Cross Fostering Of Grass Swiftlets With Edible Birdnest Swiftlets !!!

My recent visit to Brunei and the first encounter with Grass Swiftlets did some serious impact on my understanding of various swiftlet species. There are just too many and to those who have never encountered the kind of experiences that I have gone through, I think they should finish reading this article.

Immediately after the trip I wrote my report on the Grass Swiftlets. I enclosed some very clear pictures of their nests taken at a car park.

I observed that the article have generated many quiries and suggessions about how to harvest these grass swiftlets to turn them to a kind of edible nest swiftlets.

If you are in this situation the best is to work with your environment. In this case since there are lots of grass swiftlets you should adorpt the "Cross Fostering" farming.

The idea is to use the wild grass swiftlet to your advantage. You trick the grass swiftlet to incubate the egg of edible nests swiftlets by changing their eggs with the other.

It sound simple and straight forward but I have to caution you that you need to do lots of planning and your birdhouse design must be that which allows the transformation from firstly occupied with grass swiftlets and slowly become a edible birdnest swiftlets house.

You need to differentiate between their behaviours, eating technique, echolocation, nesting criterias and many more.

The best is to make a study trip to a successfull "crossed fostering" farmers in your area.

The cross fostering technique is nothing new in the birds world. Scientist have been using the technique to breed many of those endangered birds species. Sometime they use the technique to help young baby birds that were left stranded due to rejection by their real parent or due to death.

There are some which happen in the wild. I remember watching a vedio clip about a lazy bird in Australia that will lay their egg (one) in another specie of bird nest (two eggs). Their method of survival is to be the first to be hatched. Once this single egg is hatched, the adorpted baby, will remove the real eggs using their strong body to push those unhatched eggs out of the nest. In this way the young bird will be the only baby in the nest and will quickly grow up since the adorpted parent only feed one mouth.

In Indonesia, the cross fostering technique in swiftlet farming is nothing new and are very successful. The only set back is that the technique are being closely kept secret and never been exported out of the country.

The technique used are straight forward but special attention must be given to ensure that the foster parent do not realised that the baby they are taking care are not theirs.

First, you need to built a suitable house that will attract these abundance grass swiftlets to built their nests in your premised. Once their nest number reach at least 50, you now can start to switch their eggs.

Second, you need to select the best swiftlets eggs that are of good quality and are of normal in size. The eggs must be properly handle before they reach the destination. It must not be cracked or handle with unprotected hand until their smell are those of human aroma. Use clean new glove to prevent direct contact with your hand.

Thirdly, you now need to select which nest are ready to be switched with the swiftlet eggs. The idea is to check the number of eggs in the grass swiftlet nest using glass mirror. If they are two, then they are ready to be switched. Two is the maximum number of eggs these grass swiftlet will lay before they start to incubate.

Fourth, you need to remove the real eggs out by minimal contact with the nest and its surrounding. Use spoon or tissue paper to remove them out. Immediately after that you replace them with the swiftlet eggs.

Fifth, the operation must be carried out at the time when the grass swiftlets are out foraging their food. The best is in early afternoon between 10.00 am to 15.00 pm.

Sixth, when you check with the mirror before removing the real eggs make sure you sketch the position of the eggs in the nest. You need to place the adorpted eggs in the same position and not scattered. The parent are very observant. Once they notice some changes in their eggs position they will abort the eggs by pushing them out of the nest and produce a new one or they will find a new home.

Seventh, it is also advisable to check the healthiness of the nest surrounding before you conduct the swab. The nest must be free of mites, ants or any other predators that will harm the eggs. If there are then U need to treat or remove them first.

Eighth, the moment the swabbed eggs hatched, it is very important that you start to shut those windows or doors to reduce the amount of light coming in. If it is too brightly lit, the foster parent might recognise that the baby birds are not theirs and will abandone the babies.

Nineth, when there are more and more nests are with swiftlet babies you can now transform the house to swiftlet farming. Note proper planning and design is the best key to your success.

It might take a longer period then the normal swiftlet farming but it is worth all your effort. Once the young swiftlets are able to fly, they will come back to the house where they were brought up and nest around their adorpted parent nest.

The above descriptions given are in principle. The writer do not guarantee of success in implementation of cross fostering. The best is still to visit your nearest cross fostering farm house near you and get their help.