LIKE the house of a chirping bird lover, the residence occupied by Atim Ismail, 39, Villagers of Kelir, districts
Kalipuro is also not free from bird cages that hang in a row on the ceiling of the house. The chirping of birds also becomes a special welcome for guests who visit his house not far from the Kelir Village Health Center.
However, what's interesting is not the activity in the house. About two meters behind the house which is in a dense village environment there is a location surrounded by bamboo woven walls. (great). 3 . area×2 The meter turned out to be a breeding ground for the Stone Magpie bird that was deliberately created by Atim.
“At first it was just a try. The price of the stone magpie is expensive, friend- many friends here like it but can't afford it. So I tried to cross the birds that I have so that they can be sold cheaply to friends- friend,Atim.
Seeing the arrival of Jawa Pos Radar Banyuwangi who seemed intent on observing the activities on the small farm, Atim also invited me to take a closer look. Apparently the room from the woven bamboo fence is a shield for a magpie cage that is in it.
Atim deliberately made the building in such a shape so that no one approached the cage. “This magpie is sensitive to human activities. So so that the breeding process is not disturbed, should be given a limit like this. So it's as if this bird doesn't see any humans,"explained the father of two children.
The idea is to start raising magpies, according to Atim, appeared a year ago. As a bird fan, he admits that it is difficult to find a stone magpie whose quality matches the price. Atim also thought about breeding birds that have habitats in the lowlands.
After obtaining one male Aceh stone magpie and a Medan stone magpie female, Atim then started trying to mate the two black and brown birds. The process is not easy, because they both come from different regions it takes time to get to know each other.
For almost three months, the two birds are caged together. Both of them are also given almost the same routine. Start bathing, eat to sleep. So said Atim, like the same activity but the place is different. After the rhythm of the activity is the same, then he made a big cage that would later be used as a common cage.
Then after being finished, the female begins to be put in a cage until she gets used to her new cage. After that, the male is inserted so that he can interact with the female. “These two birds have different characters. The Aceh magpie male is more fierce. If the female is more docile. At first when they were together they didn't want to be close, he slept far away. But when you get used to it, just keep on tight, different from humans,' said the broad-faced man with a smile.
After it is felt that it starts to blend, Atim then began to arrange the nest to be as close as possible to the magpie's habitat. The most important thing is that there is water circulation. Because it made a small pond that flows like a river. Plus special riverside plants such as taro and water bamboo.
Atim told that after that the two birds that were mated began to show development. About three months later, the female begins to lay eggs. “Unfortunately the first egg failed all. Even though there were nine points at that time. The second one successfully hatched but all died after hatching, then the third and fourth start to live,he explained.
Since successfully incubating and caring for the magpie chicks he cares for until they are quite old, Atim claimed to have started to recognize the character of the stone magpie. He also intends to be able to breed more stone magpies from his crosses.
"For this type, I don't know what type it is. What is clear is that the male of the Aceh stone magpie is the female of the Medan stone magpie,"Explained Atim. If the character of this magpie sees a small amount of food, he will choose only one of his children. So other children will not be given will and left to die.
"The key when they want to lay eggs and hatch this is actually in the feed. So it must be a lot. Start with worms with kroto, if a few children can die,” he added. Although not able to breed in large quantities, but he intends to continue to increase the number of magpies he breeds.
In addition to being able to fulfill the wishes of bird lovers around the place where they live, he wants to one day be able to release the birds worth millions of rupiah. “The price is still high. So you have to wait for the puppies to grow up if you want to develop them again,"explained Atim while feeding the birds. (radar)
