Owls are the most difficult problem other the the human ones .Light at the entrance don't work all the time cos some owls are used to the light and will fly in. even using bars to prevent them from entering doesn't work as owls can still crawl in. Spikes don't work too and all from my experiance with OWL.

I am trying to solve mine and even having trapped many, there are more coming and only last week, 2 more and I gave up trying to solve it at agriland. Weather and climate have cost decline in the number of new nests and human factors are the other problems causing the shortage of nests and if anyone can give assurance to the increament of nests within a time frame, I can give him double  his fee or nothing if it didn't work or pay by the number of new nests at Rm50/nest

Just to share.
Formally only Chinese buyers but now, there are afew Malays Buyers and they are offering quite reasonable price. Afew weeks ago, I sold some to one Malay buyer at RM2400/kg and they aren't fuzzy or selective unlike some Chinaman Buyers who would take away some very dirty one or too small ones.

Hope that you would sell to anyone buying at the best price and not to only one buyer cos in most such cases, he would never offer you the best price as he know that you sure sell to him. be smart and check out with other buyers in the market and you may find that all this while, you have been cheated..like one Chinese Buyer offered me only Rm1800/kg for the same nests that I sold to the Malay Buyer for Rm2400/Kg. I just asked for Rm2K and still he refused by complaining that my nests are not white and feathered. Luckily for me that he didn't accept Rm2K proposal otherwise I would be losing RM4K for the 10KGs nests.

I reveal some pricing here as of 22/11/2015.
AB 3000-3300
Round corner 2700-2900
Triangle 2000-2200

Qingmao got special pricing but strict grading. Big white qingmao is about 3600-3800..Normal agent will buy from farmer as AB...wont filter qingmao.

felt sorry that I sold my nest earlier as just few days ago, friend sold AB at RM3400, anyway, easy come easy go as these are GOD's gift to us , the Good Souls. Hopefully, that the nests will sell well this coming CNY and we shall have even better price in 2016.

Nests are getting lesser these days inrespective of which countries but obviously, there surely be some buyers boosting that there are tons and tons of nests in Indo waiting for buyers trying to get you scared and sell low...my advice is to have it your way and sell what you want for your nests as these are God's gift to you.

For Owls I have tried before,
- Spotlights at entrance
- Bars spaced around 5inches apart at entrance hole
- Metal spikes

They all FAILED. However over last 12 months I have caught over 10 owls total in my BHs. Very headache, sometimes it is a like a whole damn family come, 3 owls living in the BH basically each taking up 1 storey.

The only fool proof method I have now is setting trap inside the BH itself, the problem with trap is you can only you hope catch it soon enough before all your swiftlets are eaten by em owls. 1 of my BH suffered serious decline in nests because the family of 3 owls basically devoured all the swiftlets. 

As from a friends. 4 inch interval of wire at the entrance. Not steel bar. (Because the owl can crawl on the steel bar). This only apply for new comers. For those  had experience  in your bird house. Have to kau tim first

Transformer for  Owls.. go to KHIND electrical goods suppliers. Ask for High Tension transformer for Fly Killer/ Zapper.about RM80 each.. This gives about 4000V ac. enough to kill cicaks and burn the feet of owls.

Just place 3mm stainless steel metal rods about 25mm apart parallel. This should be the width of the in/out hole on the bottom side. Use ceramic or nylon to keep these rods apart and off the bottom of the hole. Connect each rod to each terminal of the transformer output. Connect the transformer to the mains via timer switch. Turn on between 7pm to 7am. 

You can also make a stand inside the BH with the parallel rods separated by PVC pipe. Do not use wood as it will burn. The owl will get hot feet when it lands.

Owls always like to stand on something when they enter a BH.

Beware, the small type owl usually stands on a nearby tree and attacks the swiftlets when they are returning at night. It's quite a spectacle watching them catch fast incoming swiftlets. I resort to shooting these owls.

These past 3 months has seen a decline in birds in the sky as well as fewer nests and almost no eggs with lots of half built nests. Anybody speculate why? Production is down by 40% with many small nests, Many nest have remained empty for the past month.

how much does a kilo of raw bird nest can get me these days? thanks

Slight increase for all grade. But if u have big white nest, then 3k above. Like this

Humidity is everything. When u harvest, soft or crisp?

Wrong liao like that. You need buy humidifier, for starter can get the Taiwan brand one. Forgot the price. RM3xx-rm4xx i think. The bird poop supposed to look wet wet. If humidity high, your harvest can increase 15-20%. Say your nest 140 piece =1kg. Maybe that 140pieces now become 1.1kg-1.2kg.

But becareful also. Too high humidity will cause the nest leg look yellowish, that is the sign of too high humidity. Fungus also a problem.

Got few local buyers. All looking for pure white nests. Slight yellow hairy got rejected. 

Come on, Chinese medicine shop how many selling white nest? Most yellow nest claim to be from the man made 'cave' wor 

The way the industry going:-

1. more BHs close shop
2. more young birds dying before even hatching
3. more nest kena whitening
4. more kissing goodbye to hard earning $$   

Most nests even pure white after keeping for a while turn yellowish if keep inside box.

How do you keep it pure white?

Inside freezer or keep it outside/airy place?

Do not keep inside box. At least let it open. Depend on your nest thickness. If thin, just keep it dry. If thick like sarawak or thailand, then you really have to put in freezer. Not recommended. Better sell it else within 2-3months it will change color due to moisture inside the nest strand.  Your points are correct about the future of this industry is going. Last time depressing price. Now the price is better but nothing to buy/sell. Here is Sarawak mostly drop in population. Consider lucky if can maintain.

Sarikei. You also sarawak?

At last managed to get this swiftlet killer accidentally.

[attachmentid=8247416]
[attachmentid=8247436]

CNY coming soon. So what's the latest price or any buyer in town looking for nests?

Please share for the benefit of all.

NEED ADVICE ON INTERNAL TWEETERS ARRANGEMENT

Dear Swiftlet sifus / enthusiast,

I have been given an opportunity to "take-over" / look after
a BH from my family years ago. unfortunately i have been to busy with work and i didnt
pay much attention to it.

Until recently i have been reading this forum from time to time.
it really triggle my interest and passion !
i have done some changes inside the BH 
and i decided to put some effort into it.

Some partitions have been removed to avoid too many "S flaying path".
that allows me to have an "open" flying space ( 4 square boxes) and a room.

I am having hard time to rearrange the tweeters, i have very little knowledge .
it has only "Vertical" planks, there's no cross / "horizonal planks.
so i place the tweeters ( side and middle) all towards and facing door way?
or some of the side tweeters can be both " left and right"?[COLOR=red]

I have attached 2 design as below. ( GREEN is the partition , GREY is the ceiling beam)
i really need some advice.
Design A : all tweeters facing 1 direction
Design B : tweeters along the wall, facing front n back
( the plan/layout is not to scale)

Thanks bro for advise.

Mind sharing the contact? Many buyers stop taking, some only looking for pure white ..