You are right WW. Very risky to breed swiftlets together with other birds (chickens are birds too, right?).

Poultry kena bird flu, swiftlets become victims and BH ranchers see bankruptcy signs all over the place.

Swiftlets are wild birds and should be kept that way. Veterinary Department should be fully aware of this. I hope their boss knows about this.

One person plays with fire, the whole industry got burned. I have no doubt it will happen, just a matter of time. Somebody go to put a stop to this.

The gentleman in the video mentioned there were only 2 home breed farms in the world, 1 in Indo 1 in Msia.

Note Pak Agong home breed farm in Indo is covered with netting ie like bird park everything is contained inside the farm with net. Touch wood but if disease was to spread from human to birds in the farm, everything is still contained in the farm including the disease.

Whereas for the Malaysian guy, note it is open air. You hand breed the birds and release into your bird house and they are free to fly to the wild and mix around with wild swiftlets. Tat's dangerous.

Vet Dept should curb, discourage and ban such practice. Else, they shouldn't even give any lecture on farming. These are elementary knowledge on biology.

The integrated Farming concept is practiced worldwide to maximise returns for a given plot of land.

It is taught in all books regarding farming practices BUT that was before the emergence of dangerous pathogenic diseases. All the time there have been diseases that caused all sorts of complications to humans caring for them but none quite as dangerous as Bird flu, swine flu, Japanese encephalitis etc.

With proper management, these risks can be reduced, if not eliminated.

Usual treatment involves applying a vaccine and or anti microbial to the CAPTIVE stock.

Note that swiftlets fly free and will return to the BH at night but the do visit other BHs on their foraging flights. So, application of treatment will be extremely difficult and spread of disease will be fast as the vector can have a daily 50km. radius of travel.

With humans required to feed the swiftlet chicks, the risk of cross infection is of course multiplied by innumerable times. With the swiftlet feed being produced by humans, of course there are very many unknown factors involved.

If cross infection control, eg. change of clothing, disinfectant spray/bath, gloves etc. are not diligently followed, Integrated farming practices will open a pandora's box with the potential to destroy the whole industry. As is usual with most farms, such controls are next to impossible to follow. Even in the youtube clip, there is no cross infection prevention being used, eg. head cover, gloves, clothing, masks etc.

Theory is good but practically impossible to follow, especially in the integrated farming community being required to operate on a daily basis like a hospital.

How many farmers follow the recommendations in the GAHP rigidly, a simple thing like a chlorine foot bath is not present in 99% of Poultry farms and BHs.

Those of us who can have influence on the Vet dept. eg. Dato Beh should talk to the heads of dept. to forbid the use of Integrated Farming Practices that include Swiftlet Ranching. For the time being, they should also disallow the artificial feeding and rearing of swiftlets unless only for authorised research until we know enough about swift diseases to be able to safely prevent the spread of any dangerous pathogens.

There is no necessity for the artificial breeding of swiftlets as Malaysian Jungles are abundant in their natural feed and for now and in the foreseeable future. It will be simple to arrange for all future swiftlet ventures to spread along all feeding routes of swiftlets, in doing so ensuring that they will always be well fed. Interestingly, the insects that love the flowers of Oil Palm also are loved by the swiftlets.

BTW it is absolutely BULL that there are only 2 captive swiftlet bred swiftlet farms in the world. Hand feeding of artificially hatched eggs has being going on for several years. Ranches with a caged/netted colony is ongoing and has been for at least 2 years. Note also that those with netted colonies will open up after their swiftlets start breeding in the BH as then at least there is a greater chance of them remaining in that particular BH .

The wild swiftlets have been subjected to thousands of tests for diseases but none are positive to date. So far so good.

Will man be the final saviour or destroyer of the swiftlets by the introduction of captive breeding?

imho captive breeding sound great. Tech farming ...

Yes it will be a great idea for anyone wanting to invest in a hatchery and the rearing of the hatched swiftlets, especially near my BH. All will be welcome with open arms, especially the swiftlets.

I will also be happy to sell them the eggs from my BH at a discount.

1st world or third world standards .... 3rd world standards surely c an be more cost effective

push the envelope and clone the ingredients

Many years ago, a friend of mine just returned from Thailand and informed me that the Thai Authorities burned down a BH because of Bird Flu and he was looking for sign from my face...."Why aren't you scare that the authorities here will destroy your BH because of bird Flu/"

I answered that swiftlets never get bird Flu as they never touch the ground and only birds that have contact with the ground will get bird flu. Secondly, the Thailand case was because the BH happened to be in the 5kilmetre circumference, all birds in the area will need to be destroyed including the swiftlets although swiftlet never touch the ground to contact with the virus.....

So, I am really scare that if the chicken near the BH happen to get H1N1 or worst H5N1, then 5 kilometer radius, all birds must be destroyed include our precious swiftlets......although the mature birds can fly away, all chicks and eggs must be destroyed and all the BH disinfected.....that will leave you bankrupt or heart broken.

So, the best way is to be careful and never rear chicken or other fowls near your BH or else........all your years of sweat and hardship all gone.

Better grow other even earth worm will be good and you may feed the BS to the worms and maybe make alot of cash from it......I know that fishes like the BS but do worms like BS, too.

One thing that I know is that don't plant fruit trees near BH as these attract bats and other animals to the area. Oil palm is good as swiftlets like those insect living on oil palm and there are lots of insects. Rubber trees aren't good for BH. Maybe, expired infos but just write something to share.....

Any disagreement, kindly post it here to share.

hi all, i've actually just started in this business which i think needs a year for me to prepare,

i've read this thread from V1 till here, can anyone tell me in summarized points

what to do and to be cautioned about.

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone ever try relocating the entry hole of Bh? Any effect on existing old bird.

My town one successful open roof type after broken in by thieves(got caught hiding inside water tank!), changed from OR to DK. After that understand number of birds dropping. Not sure % loss.

Due to initial entry design not well thought by consultant cum insult-ant, thinking of changing OR to DK to face direction of return bird colonies and also facing East instead of current West. But think effect will be devastating/shocking to returning old birds in the evening, when leaving Bh thru OR, returning suddenly one DK appear out of no where ... just imagine I am one of the old bird .

So think think guess window type less stressful.

Say for open roof type change to window:-

i. Stage 1: Create new window entry hole. Existing OR entry hole reduce slightly by 1 brick size. So got 2 entry holes at roving area, one OR one window.

ii. Stage 2: Slowing closing OR hole again after 1 mth and monitor progress of entry from window.

iii. Stage 3: When old/new birds familiar with the 2 OR & window holes, one fine day, after say 9pm when almost all birds have entered, permanently close up the OR hole.

iv. In future if, hope no if but if kena complain got to change again, get DK ready and follow the same steps as above.

What do you think, all sifus & oldies? Newbies also free to share you views, nobody can guarantee success anyway.

Thank you many many, many appreciations.

This post has been edited by Bobby C: Feb 14 2011, 05:28 PM

I may be wrong and hope that I am wrong as the new GP disallow open window type and also DK face some problems with the local authorities due to the changes in the structure of the building only if your BH @ town only. Agriland, no problem lah.

Personally, I never like to change entrance if the entrance is good. Changing of entrance will effect the population of swiftlets although the most of the old faithful will slowly returning back after some assurance that there is no problem with the new entrance. During initial period, you may see alot of swiftlets flying over your BH not knowing what to do and many even loiter and stay nearby. It may take a few days for them to settle down.

Just my observation and if others wish to share their experience.

Hello,

I am new to this swiftlet farming. I have read through many threads, forums, blogs about swiftlet. There a forum named SMC by Dr. L that I can not access. I saw many members here have access over there. I do not know if anybody can do me a favor by lending me your account at SMC.

Thank you very much.

One very rich man from Sabah wanted to build some BHs on his land in Sabah ( Near KK, I presumed) but then according to what I heard and understand that Sabah isn't a good state for Swiftlets. He wants some advices from me and I wish to help him although without any personal gain but as a friend. Maybe, I may gain some knowledge here from readers @ forum.

I know that Sarawak is excellent place for BHs so if there is anyone @ forum can give me some ideas on Sabah's potential for BHs before I go there to help this guy with his new venture. If all goes well, I may be visiting Sabah during the month of March.......


Looking at the map of Sabah and that's there is a hugh swiftlets sanctuary in the state, there is no reason for the poor increment of swiftlets. I do urge the Sabah authorities look in to the matter so that all Sabah BHs can be plentiful.

Possible reason that I may think are,

1. Even without the migration of the wild swifltets from the caves, the present ones shall be able to produce large offsprings to fill most of the BH in short time as Sabah do have plentiful food resources. Allow all chicks to fledged and support the industry and look far ahead instead of present financial rewards. For one thing that I know is that Sabah do have alot of swallows and other swiftlets, so Edible nest swiftlets shouldn't be a problem at all.

Above is just my feeling on the matter and the furthest that I have been to the East Malaysia is Miri and that's for Lions Convention and not on swiftlets matter. So, my comments on the matter isn't conclusive but I hope that I do have your advice for me on Sabah's Swiftlets, anything is better than nothing as I am blurred as Sabah is concerned and what I heard are from friends having swiftlets connection from East Malaysia and from the mouth of East Malaysia participants @ Seremban Swiftlets Workshop few years ago.

Anyone having SWIFIN president, Mr. Geoge Ng HP no will be appreciated............PM me or email me also OK.( email: wwoptic@gmail.com)

This post has been edited by West Wing: Feb 15 2011, 07:03 PM

Thank you WW. Your comment and observation is noted and appreciated.

Thank you sir.

Recently, I played a deadly "catch me if you can" game with a little bat in my 3 storey BH. That little bat made me climbed up and down the 3 floors repetitively and from one end to another each floor, hoping to defeat me with a fall thru LAL by enforced errors. The game lasted 30 min before the little bat lost interest to play with me and disappeared in thin air. I was lucky to survive from the game with the strongly built permanent concrete staircase with protection metal railing. Luckily my ceiling is not too high to enable me to play a fair game with that little bat.

I wonder how some BHs without permanent staircase from floor to floor and also high ceiling BH would have possibly play this type of game ?

The bible of Good Animal Husbandry Practises (GAPH) for swiftlets must be rewritten all over again as by just changing or modifying afew pages doesn't make sense as the book was first written long tim ago when our good Doctor was new to the swiftlets management and that's why many readers then commented that the book sound like or similar to chicken farming which is totally different to swiftlets management.

A total new GAPH on swiflets will be more appropriate and since the writer has now gain so much experience and pratical knowledge plus all scientific study done; I presume that she now be a better man (woman) to tackle the new book.

Many new found informations and understanding on the swiftlets so I beleive that it's about time that we come to a new chapter in Swiftlets management although I always prefer to call it " Swiftlets Sanctuaries Management" SSM in short form.

Just speaking from my heart with no intention of hurting anyone esp. our good friend, Dr.F....who has always been very helpful and really kind to the swiftlets.

Oyes, Ben Chai, you are from Sabah so can I have your contact or email.
PM me if OK with you, my friend cos we never met each other and maybe some good thing may come over a long coffee talk.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Feb 16 2011, 08:28 PM

If you are good in badminton, arm urself v the badminton racket next time. With ceiling height within reach, bat usually flying up down along the same path for few times so you got many chances. Just one light touch no need to smash like Lin Dan, just light touch it would fall to ground. Pick it up and release outside. Bet it would never return again.

Badminton racket is too small and short for me, I used something bigger and longer, fishing nets. But still difficult to catch because the bats echolocation can sense the movement of the nets and avoid it. But after the chase, the same bat never return the next day.

Tat's why u need racket v bigger holes and speed to bet echolocation. Too fast for them to react

Make sense Time to go to Giant to look for the RM7.99 "Bat"minton racket.