hello birdy.

This is what moved in next door to us:

And no that's not a chicken because if it were, I would have welcomed it.
This is a rooster and the biggest difference between a rooster and chicken (other than its sex) is that a rooster crows every morning at dawn and apparently, in my hood that's at about 6 am. 

Our conversation this morning:

Me: What the hell is that sound?

C: What sound?

**rooster crowing in background.**

Me: That sound.

**rooster crowing some more.**

C: I think it's a rooster.

Me: Why is there a rooster outside?

C: I think its your neighbor's.

Me: Great.  What time is it? 

C: Sunrise.  That's when roosters crow.  They crow when they see the sun.

Me:  Thank you for that information -- but what TIME is it?

C: 6.

Me: Great.  

My dad got the whole story today.  Apparently our neighbors used to have a chicken but the chicken ran away.  They came over a few weeks ago asking my dad if he saw a chicken.  Anyways, I guess they couldn't find the chicken and so they decided to get a rooster instead.  Our neighbors have a son that is autistic.  He doesn't speak very much, but he does clap a lot.  Apparently that's how he communicates?  Anyways, they got the rooster (and the chicken) for him.  So now interspersed between the incessant clapping, we hear crowing as well.