( Picture taken at about 3 pm)Hot weather is not that bad anyway. It tells many tales about our farms. This is the time to know whether your farms have been built to withstand the weather. If you visit your farms at this time of hot season you will see things that indicate whether your farm has been done properly.
I just got from my farm which I built 13 months ago. My last visit was in early Feb 2010. It was a routine maintenance visit which I apply Love Potion and making sure the sound and the timers were in running mode.
There were plenty of birds inside. There were so many of them some even hit me. From my judgment they were all young birds. Many of them were in pairs hanging on their half made nests. It was about 3 pm. The outside temperature was around 37c. Those stayed inside are to avoid the blazing heat and to make nests. In fact this is the beginning of another breeding cycle. If you see many birds in your farm at this time it shows good sign. I am pleased with the farm’s performance which located in a Non- Prime Bird Zone.
There were 89 nests, half cup and above size excluding nest marking. By looking at the numbers of birds in the farm even in such hot and dry weather, I anticipated when the rain comes the number of nests would be in double by end of May.
If your farm is not done properly with such extreme weather all your birds will look for farm that has better micro to stay. Your loyal birds and young birds shouldn’t be leaving your farm, if they do it shows that your farm’s micro has problems.
Some of the sign are:
1) No increase of patches of birds shit
2) Birds shit dry up
3) Reduce of birds in farm
4) No new nest marking
5) No birds playing
6) ….
7) ….
Those who are skillful in Swiftlet farming would take this opportunity ( hot weather) to capture as many young birds as possible and when the dry season ends the young birds would have stayed permanently .
When your farm is too hot the mortality rate would be high too. By nature the Swiftlets are smart enough to look for farms that have better micro so that their off spring will survive. Neither too hot nor too cold is good for the eggs. With extreme weather the embryo might die.
If your farm micros are good now is the time to enhance the smell or Aroma of your farm to attract the young birds. Now sound would be secondary as there is no rain around.
Humidity plays an important role but make sure it is cold humidity not hot humidity. If your farm’s temperature is too high with high humidity it would push up the temperature. The humidity (mist) became hot mist like Steam Engine.
Don’t be misguided by those who have very little knowledge in swiftlet farming. It doesn’t mean when the temperature is high you should increase your humidity. There are correlations between them but to a certain extend only.
Do your routine maintenance (Aroma) and observe the changes with this you won’t go wrong.
Good farming All!
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