Last night before going to bed I received a call from a newbie who have her BH in operation for about 22 days ago.
"Harry, this is so and so. I need your help. Can you source for me some corner covers?"
Sorry medam, you wanted me to get you those corner covers for your new BH?
"Yes".
Can I know why you want to install those corner covers?
"Well I saw many others who installed so I also wanted to install".
Hmm..... Medam, you are saying that you wanted to install just because others do the installation? That is not a very good reasons to do the installation. Let me give you some points before you decide to go ahead or not.
You see, if you enter any new BH, you will see that most of the time those young birds prefer to built their nest at corners. This is due to the fact that they feel safer and may be an easier to built their nests. So why must you cover them and prevent them from enjoying the nest building?
You will only need those corner covers once your BH have say 100 or 200 nests in place. Let the birds enjoy using those corners for the first few years. After that you cover all of them or one by one. I advise you for every nest allow the birds to breed for two cycles and once that is achieved to harvest and cover them with corner covers.
Just think about this? You know pretty well that those wild birds love to built their nest at corners. Let say you new neighbors, next door BH owners, installed those corner covers and you do not, which house do you think the wild birds will prefer to nest? The answer is yours. So you have the advantage and why must you cover them?
My advise to you is to keep those corners and let those birds multiply as fast as they can for the first few years. During that period allow the birds to use the corner nests for two cycles. After two cycles of breeding you harvest the nests and cover the area with corner covers.
You should set a target at what nest numbers in your BH that you will install those corner covers in total. I suggest 500 nests as a very good number to choose.
So I suggest that you think about my advise and if you still want me to get you those corner covers you are welcome. The cost I think is about RM 1.20 to RM 1.50. If you use steel or alumminium plates they might be a bit more expensive.
Are you okay with the logical explainations that I gave you?
A bit more to add. Main reason why people cover those corners is due to cost of those nest harvested from corners. You see the raw nests will be in a triagular shape and they fetch a lower value as compared to those full half cup shape. But for the first few years you should think about to multiply the nests numbers. The shape of nests is not important yet.
You should spent those extra money to make the house cooler or perfect humidity wise.
Perhaps last night she must have given a special thought and am waiting for her decision today.
2 comments:
Hi, Harry,
What is the price between 90 degree bird nest and 45 degree bird nest ?
If it is same, I agree what you said that, don't install any corner cover within 3 years.
This is my personaly opinion, there are 4 corner bird nest in 1 nesting box, if i add a 45 degree corner cover, there are 8 corner bird nest in 1 box.
The one of sifu opinion is, we can remove the 45 degree corner cover when there are occupied by bird nest, after that the bird will build a half cup nest at the same place, is it right ?
KH,
The cost of 45* and 90* nests are the same. It all dependent on the buyer you are dealing with. Note: Most of them with find every opportunity to squeeze your balls. Any shape that is not a 180* cup shape can be considered odd shape.
Once he classify those nests as odd shape your price will drop by at least RM1,000 per kilo.
You are right in saying that if you used a wrong shape corner covers, you are actually doubling the number of odd shape nests or corners nests. This will actually cause more looses to you. So be carefull in choosing the right shape.
My personal opinion, I might be wrong, the best is to use something very thin, like a zinc or stainless steel plate. The plate can be easily bend and even if the bird make their nest, normally half on the wood and half on the plate, the shape of the nest is perfect with no defects. This will allow you to sell the nests at higher price and perhaps the same price of a 180* half cup nests.
These are things that your sifu must tell you and not you telling your Sifu. If he is do not give the right reason then he is not fit to be a Sifu.
You do not install these so call corner covers just because your friend is doing that. That is absurb and not logic. You have to use your brain a bit to reasons anything that you install in your BH.
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