12m can build up to 4sty, which actually good enough. Bird nest tenant min. 2pcs/ft2. BUT is the BH tenant with 5000nests, consider quite full.

A 20 by 70 BH can have about 4K nests per sty. and if 3 sty. get you 12K when full.Multiply that by 3, get you 36 K nests per year.

If allow to fledged, a 36K BH produces 72K new birds and should be able to sustain 100 new BHs ( if one BH get 500 hundred birds per year). That's one reason that the government cannot afford to demolish BHs @ town and still plan of becoming a top producer of EBN. Most of the young birds fledged from towns. So, all town BHs are safe, right?

To me, a good BH must be swiftlets friendly and human friendly; swiftlets take away 5 feets and human being 6 feets so my calculation is that the min., height for good BH must be 12 feets. A little higher like 15 fts. would be at a disavantage to man but better to the birds....as it create a buffer zone of 3 feets. So, we have here, a world of its own for the birds and for man.

In such high BH, you can be there in the dark BH and you won't be hit be the birds like I always did in my BH. In low but successful BH, as long as you don't move in the dark, the birds will know your position but if you move, the birds may hit you mostly at your head, the highest point.

The news was posted here http://fanboxblogs.fanbox.com/SinglePost.a...=-1&bts=1&fs=-1

Reportedly one of the thing the Sarawak association is trying to do is to adapt the 1GP to be friendly towards town bh. It is a very good initiative and hopefully other associations would take an interest or similar initiative. The least they can do is to give their full support and encouragement when & if needed.

A friend told me that Indonesia maybe the biggest producer of EBN but only 20% of their nests is consider white so they are buying our nests to sell to China so we do have better EBN. I know that our nests is superior to that of the Indonesia but I never know that 80% of their are brown and smaller.

I am surprised to hear it but is it the truth? Our recent harvested nests aren't that good anyway and the buyers are insisting good white nests but they are paying very low for it although the price has increase alittle bit from last week. I should think that Rm5K per K should be a min. price for our white.

There is no hugh EBN processing plant in Malaysia unlike Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam and that's why their EBN fetch higher price than our, I think. We will always be at the mercy of the middlemen.

Taking about the middlemen, one vegetable planter told me that he sells cheaply to the collector and that's the high price in market is not his making.....he planted so difficultly and make so little but the middleman make hugh profit. This proved that using the head make much more than using the hand.

today when i was finding a good location i was so shocked. bkt beruntung have way MORE bh than i expected. every where also bh.

need to reconsider again.

One Newbiz PM me on the following as I believe that it's best to share @ forum:

[sifu, one guy say wanna joint venture but he wont take out cash. he say he take out his experience and his cd. but when i say i want to visit his bh to convince my other partner, he reply me this == haaa... to convince our partner? if u don't confidence in me, then dun need la.. go and ask around if any consultant willing to do it for 30%
They will asked for a fee or at least 50% for 20 yrs.] End

Dear friend,

The normal practice here is that you come out with the building @ town and the partner will do all the renovation,equipments, repair as part of his share of partnership and even service the BH. The agreement is for at least 20 year on 50/50 nests sharing and as building owner, you need not come out with any money but sit and wait for harvest. There is a clause in it to safe guard the owner and that is the new partner will need to pay alittle rental on the building until the harvesting can be done and that's to ensure that the partner will do all that is necessary and waste no time. Remember the quit rent and other government bills are the owner's.

There maybe a grace period of a year before the consultant/partner need to pay the rental. If for me, I would prefer a written agreement to ensure both parties be honest and fair cos this a JV for almost life, 25 years!!

Lastly, it has to be a win win partnership but sadly in the end, the partner will be at a loss as the building owner will find way and mean to end the contract after afew thousand nests. The building owner will complaint that he was cheated during the time so the best is to do it yourself and really need to due to financial restrain, get an honest experienced person to JV and this will ensure both properity and wealth.


Oyes! count me in for lesser than 30% of the collection ( remember all renovation and cost will be on you) if all you want is a good CD and consultancy and once agreement is signed...I will gladly show you one successful BH and also show around those BH that I help to achieve for cups of coffee.

No offence pls as I am selling my cheap consultancy here, too ............ hahaha

This post has been edited by West Wing: Oct 23 2010, 11:07 AM

IMHO a max height shd NOT be specified in the 1GP nor the pertinent local bylaws applied to swiftlet sanctuaries.
Basis of my argument is HEIGHT is a factor in a swiftlet sanctuary as such it should be left to experimentation.
We should not accept conditions dictated for FACTORS to a successful swiftlet sanctuary.
There is no engineering basis for being so prescriptive, what's the issue if it's 18ft/flr for the matter if it's structurally sound and certified by an engineer?
Standardisation? Whose standard and based on what?
Aesthetics? Whose standard of looking nice?
Remember the DRAFT 1GP? We were required to paint all swiftlet sanctuaries yellow so tourist can recognise them!!!
It was frivolous but at least the reasoning was provided.

---

Added on October 24, 2010, 12:12 pmThe 3rd point I like to bring up is 'buffer distance' of 20/50m from residential area.
Seems to me that it is applicable to NEW sanctuaries ONLY.
The condition is present only for section
4.2 Aspek Perancangan Premis Perladangan Baru
and NOT for section
4.1 Aspek Perancangan Premis Perladangan Sedia Ada

Residential area is defined as more than 4 units of residential houses
2.19 Kawasan perumahan
Suatu kawasan yang mengandungi lebih daripada empat (4) unit rumah sebagai tempat tinggal.

The follow-up question is....
What will the PBT's put in place to ensure residential houses DO NOT encroach within the 20/50m buffer POST approval of our premise license?

This post has been edited by Cergau: Oct 24 2010, 12:17 PM

Dear all :

I plan to construct a BH on my father's agriculture land, i am wondering whether should i just ask the contractor to do everything for me or should i get a architect drawing from a prominent blogger and ask the contractor to do as what i want. The contractor claimed to have constructed more than 100 BHs, or any other suggestions that your can think of to advise me. Thank you.

Something puzzle me guys, what is actually the function of insect powder? How can I use it? Thanks guys.

It's a fruit flies culture where you can breed fruit flies in your BH to attract the birds. I once approached an agricultural research center to look for fruit flies culture supply but my intention was discouraged by the Prof from the center that breeding fruit flies and releasing it in the open in uncontrolled manner may cause devastating damages to fruits orchards in the surrounding area. The fruit flies breeding is also not suitable in town area environment because the fruit flies sudden present can be easily detected by your neighbor. Remember BH golden rule to survive.....never provoke and create nuisance to your neighbor.

This post has been edited by aeiou228: Oct 25 2010, 10:35 AM

Thank you sir for your valuable information and I have another question in the form of how do I start the process of breeding fruit flies from insect powder. I mean do I just add water and wait for the fruit flies form from the insect powder or do I still need to introduce the fruit flies to the powder? I really don't know. Please advice. Thanks again.

Fruit flies are pests, please don't breed them. This is not a good animal husbandry practice and it is harmful to the plantations. Please don't create new nuisance to the current list of complaints from anti swiftlets group.

I truly understand your concern and believe me when I say I am not making thing worst as I have way to control the population of fruit flies. I will only release it in a control manner and in a limited area. If there is enough source of food for the swiftlet in my area I will not find the mean of providing food for them anyway fun or amusing. Swiftlet from my area have decease gradually due to changing weather here in Kota Kinabalu. We have means to control the micro environment in our BH but what about the final step that is controlling the source for food for the Swiftlet? What I plan is to breed fruit flies in container and when there is enough population I will release it into the roving area by means of timer control fan. Each day I will only feed them 2 or maybe 3 times and that only at time when there are many activity in the roving room. Anyone have better idea please share with us here. Thanks in advance.

Sometime I wonder, wy create something which isn't necessary for swiftlets like fruit flies. As Aeiou said "Fruit flies are pests, please don't breed them. This is not a good animal husbandry practice and it is harmful to the plantations. Please don't create new nuisance to the current list of complaints from anti swiftlets group."

Farmers are trying to get rid of pest and here we are creating pest and are you sure that the swiftlets will get to it. I disagree that we need to create food for the swiftlets as they fly far in search for food and they don't need our help. We are telling the public that we help them to reduce pests problem and yet here we are creating the problem. Why not start producing mosquitoes and house flies and I believe that be easier to produce..... and it's free. I pray that you all didn't follow what I suggested like mass producing mosquitoes and house fly.

Using the Fruit flies concept is created by greedy people with only money in mind and of no use at all. Although the swiftlets do eat fruit flies but for every one eaten, hundred escape. There is no assurance that the birds will stay in your BH and you are just wasting your money and time plus creating more problem than solving the food problem.


If you agree with me that the decrease in swiftlets population have nothing to do with food for if true, then the nests will be getting lesser no douth but thinner and smaller due to shortage of food but as I see it, it has to do with the harvesting method and the pollution cause by open burning. Indo experiencing the decreasing of EBN and they have both reasons and my friend over harvesting and he, too experience a 30% drop in the EBN until he talked to us and I told him that we all experience a increase of nests and our nests are getting bigger. Glad that he listened to me and harvested correctly and now, his nests increase very fast and soon, his BH will have more nests than before.

My opinion to share.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Oct 25 2010, 01:07 PM

I for one do not want to create problem for people to suffer whether they are my neighbor or not. Well it seem a good idea for me at that moment because it seem I'm trying to help feed them even if its necessary or not. My place here is not that many people still doing agriculture even though this place is agriculture land so fruit flies impact should be minimal. We, Sabahan can hardly be called greedy since we hardly make enough money to feed our own family. We also now can not build BH at shop lot so only choice is agri land even that we pay more money then peninsular Malaysia to build BH because the cost of build material is 30-40% more expensive. I for one the only few people here in KK with BH that are not rich everything I do my own. Consultant? Contractor? I really can not afford them. How many people can afford if the price to build a BH here is RM110 per square feet! not including wiring, plank and building foundation. We here is very young in this business and what I see now is many Sarawak and peninsular people come here build their BH. Sure we can not compete with more experience sifu everywhere but we try. Poor man trying his luck with rich man business. hahaha.

Thank you for being so understanding but then you misunderstood me for it's the seller of the fruit flies and not you for being greedy. Sabahan, unlike Sarawakian which are so lucky to have plentiful of nests in their BHs. I have heard from Sabahan BH owners who complaint about their BHs and how wonderful of their neighbouring Sarawak which have plentiful nests but then they have a bad white hair guy who are out to kill all their birds.

I believe something must be wrong somewhere for why birds choose Sarawah instead of Sabah......as Sabahan venturing into the trade, try to think logically on why the birds favour Sarawah. Maybe there is something in the air or open burning or ??????? you should know better than us.

I for one will be most willing to give you suggestion if you do face problem concerning BHs if I can and I believe all @ forum will assist if required cos we are all friends. There are many BH owners in Sabah and I believe that they, too will lend you a helping hand if you need it.

Before planing a BH is to ensure that the area do has swiftlets, then you stand a good chance of becoming success. Then only you decide on good material for the BH, entrance positioning, controlling of all natural factors, correct internal settings and a good sound. Don't need to go to use the expensive thing or any consultancy. If no enough cash, start small and gradually increasing the size of your BH outward when there are collection from the sales of nests. This way, you don't need to go to the AhLong and end up losing your BH and land, too.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Oct 25 2010, 04:03 PM

Dear All,

I'd like some advice on the positioning of entrance hole. There's one existing BH next door which has an open-roof entrance hole at the back. Is it ok to open a hole near (as in both holes are at the back of the shops) the existing hole in the new BH? Will the two entrance holes confuse the birds?

Thanks in advance.

Thank you sir for your advise and I will always keep it in my mind. I'm not sure why swiftlet prefer Sarawak to Sabah, maybe its just because we Sabahan never really take up this business seriously. Tell you a true story that happen to me and my brother. We jump into Swiftlet farming about 2 years ago with no prior experience at all and it all start like this. My brother was introduce to this so call sifu and at that time I was still working in one of the Africa country. My brother have go into a joint venture with his sifu and according to his sifu he will only teach my brother if my brother is willing to give our land to him. According to this sifu it is one of his sifu's requisite(syarat) for new student. Since this sifu also do not have any BH and money to fully build a BH the sifu finally agree to teach and to solve the money problem they need more student. Its also because this land is a heritage land so its not possible to change name without my consent.

They had bird sound test on this land and the result was only 5 lost Swiftlet come and play, that was enough for the sifu to start building this BH. 20 x 60feet 3 stories. Dog kennel facing west where as the actual Swiftlet fly path is east where there is a 800+ meter tall mountain and plenty of vegetation. No nesting plank and very few tweeter installed. The external wall and internal wall was not plaster and no PVC ventilation pipe. The well is at the center of the BH and big steel stair zig zag the well making swiftlet very hard to reach ground floor.

So right after this BH was completed the sifu decide to retire and let this few ppl do and manage the BH by their own. Imagine this people with no Swiftlet farming experience at all trying to make this successful. After I return only then I try to make changes to the BH until today. They really believe that sifu and dare not question what was obviously wrong (zig zag stair?) and that is my simple story. Its not easy Swiftlet farming in Sabah and people here really have no idea what is Swiftlet farming. I'm lucky to meet all of you sifu here and I have learn a lot, with your continue support I hope one day I can really say I'm a poor man that made it in the rich man business. Thank you guys.

Just to give my side of comments only;

1. No problem for opening entrance at the same place as your next door BH and if your next door BH has alot of swiftlets, then there is no better reason to make it at the same location.........as you mentioned " Salah masuk lubang" mostly the young ones. If your Next Door BH is a failure, then move your entrance further the better as there may reason for the failure. This is very importance esp. in building Town BH as you need to consider not only natural forces but human ones as well.

Would like to hear other comments.

If there is a mountain with plenty of vegetation then there should be plenty of food for your swiftlets. You should focus on getting the other macros conducive for the birds instead of creating fruitflies buffet to attract birds. I presume you have installed nesting planks by now. The most important thing (after you have gotten your bh design and internal environment sorted out) is to have good external and internal sound. Focus on fine tuning your bh.

This post has been edited by swiftcurrent: Oct 26 2010, 05:34 PM