Swiftlet farming Step 1

Well, it had been a while since i stop blogging as Chinese New Year is around the corner. Here i would like to discuss  step by step what you should do before constructing or renovating your swiftlet house. Swiftlet are sensitive animal and have unique yet sophisticated characteristic or behaviour. Before anyone should embark into this investment, one must know what is swiftlet.

Topic that i am going to discuss:
1) What is swiftlet? Behavior, characteristic and life circle.
2) When did this bird nest become well-known? History of it.
3) Swiftlet nest or bird nest, what is so good about it.
4) Price comparison for the last 10 years.
5) Export volume for Malaysia vs Indonesia
6) What should you do before investing in it? Location ( Download our free Duress Sound)
7) How much are you willing to invest in it? Minimum RM 15,000 to RM 500,000? 
8) Design of successful swiftlet farm. Swiftlet Equipment listing
9) Arranging of Meranti woods and tweeter placing.
10) Amplifier- which to use? Setting on timer
11) Swiftlet Sound- Internal swiftlet sound and external swiftlet sound. Free download
12) Humidity- Humidifier or Pond?
13) Swiftlet Aroma? A must apply liquid 100% effective and must be free from chemicals
14) Harvesting - when? Which nest should not and must be harvest.
15) Chart of bird nest growth by zone.
16) Break even Point and Return of investment.
17) The swiftlet Taboo and mistake should never do.
18) What you should do if they are no swiftlet on the second and third floor? Lights?
19) Swiftlet Predator ? How to prevent it. List of insect killer
20) Swiftlet guideline by Jabatan Haiwan. Form Download
21) Question and answer






 Chapter 1


What is Swiftlet?
Swiftlets or cave swiftlets are bird contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini tribe within the swift family Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern Asia, south Pacific islands, and northeastern Asia, all within the tropical and subtropical regions. They are in many respects typical members of the Apodidae, having narrow wings for fast flight, with a wide gape and small reduced beak surrounded by bristles for catching insects in flight. What distinguishes many but not all species from other swifts and indeed almost all other birds is their ability to use a simple but effective form of echolocation to navigate in total darkness through the chasms and shafts of the Caves where they roost at night and breed. The nests of some species are built entirely from threads of their saliva, and are collected for the famous Chinese delicacy bird's nest soup.

This photo are taken inside my own farm and it is really hard to capture them  in flight. Their wing spread up to 12 cm in lenght and have a very powerful wing for aviation. This are all adults swiftlet. Here as you can see swiftlet can maneuver in a short space. Minimum at least 6 - 8 feet area for them to maneuver.

What do swiftlet eat?

Like most  human, they will be hungry and get up when the sun is up. Do remember this, swiftlet have two capabilities, echolocation and by their naked eye. Their visual are five more stronger and sharp then us. They can hear 5 time also more efficient then us, this where swiftlet song should not be switch on too loud. Swiftlet likely to abandon their nesting place if sound is being played too loud. More then 23 -27 dbb or decimal, swiftlet would dislike it. Do apply this only for external long range tweeter and not inside the farm, i had seen farmers blasting their sound so loud that i had to shout to communicate with him.

Swiftlet lay 2 egg every 90 days and they can live up to 13-15 years meaning each pair nest 30 times. Swiftlet are homely animal and they will keep nesting at the same place over and over again if it not threaten. Swiftlet babies will hatch after 26-28 days. Here the parents will feed their babies three - four time a day Early morning at 6 - 7 am, 11am - 1pm and 7-8pm daily till they can fly and look for their own food

.They are born without any hair and are blind till they are 20 days old. The babies will stay inside the nest till they are ready to fly which took almost 52 days. Swiftlet babies will learn to fly around the roving area or outside your swiftlet farm not more then 30 feet apart. Slowly they will adopt to the environment after 30 days in flight. They will start to match after 7- 9  months later.

 Swiftlet Babies

Swiftlet Egg

Swiftlet Food? They feed on live insects when they are flying on top of tree like Palm Oil tree and other flowery tree. This can be observe after raining or around 8 to 9 am in the morning. Now we can even create insects provider which attract other swiftlet.