mine works fine just a little static but I can hear the barn radio over it. My phones are 2.4 like the monitor you are looking at I hear there can be a problem with interference if its on the same frequency. I have a camera too, (got it on ebay very reasonable) but no sound so my friend told me to get the monitor. Good Luck, Kathy

 

[Southern_Heart]

Never tried them as I have a camera that has sound so I can hear and see everything.

Joyce

PS I don't think sound alone could tell you that a mare was foaling.JMHO

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I have a wireless camera with sound and the equipage system so no need for a baby moniter. I did have a freind who tried a Fisher Price moniter (all I know is it was Fisher Price) and it didnt work at all.I have tried taking my daughters moniter out to see if I could hear anything out by her barn, but all I got was static. Corinne

 

[ab_smf]

yes, its not the best but alest you can see somewhat and hear them.

:

 

[Magic]

I have a friend who tried a baby monitor for foaling, but she told me that it was pretty worthless. She told me "all I could hear was this:" and shuffled around in the straw.

: A mare doesn't make any noise to speak of when foaling, so I personally wouldn't rely on sound only for foaling. If you got a "halter buzzer" for expectant mares, along with a baby monitor, that would be more helpful IMO. Though annoying to have to run out to the barn every time she laid down.....

A monitor could be great for listening at general times for anything out of place (cast horse, etc). My cameras have sound, so I haven't had to consider baby monitors. Aren't there any really inexpensive camera systems out there? Anyone know?

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I think it is important to have sound out in your barn. I am lucky that my cameras (well down to only one now that has it) have sound. I listen year round and it has saved the life of a horse off camera in sight but I heard she was cast and actually aborting.

You do learn to sort of tune what what is normal and hear only what isnt. but with that and the halter monitors that hmm oh I think fourm member stephanie sells them it would be a huge help.

 

[wcr]

The wireless systems can be spendy so I have a hardwire camera that I set up for foaling and run the wires to the house into a window and carry the moniter around the house with me when in different rooms. I wouldn't want to rely on sound only. The camera pays for itself the first time you have a foaling problem as you can see what's going on and get there before you have a disaster. At night I turn the sound up and have the moniter on my nightstand, wake up, look and decide if it is a false alarm or wait until the point of no return and head to the barn for foaling. I am rarely sleep deprived during foaling as I just open my eyes when I hear a sound and never get up or even fully wake up to check the horses.

In my opinion it is priceless to have a moniter and one vet bill or dead horses more than pays for the price of the camera set-up.

 

[MInx]

We have baby monitors on at night as barn is about 250 ft from barn. A little static though. But we have had 6 Coyotes shot so far this Winter on property behind us stalking cows so like to have that "ear"

We also use walkie talkies when one of us is out to the barn every time as we have no neighbors close enough for help to yell for.

Maxine

 

[Narrow Way Farm]

We had a wonderful wireless camera and a baby monitor in the old barn, hubby has to wire my barn here at the new farm.. but even our wireless camera came with sound.. they are really cheap on ebay!!!

 

[Tammie]

I have never used a baby monitor in my horse barn as someone else mentioned horses are not vocal when they are foaling so I don't think this alone would help but with a foal buzzer that may just do the trick. I do however use a baby monitor in my goat barn during kidding season and it has been a great success. I have not missed a kidding yet. Fortunately for goats they are very vocal while in labor and during the birth (at least all of mine are).

Tammie~

 

[Mulligans Run]

I've heard of people using a baby monitor. We used one the first year we had a mare foal because we used a halter monitor - which I later threw away.

Aren't there baby monitors out there that have cameras in them? I could have sworn I've seen them advertised, but since I don't have a baby......

:

I have a friend that fell asleep during foaling season and woke to a really weird noise. He sat up in bed, looked at the cam and saw a shape and realized the sound he heard was the foal trying to suck air - it was still in the sack.

He ran out, openend the sack and the foal collapsed. He was able to revive it and had a healthy foal. Imagine if he hadn't had sound!!!!

 

[Aggravation Acres]

Our barn is about 60 feet from the house. We have used a wireless security monitor 2.4ghz and it works well for us. It is a little fuzzy when it rains. And we do get some interferance when this one car goes down the road about 3am each morning.

We have it set up so you can see the mare pretty well. I can set the monitor near my computer and TV. I sit up every night watching when the time gets near. The only baby we have missed being born was when I had to go to bed because we had a show that morning.

In fact we bought a second one incase we have more than one mare due at the same time. But that will not be until next year.

Deb