Giant Vacuum Cleaner!!!

Hope you enjoy this short video clip.

It's amazing....

Each time I watch it, I am totally speechless...

This BH is like a vacuum cleaner, the "magnetic suction" is unbelievably strong...

Seeing the birds foraging around this BH like crazy makes me crazy too..

Btw I enjoy seeing this video clip, again and again, never feel tired.

Witness for yourself too, hope you will enjoy it too.

*Click full screen to watch for the birds.

Location! Location! Location!

Location may play a fundamental role in determining the bird nest growth rate of a BH.

If we use and repeat the similar design & method for BHs in different locations, it will definitely give us different result.

1 theory can not be practised throughout "1 Malaysia".

If designing a sucessful BH is so simple, we will have a lot of swiftlet farming "photocopy shop" providing/duplicating or churning out replica (like what we have seen in ecopark.)..we do not need to attend seminars, read books and search high & low for expert/sifu any more...

"Turnkey" concept is irrelevant for this industry, it is not meant or suitable or fit for lazy people who want to make money but do not want to go through the hardship.

One successful BH's secret recipe cannot be used 100% to guarantee another's. Everything is dependent on the environment (external & internal) and the circumstances...

Building BH in swiftlet hotspot area tends to have higher successful rate as compared to non-favorable area.

This is due to birds growth rate.

Be that as it may, it does not mean that we will have failed farm in non-hotspot area, is just that it will take longer gestation period for the ranchers to get back their money invested owing to the slower growth rate.

I have seen, many a times, there are more birds "swarming" the BHs located at some special areas and just one KM down the road, there are lesser birds populated the BHs over there. Some sifus try to explain such phenomenon as "due to the location is not in the flying path of the swiftlets".

It is analogical to property investment where the rental yield for houses located in prime area will be higher & growing faster than the slump area and the former will be comparatively much sought after by the buyers. Of course swiftlet hotspots will command higher investment cost. If the rancher does not have deep pocket, he/she will face no choice but downgrade to tolerate and accept areas where property value is lower and in the same time having lesser birds & lower growth rate.

So be wise to choose the location.

Personally, I will choose moderately good location and in the same time build a value-for-money BH, & it ought to be within my means.

But, a BH in the jungle will not be my first choice.

Home swiftlets home, home sweet home!

Enjoy the below short video clip.

Standalone BH in Pantai Cermin, Medan

I think I can't find any other place like this in Malaysia.

The standalone farm here is constructed on an agriculture farmland in the village, but it is surrounded by residential houses.

It is definitely not town BH (shop lot type), nor is it similar to our typical standalone. Our standalone BH mostly located very far away from the residential areas.

I think it should be aptly called village or kampung standalone BH.

The ranchers are brilliant to have built their BHs here, given that :

1) the homing instinct of the swiftlets and 2) technically the birds like to stay close to human community cause they feel safe, protected and not susceptible to the predators. 3) concentrated and abundant food source could be found in this region.

Trip to Medan - searching for my dream BH!

Yesterday I visited a small town, Pantai Cermin, which is located near to the sea and about one and a half hour's journey from Medan.

Words could not describe how excited was I the moment the unique standalone BHs in Kota Pari met my eyes....

While enjoying the breathtaking "kampung" scenery cruising about in the "mobil", my heart is going after the bird-luring sound sent out from the BHs which could be heard clearly about 1 km away.... These BHs are very eye-catching, not in terms of their size, but their design and facade.















Most of the standalone BHs in Pantai Cermin share the followings in common:

1) The entrance holes are 100% dog kennel type. (According to the local ranchers, the OR type also can be found in town BHs in Perbaungan & Simpang Tiga)

2) The entrance holes are not very big, ranging from 2 ft x 1.5 ft to maximum 3 ft x 3 ft.

3) Entrance holes were provided at every directions but all sealed once the best hole is chosen.

4) Have a water pond on the roof top.

5) The ventilation holes were provided only at high level from floor.

6) The buildings were mostly painted in white colour.

Swiftlet hotel, Segamat

This is the highest BH in Malaysia. It is 20 storeys high.

I heard that the highest in Thailand is 18 storeys. Anyone can confirm on this?

The annual premise license fee to be paid by the owner will be

= RM 240 per operation (based on Penang’s rate)

If based on Kelantan’s rate(the highest in Malaysia), it will turn out to be

= RM 1000 + 19 x RM 500

= RM 10,500 per year

I think the owner is a genius because he is bold enough to make this BH into reality.

The BH operation and maintenance will not be the same like our normal low rise BH.

First, how do the owner and his workers get up to the top floors? By lift? I do not think they use lift because i) electric consumption is very high ii) occupational hazard – if they are trapped inside the lifts, they will face problem to get out as nobody knows that they are in the lift except only their families.

So, they will use the fire escape staircase.

I think there are two fire staircases in this building. One staircase is used for the swiftlets to fly from one floor to another (I do not think they will use the lift shaft or hack openings coz this will create hazard of falling from height). The other one is for them to climb and escape in the event of fire and this is a bit risky. Also, they will face problem if need to carry something heavy to the top floors.

What is this?

Any idea what is this?

No price for guessing. Will let you know soon.

Answer is unfolded on 20th March Post.