Again received a plight from a birdhouse owner in distress.
His problem sound like this:
Hi Harry,
My name is xxxx from SP Kedah...a friend of K from KL.
I call you sometime last week to introduce myself.
We have a bird nest house in Kuala Kedah which is not so productive. We have some issue, in which i have posted in the Klub Peternak wallet last week. Until now still no reply. So i hope u can help to advise us what is our next step to take:
Below is the issue that i posted in the Klub
sudah 2 tahun tapi baru ada 10 sarang
Saya mengusahakan rumah burung di kedah. Bangunannya 20 kaki (6m) X 60 kaki (18m)...2tingkat ...setiap tingkat setinggi 8 kaki (2.5m).
Masalahnya selepas 2 tahun, baru 10 sarang burung yang dibuat...lapan di bahagian bawah dan 2 di bahagian atas.
Suhu di bahagian bawah agak stabil di dalam 26 - 28C, humidity juga agak baik sekitar 90%. Tetapi di bahagian atas, suhunya boleh meningkat sehingga 31 walaupun humiditynya dapat di kekalkan pada 90%.
Dindingnya dibuat dari bata pasir selapis, dan bangunanya tidak berbumbung (hanya berbumbungkan konkrit).
Di dinding ada di buat kolam setinggi 1 kaki dari lantai sekeliling dinding. Ada 2 bak air di setiap tingkat dan ada satu kolam air yang besar di atas bangunan (bumbung concrete)
Saya rasa faktor yang menyebabkan ia lambat ialah suhu bahagian atas yang tidak consistence. Jadi saya bercadang untuk melakukan sesuatu untuk mengatasi masalah ini
Saya minta nasihat kawan-kawan bagaimana cara terbaik (dan termurah) untuk mengawal suhu bahagian tingkat atas khasnya (dan keselruhian banguna amnya). Antara cadangan dalam fikiran saya ialah:
1. Menambah bumbung di bahagian atas. Tepapi kosnya terlalu tinggi ~ RM 10ribu.
2. Memasang styrofoam di bahagian dalam bangunan untuk mengawal suhu. Jika saya memasang styrofoam tanpa disiemenkan ke dinding..adakah ia akan berfungsi. Ini untuk mengurangkna kos dan mengelakkan bau simenyang bakal menganggu anak walet di dalam
3. mengecat bangunan dari bahagian luar untuk memantulkan haba...risau bau cat akan menganggu walet nanti
4. Memasang aluminium sheet diluar untuk memantulkan haba ... kos yang agak tinggi
selain dari mengawal suhu, saya amat mengalu-alukan sebrang nasihat bagaimana saya harus lakukan untuk meningkatkan populasi.
Segala kerjasama dan nasihat kawan-kawan saya dahului dengan ucapan Terima kasih.
For my record purposes, I gave him some unswers that I hope will help him without being there to view the birdhouse myself and are as follow:
1st email:
Dear W,
Sori for not responding much earlier.
There are many reasons that might be causing the low nests population. Since I have not visitied your birdhouse and examine some fine details, I can only provide some points or opinions. They might not be right but please check on each of them.
U might think that it is due to the temp but there are many other reasons like:
1) The sound system both the external and internal. First the type of tweeters and second is the sound that U are using. One of the biggest reason why the birds are not coming is perhap the sound that U are using are no longer clear. U might need to change the CD or perhaps use the MP3 players.
2) Maybe U shud try to conduct another birdcall test on a few occasions both morning and afternoon close to the house. Maybe the number is not there. Did U conduct a test before U build the birdhouse? What was the result at that time? If U have never carried out then you were misled by your so call consultant.
3) Do U apply any aroma? Birdshit and liquid aroma that U can buy from those birdhouse equipment selling shop. Apply to the house walls, internally. Lower portion to middle use a mixture of birdshit plus water. From middle of the wall up to the bottom of the wood panel use those liquid aroma.
4) If the temperature and humidity is about right then what about the lighting? Must be dimmed enought.
5) Are U using any water spray? If yes make sure they are properly functioning.
6) Any chance of providing food around the house? Yes U need to provide an insect which is the staple diet of the swiftlets. Simplest is to make a small reban (hut)with wire mesh to prevent any birds from entering and put rotten papaya, pinaples,and any other local fruits. The rotten fruits will attract flies to breed. Once these baby flies fly out it will be a good source of food for your swiftlet.
7) Is the birdhouse build on an Agri land? If that is so U shud have excess land to be use to plan pokok cemara (Lao Gondang) and Chinese beans plants (Lampora). Let them grow around it and when they fruit insect will bread on the ripe fruits. At the same time the tree will cool the house a bit. Make sure they do not grow too high and block the birds enterance into your birdhouse.
8) What about the air circulation in the house? Are those air pipes working? If blocked need to unblock them.
9) Make sure no one enter the house without proper preparation. No smoking before entering and no perfume. Never ever smoke in the house when visiting or harvesting.
10) U should ensure that the house is only entered in the morning around 9am to 12 am when all the birds went out to cari makan. The frequency of entering shud not be more then one time a month. U can enter the music room but not the resting/nesting rooms.
11) Do not harvest the nest until they reach a total of 50 nests. Let them multiply to the maximum then U can harvest using Maximum Sustainable Harvesting Technique
12) Do U observed the number of birds circiling above the roof when the external music is on? How many? How about try to put a hexgon tweeter? The hexagon tweeter is proven to reach longger range and will catch the attention of birds flying around the house. It will also lure those birds from your neighbours house too.....
13) Do U have a proper roving room? What is the size? Have U check the number of birdshits on the room's wall.
14) Ada kolam dalam rumah tak? ayer nya besih?
15) What about any chance there have been some disturbance from prediator? Rats, eagle owl snakes etc. If there is then that might have chase the birds away.
The best is to do a site visit and from there come out with the exact treatment.
Hope The above helps a bit.
harry
My second email:
Dear W,
I read a book about how to reduce the temperature of the top section by using simple materials.
Place a layer of old gunny sacks as the first layer on your flat cement roof.
On the gunny sack spred a layer the cockcreal shell (kulit kerang).
Then lay a layer of padi husk (serkam) to about 3 cm thick.
Use wood planks to contain the serkam.
On the top place another layer of guni sack.
Then apply tap/rain water to wet them.
The temperature both the top and lower floors will drop down tremendously.
Thank U
harry
I hope it works but I am planning to visit his house to see what actually can be done to reduce the temperature at a minimum cost plus to increase the birds population.
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