Friends Are Important Factor to Success in Switflet Farming

For those newbies who plan to start swiflet farming, I strongly advice you get to know as many experienced and successful swiflet farmers as possible. I know is not easy to find. Those experienced one that you can easily seen in the web-site are hard to get info. They need $$ before they can open their mouth. We cannot blame them as some depend this for living. Of course they are some exception. Like Uncle Ben, he not even know me before. But when I called him, he willing to spend almost 1 hour to talk and discuss with some of problem that I facing.

Beside Uncle Ben, I think I am quite lucky to get to know other good friends which are very success in swiftlet farming. You need to "find" these people as early as possible. The best during your BH design phase. Their input are valuable. You need to compile all the information from different people and different area and come out your own design.

With their help, I believe you can be one of the successful Swiftlet farmer in near future.

How to Lock Incoming Water Valve

Remember I mentioned in my earlier article that my BH Incoming Water Valve has been closed my some jokers. So, the humidifier has been operating without water. To prevent that from happening again, I have asked my brother to buy a metal enclosure to lock-up the Incoming Water Valve. It only cost me around RM10 for the metal enclosure. Go to hardware shop to get one if you have not done so.

The Mom Song

Monday blue again. Hope you can cheer up a bit after watch the video clip below. If you have wife, ask your wife to practice the song.

Mosquito Trap

Someone email this to me. Maybe is useful to catch fly also.

Mosquito trap (Dengue prevention)

It's just a mix of water, brown sugar and yeast:
1. Cut a plastic bottle in half, keep both parts. Can be CocaCola/Pepsi. No matter lah!
2. Take the lower portion of the bottle. Dissolve the brown sugar in hot water. Let it cool down to ~70 degF.
3. Add the yeast. Carbon dioxide will form (This will attract the mosquitos)
4. Cover the bottle with a dark wrap and place the top portion upside down like a funnel. Place it in a corner in your house.
5. In 2 weeks you will be surprised by the number of mosquitos killed.

BH Humidity Fluctuation Issue

The Blue line is my BH humidity. What information can you get from this chart?

The Humidity is fluctuate - The humidity increase at around 10am when the hygrostat is turned ON which in turn activate the humidifier. The humidity maintain around 80% until 7.30am. After that the hygrostat is turned OFF. The humidity reach the lowest point at 12am. The humidity increase again at 10am next morning.

What other information you can retrieve? All the while, I only thought that the humidity fluctuation is due to the ON/OFF of my humidifier. The moment you ON the humidifier, the humidity increase and when you OFF, the humidity drop.

Until recently, one of my blog reader show me his temperature and humidity chart from his BH which produce 300 nests in 12 months. The Temperature and Humidity is almost constant through out the days. A superb micro condition. He even pin point to me what caused the humidity fluctuation problem. He suspect is due to the exhaust fan that I used in my farm which blow most of the humidity out through the open roof entrance hole.

I have 2 exhaust fan. 1 operate at morning and 1 at night. I already OFF the exhaust at night. I will check the temp and humidity chart again during my next visit. If the humidity look more stable, I will off the 2nd one also.

I introduced the data logger to my friend and he help me to solve my BH issue. That is what the friend are. "Never Ask For Return". Thanks again my friend.

No Water !!!!

Yesterday I went back to check my BH. As my last visit is only 3 weeks ago, so my initial intention is to check whether my Amp still operate properly and test out some of my new external sound. I will go into the BH to check during my next visit. To my surprise, I found out that some Jokers TURN-OFF my incoming water supply. My immediate reaction is "Ohhh...Shit...what happen to my BH without water". It was already 5pm which is not advisable to go in, but I still went in to check my BH condition WITHOUT WATER.

I found out that the humidifier was operating without water. So, it only blow air. The hygrostat sensor record around 75% humidity. That mean the humidifier has been operating without water from 10am to 9pm a day without water. I really worry the moving air and the humidifier noise will disturb the birds.

I took out my portable temperature and humidity meter to verify. The temp = 29.5degC and Humidity = 74%. Not so bad, consider the reading is taken at 5pm which normally the temp is highest and humidity is lowest. My BH passed the "No Water Test"....I will check again the temp and humidity from my data logger during my next visit.

Because is around 5pm, some of the birds was coming back, I did not have time to count the bird shits. I only did a quick check on the plank. I found 1 more nest has been built on the fake nest and the corner nest I reported earlier have been completed (full size). I did not bring my camera along this time. I promise to take some pictures during my next visit.

After this incident, I will buy a meter cover with lock to cover the water valve.

BH Checklist for Free

I am very happy that quite a number of people like my bird house checklist. Well just email to me at cheinwoei.gee@gmail.com if you would like to have the softcopy. It is FREE.

BH Checklist

For new BH owner like me, I think it is very important to keep a "BH Checklist". This checklist will record all the work and setting that you have been carried out. It also record your BH progress and the things that you plan to do for your next visit.

As I am currently working in Singapore, I do not have the leisurely to monitor my BH frequently. Normally I go back once a month. So I really need to plan ahead what is the important things to do during my coming visit. Otherwise, I have to postpone to next visit, which is another month....

Water Leaking

Be careful if you use humidifier on upper floor. Make sure the floor below the humidifier is covered with water proof mat. Otherwise the water will leak to the lower floor as what happen to my BH now.

(Water Mark on the ceiling)

(Water Mark on the ground floor)

After laying a layer of mat, no leak found.