Three Years With 30 Nests.

This is something that I would like to discuss for today's blog.

I received this email today:

Dear Harry,

I am Ching from Pahang, Kuantan. I own a swiftlet house for 3 years, but only 30 nest, consider is fail.

I observe the baby swift do not turn back once it mature.

Am interested in your CS Mating Potion, would appreciate if you could inform me the supplier's detail. Hope it will help...

Personally I think Mr Ching nest count is a bit on the low side after 3 years in operation.

Since we do not know the main selection criterias when the location was selected , I assumed that Mr Chin did carry out what I called birdcall test before he made his decision to proceed. A birdcall test is a test where U play the sound using tweeter connected to your music player at the location for about 45 minutes to check on the number of swiftlets available at the location of interest.

A birdcall test is very crucial before U make any decision before U purchase the Agri land or the shoplot which U wanted to converted to be a birdhouse.

The test will give the investor a kind of gauge whether there are lots of swiftlets around or not. By just looking around, U might mistook that all those swiftlets that fly around are the right one. The test will only attract the type of swiftlets that will built the edible-nests.

Only after U do the birdcall U will realised that those birds are not. If the response is above 100 swiftlets (estimates) then the choice is good. Below 20 swiftlets U should not go ahead or perhaps U should retest the call at other time or the next day. If it is still below 20, it is advisable to abort the project. If the respons is between 20 to 100 what shud U do?

So now you have made a mistakes or your birdcounts is not to your expectation. What would be the next steps?

I have the following suggessions which U should condsider:

a) Try to change the swiftlet call music.

This is the best and the cheapest option.

Go and scout around for any new or improved birdcall sound (extenal) and do some trial run. Get at least three new sounds. Borrow, steal or buy them. Play the new music for at least 45 minutes. Observe before the playing and while playing. Count the number of birds responding to the new sound.

After 45 minutes, stop the sound and let it be without any music for at least 30 minutes. U then play the second music and do the bird count again.

Do the same using the 3rd new sound and do the counting.

Once U have got the result, choose the one that brings in the most birds to your roof as your new sound for external call.

I read in a forum where a person who face similar problem. He bite the bullet and invested in the latest sound system which cost him a fortune. After the installation he have no regret.

So relook at the sound system U have installed in your birdhouse both the ststem and the sound.

b) Check your house Internal Temperature and Humidity.

Take with U a temperature tester plus humidity tester. Do the test at different part of the birdhouse. Upper floors and lower floors. Do at every corner and center.

The humidity and temperature must be right to be condusive for the birds to breed.

If the temperature is to high (above 28 deg Celcius) then U need to ventilate the room. If the humidity is not right (90% to 95%) U need to reset your humidity making machine.

c) Use Fake Nests.

There are a few reasons why U shud consider using fake nests.

The most important reason is to allow the young swiftlets that have never build a nest before to quickly use the fake nest for breeding. This will allow your house swiftlets population be multiplied much faster.

If the fake nest is located at any remote location in your house, these young swiftlets will easily move to that location. Example U have all the current nests in the lower floor and U wud like to have some on the upper floor, U put the fake nest only on the other floors. Place them nearest to the tweeters and see how it works.

Pak Hen of Indonesia recommended the use of foam strips as fake nests. The foam he is refering to is the meal box that U buy your nasi lemak in the morning. Clean the box and cut them to strips ( 1 1/2 inches by 5 inches) and staple on the wood planks.

d) Use of Aroma.

This is something that U shud do if you are willing to pay for it. The aroma treeatment is expensive and must be strictly followed it application methods. The cost per liter is estimated to be in the region of RM600 to RM800 per liter.

The product will produce result if U apply them properly ie how much to be applied per application and how frequent it should be applied.

As far as I know these aroma can be obtained from various birdhouse equipment suppliers like Crystal Swiftlet, Eka Wallet and Nest Tech.

The best suggession is to get all three Companies to provide the relevant quotations and the application procedures.

Also try to get some reference users from them for U to talk to, to learn how they apply and what are their results.

I hope my suggessions given are of use to Ching and any other readers.

If U still need to know more please send your email to iaexcel@yahoo.com or call me at 017 755 1318.