By Looking At Those Raw Nests, I Can Easily Tell What To Do !!!

I was helping a friend from S'pore to collect some raw nests from a few BHs in Peninsular Malaysia this morning.

The moment I inspected the recently harvested nests, I was a little bit disappointed.

The number of angle nests (90* and 130*) are more then the 180* angled nests.

Inside me, I was fuming mad but I cannot scold the carrier man who took the trouble to get those nests from his brother in law in Kuala Krai, Kelantan.

Mr.L, you need to tell you B-I-L that these nests should be better then these. There are ways to increase the 180* angle nests by covering all those corners with suitable corner covers.

This was not the first time but this is the 3rd time. You need to push your B-I-L to quickly cover all the corners with the recommended corner covers.

You see if you can reduce the 90* and 130* to a bare minimum then your raw nests will fetch a better value. Currently it is too much, closed to 40%, and is bad.

Mr.L looked at me in disbelieved and realised that he too have two BHs facing the same problem.

Okay I will be in Kuala Krai next week, let me have a good look at the three BHs and make some recommendations on how to choose and install the right type of corner covers.

"Okay Harry, I will be very happy to receive you next week. I will get my Dad and B-I-L to be there to open the BH and let you recommend the best methods to minimise those wastage."

I am glad that he listen to my advise. The idea is how to increase the nest value by something that many BH owners ignored.

Use the right corner covers.

Look Carefully On The Shape And Materials Used As Cover Covers !!!

Some will use the wood, some use aluminium and some use steel plates.

However this one used a kind of wire mesh that allow those birds to cling onto it and built those nests.

Fascinating and never before this kind of ingenuity being used before.

The wire mesh looks like those of iron. As such they will rust. Those birds seem to like these rusty plates.

What if you use rusty wire mesh as those aroma strips in your BH ???

Hmm never thought about it but it might be possible.

Those who love to try new things just copy this idea and if they are successful please share will all my blog readers.

Harry, I Want To Buy And Install Corner Covers !!!

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.

Corner Covers: Some Says to Install Later !!!

One thing that I must admit is that there are so many methods to do things.

I am referring to the installation of ceiling wood corner covers.

Some say that the wood panel coner covers should be installed immediately but there are some who says that it it better to install them after the house have reasonable number of birds in the house.(Note nests that are harvested from 90* corners will be classed as grade B and price reduction can be as high as RM1,000 per kilo to those of Grade A).

I am very sure that there are reasons or logic behind the 2nd opinion ie to install after the house already have a reasonable number of birds.

These are some good reasons that U might take note:

a) When U have a brand new birdhouse, the birds that enter and start to stay will be those new young ones. They are pretty young and usually never built any nest on their own before. (This was what a Sifu mentioned to me. U have the right to disagree.)

b) Usually those with nest(s) before will not abandon their nest house. Their chances to abandon,especially when they have new babies or eggs already laid,is pretty slim.

c) The young birds (never have nest before) are the one that will occupy the new birdhouses. These young birds are a bit lazy and will alway find shortcuts in their nest building. So they choose these 90* corners.

d) Beside short cuts they tend to be ready to use any fake nests if U install in your new house.

In view of the above reasons some SIFU do not recommend the installation of corner covers in newly birdhouse.

Let the young birds choose where to built their nests and allow them to multiply as fast as possible. Once their numbers are good enought, maybe 100 nests or so, then U can start the installation to minimise your lower grade nest production.

Differrent people have different ideas but I think it does make a lot of sense !!!

I am not giving U any ideas but please make your own judgement. It is your birdhouse not mine.

I am just trying to share what I learned during my last trip.


This picture shows a corner covers that used alluminium sheet.


This picture is the convention flat wood but U can see that the back hole that allow birds to sneek in and build their nest.


A conventional corner covers with holes at the back


This is a better way to fill those holes at the back.


This corner cover was the one I picked up in Sekinchan and they are ready made. Each was said to cost about RM1.50.


View from the top elevation of good corner covers