BH Updates

Due to busying with project work, only able to visit to my BH yesterday. Not much progress and only added one new brid nest mark. It look like the :Aroma" I am testing now not effective to attract any swiftlet in my area to help to increase the bird nest in my BH.

Some changes applied to my BH.
1. Using 2 different internal sound for different section of the BH by edited the internal sound. This is to test out the effectiveness of the internal sounds.
2. Changed the external sound

I also noticed 2 more new BH started operating near my BH area, just few shop house away, good sign is the area not bad but this increase the competition. It is more difficult for my BH as the growth is too slow..

Another method of Applying Aroma

Recently bought another type of Aroma and trying out new method for applying the Aroma. This can be more lasting compared to spray on the wall. I am using a small plastic container, made few holes on the cover and fixed them on bottom of the nest plank as shown in the attached photos on a small area. I also applied by sprayed on the wall as well on the other portion of BH including roving area and entrance hole.

The type of Aroma is new in the Market and I am one of the first few tester. Will update the results on next visit.

External Fan for Amp without internal fan

Recenty bought a new Amp just cost about RM150, it is without internal fan. I bougth it to replace my old Ampl that was faulty due to over heat / lighning strick. To avoid demage due to over heating, I added an external fan that operate same timing with the Amp.

Hope you may used the same cheap method to reduce the Amp faulty in yiur BH. If you interested buy the Amp may contact me. (Output Power is 30W + 30 W)

Double BirdNest

In my BH, there is a new birdnest build on a old brid nest, its as shown in the attached picture.

It look like the swiftlets found the old birdnest not suitable anymore and I do not harvest it, luckily they do not gone away and built a new nest on their old birdnest. I will do the harvest on next harvest circle.

BH progress update

Today visited BH to check the progress, here the summary:



1. Adding 1 fullcup Birdnest, 1 bird nest marking, 1 new bird shit spot (maybe more as the floor is flood with water on certain area)

2. The new bird nest, marking and birdshit spot not at the applied Aroma area

3. Continue apply the Aroma at the same spot to see the result again on next visit.

4. Today tested some external sound and found 2 effective, replaced with one of them and the results as per attached 2 links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8lsgbYQFNU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6LN-vlNGcE


With the good response of replaced new external sound hope next visit has good result in my BH.

"Fade" RM50 Notes

2 months ago received 10 pieces of RM50 notes from friend which he withdrawn from ATM machine. Recently the balance of 2 pieces in a pocket of trouser were accidentally washed by washing machine.

After dried and the RM50 notes colour faded away as per attached. Verified with some friend and a money changer confirmed they are not fake notes. I don't why the quality of the new notes is not some good now as we had many notes accidentally washed also no such problem.

If you have such problem, may countercheck and exchange it with Bank Negara.

Good demand of Bird Nest

Last week visited Hong Kong for Holiday with family. Shop a long the street from Yau Ma Tei to Tsim Sha Tsui, a lot of bird nest shops. There is plenty of demand for Hong Kong and from the report got fom the website reported for Hong Kong importing about 100 tons of bird nest annually. There are more demand for Taiwan and China which multiple times more then HK. This create a huge demand, the market of the bird nest is booming and the price has reported have double in recents year. It is a good business!!

Visited a new BH

Recently visted a new BH and found internal tweeter used for playing external sound. The sound can can be hear very loud near the enterance hole, but I am sure it would able to travel far. I advice him to change those currenty used tweeter to those external type with longer horn so the external sound able to travel far to attract swiftlet that travel high up aboe the BH.

As for the internal and nesting area, I advice him to install more tweeter and also add some corner and fake nest. Will follow up with him any changes he has been done and update the BH progress again.

Here the type of tweeter he is using for external sound. What do you think the effectiveness of the tweeter for external sound?

"Luck" in Swiftlet Farming

I know in the market all the sifu will tell that good knowledge, good design of the BH, using good sound, good Aroma and technology definitely will success.



Do you think so?



I do believe the techique, knowledge and equipments (sound, humidifier, Aroma, etc..) that currently availble in the market do help a certain degree. I still believe there is another part of "Luck" do contribute to the success of a BH. It is like do a business, for example open a restaurant. Someone with better food and nicer then their neighbor, but with less business. How many percent of "Luck" is vary person to person, some may be 30/70 or 20/80 or 10/90.... About me, I believe is 20/80.

Using Aroma updates #1

So far, there is no sign of bird nest increase after applied Aroma for a months. Continue apply the Aroma and will see the results a month later.

Trying Aroma in my BH

Due to some many incident to my BH recently, decided to try out apply Aroma to my BH. I bought a new type of Aroma from a shop in Klang and sprayed the Aroma during last visit. I will update the progress after next visit.

Observe from the BH after applied the Aroma, look like the swiftlet enter the bird house and stay longer then before. The Aroma that I used is from Indonesia and claimed very effective in certain area, do hope the same for my BH.

Swiflet Farming News

Here a news in local newspaper.

Playing Internal Sound for External

Yesterday dropped by to my BH around 6 pm, found that my external sound Amp faulty. Try to fix it by replace the fuse but still not working. It look like the Amp already burn out. Without choice, I connect the external tweeter to the Internal Sound Amp. It do attracting some bird come and I think it is better then nothing.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING THE WALIT BIRD INDUSTRY

Good News for Swiftlet Farming

The walit industry is not new in Malaysia, but over the past few years the harvesting of these birds' nests has been conducted on a commercial scale with lucrative results. In just over a decade, its entrepreneurs have explored new methods and technologies relating to this industry in order to increase production. It is an environmentally-friendly form of plantation based on the green industry concept.

In Malaysia, the walit birds' nest has become one of agriculture's primary commodity exports. This industry is expected to increase as entrepreneurs and the public improve their knowledge on this industry. Raw walit birds' nest per kilogram is estimated to range between RM3,000 - RM7,500 while the processed version can fetch up to RM10,000-RM18,000. The harvesting of these birds’ nests is also now among the largest among the South East Asian countries besides Indonesia. The market demand for birds’ nest comes mainly from Asian countries such as Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

In general there are no special funds or products created specifically to finance the walit bird industry in Malaysia. However, Agrobank has approved loans to fund such projects through relevant government and commercial funds.

“In April 2010 the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries (MoA) allocated part of the low-cost funds amounting to RM67.7 million specifically to fund projects relating to the walit bird industry” added Ahmad Said.
He added, this large allocation of funds would help walit bird entrepreneurs and the members of the public who wished to participate in this lucrative industry.

The detail news may view from the following links:

http://www.agrobank.com.my/press_releases

BH Power tripped

Last week visited BH for checking and found power tripped, the power tripped due to one of the Amp faulty. I am not sure how long the power been tripped as I not visited for 3 weeks. From the digital timer, it may few days or weeks.

I am not sure how much impact of this power trip to the BH, but at least the harvested Bird Nest being re-build as show in the attached pictures and swiftlet still staying inside.

Repair faulty amp

2 months ago I had an amplifier faulty and I tried to repair it. After checking found maybe the transformer of the Amp damaged due to power surge or lighning. I bought a new transformer and replaced to the amp and tested working fine.

With that I save some money to buy a new amp. For those having amp faulty, may try to repair it so can save some money instead of buying a new amp as sometime the amp just having some mirror problem that can be repaired with just 10-20% of the new amp price.

For those that having expensive amplifier, I do advise to install an power regulator to protect them.

LED Light at in the Bird House

During last visit to the BH, I installed a LED light I bought from hyper market in the back of the BH. I set it to turn on from 7 pm - 6 am by using a analog timer. It is just to try out whether with some light during the night time in the far end of the BH will bring swiftlet to stay at the back of the BH.

Will update the progress after next visit.

Bird Nest

Here the bird nest I harvested from my BH last week end. Those are the 1st generation of the bird nest and there are very huge with average of about 30 grams per nest. 3 of the nests harvested nearly 100 g

I did the harvest for hoping it help to improve the bird nest count as mentioned by swiftlet farming sifu bird nest harvest also an technicque for increase the brid nest count in a BH.

BH update

Visited BH last weekend, very little improvement.. with just additional 2 bird nest count and 3 new brid shit spots.

Did a harvest for 3 bird nests and do hope the harvest will help improve the bird nest count as mentioned by some sifu.

Swiftlet Town in the Perak

Few picture take for some BH in Perak

Luckly Bird House owner in Mentakab

Here the video taken during my trip in Mentakab. Found a lot of BH there and some of them with lot of bird fliying near the entrance hole. Is that indicate a successful bird house?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TkgQApKcG4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXicOVMpZpw

Mentakab, a town in Pahang having a lot of Bird House

Today on the way back from Kuantan, stop by Mentakab for dinner. Approaching the small town and noticed many BH and many of them look good with a lot of flying on the top of the BH.

This is one of the photo taken using by iphone. I will share more photos and video taken at Mentakab later.

Flamingo on the Lamp Pole???

Last Thursday everning after heavy rain, on the way back home from Ulu Klang. Saw 3 bird standing on the Lamp pole. Maybe they came from the nearby ZOO!!

燕窝 - Bird Nest Type

Here the type of Bird Nest (燕窝)

Swiftlet

Here are some information about House Swiftlet

- A. Fuciphagus
- Able to fly ~ 50KM a day
- Having superb memories
- Leave their roosting place around 5.30 am – 6.30 am
- Return around 12 noon to feed their baby or take turns to hatch their eggs
- Pairing is permanent
- Both partners participate in the nest building process
- Building the nest in the night time.


Bird Nest building and breeding cycle

- Swiflet takes average 30-45 days to build a nest ( 11/2 – 2 months)
- Female swiflet will take 3-7 days to lay the egg (usually 2 eggs with max 2 days interval of the egg)
- 3-4 weeks of hatching process (average 2 weeks)
- Baby swiflets will take about 45-60 days to be fly away
- Once the baby start to fly away, egg will lay eggs again within 10 days.
- Total breeding cycle about 4 months (120 days), normally will have 3 breeding cycle a year.

Received some new External Sound

Recently exchanged some external sound that claimed good quality sound by many people. I will conduct testing on my next visit to the bird house and also checking the BH progress.

Last visit to my BH in April 2010, found many young bird coming out from neighbour BH. This is the time for attracking young bird and do hope some of them able to attrack by the new external sound and migrate to here.

BH owner should know the swiftlet breeding cycle of near their BH area/region. As it is important information for BH owner to take action to keep the yound swiftlet to stay on or attracking sorrounding BH's young bird to migrate here.

BH Temp & Humidity Level

This is the temperature and humidity of my BH from March - April 2010.

When the swiftet start staying in a new BH

Often onwer of new BH asking when the siwftlet start staying his BH!!
I think the follow few factors are the key for swiftlet start staying in a new BH.
1. BH Internal Optimum Micro & Macro Condition
- Room Temperature: 28 ْC to 30ْ C (some suggest 26 – 29)
- Relative Humidity: 75% to 85%.
2. Internal and External Sound
3. Extrance Hole (for new BH, suggest – 5’ x 10’),
4. Roving and Nesting Area with smooth flying path
5. External condition suh as any successful BH nearby, flying path, food area, ect.
6. Baby swiftlet start flying out season.

I am strongly recommend only start operating (on the external sound) the BH after confirmed the 1st factor.
Any commects?

Result of using ne sound and DIY 4 Ways Caller

Here the result of using ne sound and DIY 4 Ways Caller.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioTlVhUXaLc

DIY 4-ways Caller

This is the DIY 4-ways caller I recently using. Using 2 small water resistance tweeters and 2 big water resistance tweeters. It seem working fine and effective to attract bird come playing and entering my BH.

Update after visited BH today

After did the following modifications,
1. Changed the internal sound
2. Changed the external sound
3. Covered the side enterance hole
4. Changed the external tweeters
5. putting ammonia podwer in the BH

After 1 month, found 2 new half cup bird nests and few new spot of bird shit. It look ike the modification did help. Will continue monitor the progress with putting ammonia twice a month. As for the humidity and temperature of the BH, still look good: Humidity between 80 %- 88%, Temperature between 28 - 30.5 degrees.

Bird Sound for exchange

I have numbers of external sound for exchange. Please contact me at fclim69@gmail.com for request the sample and may send me sample of your bird sound to me.

It is mainly for those wish to test out different sound without any cost.

Planned to do series of modification in th BH

After few month there is no progress of the BH, planned series of modification and adjustment on the BH after CNY.
1. Change the internal & external sound
2. Cover one of the side entrance hole
3. Change the external tweeters
4. Placement of new external tweeter