My next new project will be in Salak Tinggi, Selangor.
This particular project will have something special where the birds will be forced to stay on the lower floor.
The top floor will only be opened once the lower floor accumulate at least 200 nests.
I need to convince the owner about my objectives and one day he will realize why I wanted the first batch of birds should be on the lower floor.
Let us look at the advantages of the lower floor as compared to the top most floor:
1) Usually the top floor will be the brightest. Swiftlet will prefer the lower floor since it will be darker as compared to the top most floor.
2) The temperature of the upper floor will be much higher as compared to the lower floor. As a rule of the thumb the temperature different will be at least one degree Centigrade.
3) The humidity at the lower floor will be superior as compared to the upper floor.
4) The lower floor will be a much safer place to raise a family since the chances of being rob by those predators are much lesser.
5) This particular BH is a shop house. It is using a hanging false ceiling. The ceiling boards were those light weight boards that can be easily pushed open. One common predator that might stay or make their nests above the ceiling are those rats. Every nest on the top floor will face this nuisance.
The advantage of the top floor are as follows:
a) It is very near to the exit hole. This will have something to do with a fast escape out of the house if you know that is someone in the BH.
b) Lesser traveling time to fly in and out bringing home food for their babies if they choose to build their nests on the top floor.
c) Easier to navigate to locate where their nests are especially in total darkness.
No matter how many advantages there are to stay on the upper floor, the environment on the lower floor are much superior as compared to the top floor.
In my many years involvement with swiftlet farming I can safely say that it is very rare to see a BH with birds staying at the lower floor more than the upper floors.
One of the most common reason lies is to give the birds a free choice to stay where they wanted to.
The next common reason is that the main entrance hole faces the west.
The other reason will be the LAL was not rightly located. Those birds that entered the BH could not find the path to the lower floors.
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