You presume right the beam is perpendicular to the entrance hole and the well is in the middle of the BH making the BH into two nesting area. The tweeter is pointing toward the middle of the BH and also a row of tweeter surrounding the inside wall of this BH. The well is almost 16 feet wide and 6 feet long. I did make a mistake when making the cement beam and that is not making any groove on the cement. So if make groove on the cement do you think it will be just or more or less like having nesting plank on?

Ammonia liquid is very expensive here in Sabah so I now used ammonia bicarbonate. There is so much to learn about swiftlet farming.




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 Mist_Maker.wmv ( 1.19mb ) Number of downloads: 106

Tweeter,

Would really appreciate if you could kindly explain or let us know what is the right frequency for the swiftlets? How should I use the equalizer? Does your tweeters need equalizers?

Grooves on planks are important. Under your current situation, making grooves on the cement planks would be a very noisy & dusty affair. Also will be very tedious work and it will disturb the birds. We always plan to work as quietly and quickly as possible when inside the bh. You can achieve similar effect by making lines of hot glue on the cement planks without the noise & dusts or you can just install "fake nests". Make sure the fake nests are firmly fixed. All the birds need is something firm to cling on to make nests at their chosen spots. Try it out where the birds are nesting now then do it for rest of bh gradually when you are happy with the result.

This post has been edited by swiftcurrent: Nov 2 2010, 10:18 AM

Dear all swiflet owners,

We are one of the leading manufacturer of Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS) in Klang Valley. We have been supplying this material to numerous projects at Sabak Bernam, Sg. Besar, Sitiawan, Dengkil, Penang, and even East Malaysia thru the birdhouse contractors, owners and even trading companies. Our materials have been recognised as a superb insulation material that helps to reduce heat of the birdhouse and most importantly cost savings. We are only supplying this material but if you required installation we are able to provide the know how knowledge based on the feedback from our customers experience.

And not forgetting, we are one of the sole distributor in Malaysia of Extruded Polystyrene Foam (XPS) which our products are manufactured from Singapore. This material considered as a more high end product compared to EPS. Reason is because it have more high R-Value in insulation. We also have supplied this material to few high end birdhouse projects in Klang Valley.

If you wish to know more about us, kindly visit our website http://www.yeehup.com.

Thank you.

Best regards,
Andy Low @ 012-2097934
Email: andylow@yeehup.com

Coolandy,

Can see my detailed explaination in my blog: http://mynewventureswiftlethome.blogspot.c...ht-speaker.html.

We do not use equalizer. You cannot use equalizer to correct the frequency range of the wrong speakers. You need to buy the right speakers that covered the frequency range from 1000 to 7000 hz. If your speakers cover 1000 - 15000 hz, may be you can fine tune your speaker with equalizer.

Even the speakers specified the right frequency, you still need to check them, as these are low cost speakers, I don't think the manufacturer has a very good QC system on them, it can vary batch by batch.

Hi swiftcurrent
Would appreciate very much if u could kindly recommend the type gun n glue used.
TQ.

Making groove on the cement beam right now is almost impossible and unpractical. I suppose if I have think about it before I do the beam casting I will surely allocate some sort of groove on the casting plank so the finally result will have concave groove on the cement and less headache now. I also have doubt how long this hot glue groove will last I mean when I harvest the nest will that hot glue got remove at the same time. It is just I humble opinion I will just try to use more of those fake nest and hope the Swiftlet will eventually can make their nest without human assistance. Thank you very much for your sound advice.

This post has been edited by mfyapp: Nov 2 2010, 12:52 PM

The idea is to initially encourage the birds to start nesting. The "fake nests" in any form are to be removed during the first harvesting, some of the remnant of the nests left sticking behind on the beam would help the birds to cling on to make the next nest. If you have observed old bh, the planks and even smooth walls are covered with old nests markings hence no need for any grooves or fake nests.

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Added on November 2, 2010, 1:09 pmhi ornimann,

these hot melt glue gun are easily available in hardware shops or diy shops. They are not expensive and you have loads of fun with it.

sorry i still dunno how to insert pictures, click here for the picture http://www.howardelectronics.com/steinel/i...s/WGF-3002L.jpg

This post has been edited by swiftcurrent: Nov 2 2010, 01:12 PM

[quote=swiftcurrent,Nov 2 2010, 01:01 PM]
The idea is to initially encourage the birds to start nesting. The "fake nests" in any form are to be removed during the first harvesting, some of the remnant of the nests left sticking behind on the beam would help the birds to cling on to make the next nest. If you have observed old bh, the planks and even smooth walls are covered with old nests markings hence no need for any grooves or fake nests.

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Added on November 2, 2010, 1:09 pm

Do you think wire mesh cover the concrete plank will help?

I don't think so. When you harvest the nests, you will pull down the mesh. Rusting issue also.

This post has been edited by aeiou228: Nov 2 2010, 02:31 PM

Download Audacity(free). Use this as a signal generator. Play whatever frequency you want using Audacity into your installed tweeters and you can judge whether your system is playing the wanted frequencies.

Most people past teenage years will not hear frequencies above 15000hz and it gradually gets worse, whereas kids will quite easily hear up to if not above 20000hz.

Will be good if everyone could report their findings. Cannot leave the research to just a few people. Too many just sit back and reap the benefits from other people's work!

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Added on November 2, 2010, 3:22 pmAfter spending some time using Audacity, try your favourite swiftlet caller tracks and investigate the spectrum of the sound. See what frequency your favourite recording is. Report on your findings.

Next project, buy a good microphone and record the sound of your baby swiftlets. Do it when most of the adult birds are out of the house. Then investigate your recorded tracks' spectrum. Report your findings.

Repeat the recordings when all the birds are just returning into the house. Investigate the spectrum of your recordings. Report on your findings.

What can you conclude ?

This post has been edited by tuckfook: Nov 2 2010, 03:22 PM

For most New Biz, the consultants often recommended to spray alittle of water on to the edge of the nest for easy harvesting but when you are experienced guy, you don't use any water on the plank.

Normally a good steel scraper will do the job well but as for me, most of the times, I just use my hand, right hand for the right side and left hand for the left side. This way, I can finish harvesting before I get tired of climbing up and down from the ladder.

Remember, climbing up and down of the ladder really cause the most accident in BH as we tend to lose our footing during the going down the steps....I am still OK but I did damaged 2 ladders because of the wrong footing in the past years in BH operation and maintenance.


For the concrete, you may just place a wooden plank over the beams or you may just leave the concrete as it is and no one tell you that swiftlets don't build nests on concrete material. If so, I can prove them wrong as in my BH, bird do build nests on concrete but because of lower grade due to dirt, I discourage the birds from doing so by placing plank over those place which I can but for so difficult area, I just let them be..........no 5K selling, 3K also do lah as long as the birds are happy and staying in quantity.

If Malaysian are workaholic like the swiftlets, we don't need the Indon here as harvester of oil palm or rubber and such job can fetch a few thousands a month at the present price; much better than white collar job.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Nov 2 2010, 04:02 PM

Have done 1 and already reported in my blog.
Can do 2 and 3 later when we have more babies, now only has eggs and few babies.

Now can only confirm Fullard et al,. 1993 's findings that
"The frequency range of swiftlet echolocating calls is between 1-6 kHz, with most energy focused between 2-5 kHz".

This post has been edited by Tweeter: Nov 2 2010, 03:42 PM

Hi, need to seek opinions from the forum.

Putting humidity control aside, let's say a nesting plank with 5% white mold/fungus infected.
1) Do you think using HEAT GUN at few hundred °C setting blowing the plank repeatedly will kill the spores ?
2) The hot air will surely dry up the moisture on the plank's surface. Do you think it will help to prolong or prevent the regrow of fungus ?

This post has been edited by aeiou228: Nov 2 2010, 03:48 PM

hi aeiou

Apparently heat of above 121C can kill mold & its spores on the plank. So yea, a heat gun can do the trick but if the planks are moist enough the molds can grow again because the spores are always in the air and there is nothing you can do about that. So after you have blasted the planks you must make sure the planks are dry enough.

This post has been edited by swiftcurrent: Nov 2 2010, 10:13 PM

Hi Jackie Chow,

Since the temp and humidity that suit birds are also optimal conditions for mold too, how can we prevent mold from our plank , specially during this monsoon season?

Tweeter,

Appreciate your explanation. Low cost speakers + high quality is very difficult to obtain. But using coil tweeters put too much load on the amplifiers. Just my 2 sen.

Thank you for the answer.

The ultimate prevention at source is to install KILN DRIED planks. Just slightly more expensive but worth every dollar of it. If you haven't install the planks yet, you can still send the planks to KD plant (if available in your area) to dry planks in kiln chamber within a day or two.

Unless using a dehumidifier in the BH, no way we can prevent the hi rH during monsoon season. But If we can kill the fungus spores and dry up the planks by using heat gun, then the molds recurrence can be minimized. At least during the monsoon season.

Some heat guns can go as high as 1000C !!


This post has been edited by aeiou228: Nov 3 2010, 01:20 AM

hi all sifu-sifu sekalian,

Had been pondering on the LAL part. I'm sure there are some smart people had thought of what type of safety design n measures to be included when we do a LAL.

Can share some of LAL concepts?

Basically what I can think of is to have a 2feet bricks away from the LAL enacted. Wonder if that helps.

Sometimes in the pursuit of money we neglected the safety measures needed to preserve our life.

From James Blog.

http://swiftletfarmer.blogspot.com/

Is Smell Important? Obviously Yes!

This Article may open up those Jokers’ Brain dead minds (so called SIFUS) who tried to spoil the Love Potion image in the market. This was done particularly to hijack out of jealousy and envy.

If my memory served me well, it was about 2 or 3 years back When Love Potion formulation was discovered by me. Some of them asked me for the formula of Love Potion but I refused to give it them. Here sparked the anger.

One particular Joker from K.T now supplying some self made hygrostat,( perhaps already out of business now) condemned Love Potion argued that smell doesn’t play important role in birds’ behavior. Many newbie called him SIfu I guess that was self claimed. He owned a failed farm but trying to teach others how to build successful farm and advise others what to use and what not to be used in farm.

Imagine if you are unlucky to have associated with such person then that is the end of your farm. There is so much yet to be known by many but we have been practicing it. Since Swiftlets like and enjoying playing in rain I bet they produce lots of oil in their feathers for water proofing compared with other birds and this oil significantly plays a part in social behavior.

Therefore when Love potion is applied in farm Swiftlets would swap in to the source of aroma. The below article may open up your mind regarding scent in birds.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Please judge for yourself this so-called sifu James comments in his blog about someone he doesn't even know about. Why he has to stoop so low, only he knows? It was a healthy debate in Dr Chris's forum.

James, cheer up and keep selling Love Portion and make your $$. No need to harbour so much anger and stop making false accusations. Why hit someone below the belt after so many years?

Dr Chris knows if that person you refer to has a very successful BH that would be the envy of many! The hygrostat is also selling well. Also he never claim to be sifu and nobody calls him sifu.

I really do not understand why you have to write such a post in your blog. Had a drink too many? Anyway have a good day.

Does your blog allow people to post comments like Harry's blog?

This post has been edited by coolandy: Nov 3 2010, 01:31 AM