Make It Your Habits !!!

When you enter any BH there are a few things that you need to be careful about.

First is to ensure that you well protected. Use a proper pair of shoe, a baseball cap and the most important is the facing mask.

The shoe will help you to minimise taking home those germs and bird shits.

The baseball cap will prevent those lice from preying your scalp.

The most important is the mask to prevent breathing those dust, ticks and spores into your lungs.

If you are a young person, you might have those antibodies to fight those alien particles but if you are passed 50 years I think you know that you do not have that special ability that much.

The best is to protect before they do harm on your body internally and externally.

Better to prevent then to find a cure.

Just make sure you have those items ready in your BH changing room.

Make it a habit and I guarantee you that this special habit is for your own good.

What Should be Expected After One Year In Operation !!!

Most people will ask this very delicate questions:

"Pak Harry, what would one aspect to find in his BH after one year of operation? Do you have any guidelines to gauge whether his BH is doing fined or not?"

Or

"Pak Harry, is 30 nests after one year of operation is good enough or bad?"

Usually

"Pak Harry, I have started my BH for the last two years and the nests were only 15. Can you tell me is that good?"

To be very frank with you, these questions are very difficult to answer but if given the right informations I can easily answer whether they are good or bad.

The most important is the location. The second is also location and the third is again location. After that it will be the internal design and micro habitats.

If the BH is in Kuala Krai or Rompin or Pekan, below the flying path and there are a few very successfull BH just a few meters away, I would say that they are not good (all the three questions above).

However if they are in Nilai or Port Klang they looks okay but again ........

For the sake of early identifications whether your new BH is healthy or not just use this prescriptions:

(Note: These are my own guidelines. I am not saying that they are always right. They do varies from location to location .)

1) The first months of operation (once you play your external call music), you must see some bird shits spots on the floors, mainly below those tweeters. Five to ten will be a good signs.

2) On the second month, there are some markings above those tweeters or close to the tweeters where they are roosting. One is fairly good but 5 to 10 is better. The bird shits spots on the floor now should be doubled.

3) By the third month, some of those markings will grow to be a half nest or 3/4 nest. I would say that 2 to 3 will be a very good signs. There will be more new markings. From 5 to ten. The bird shits should show some new spots.

4) After the three months the BHs population might slow down a bit but if you are on the right location you might continue seeing new developments on the nests building, the markings and bird shits on the floor.

5) After 12 months of operation, you need to see at least 10 to 30 full cup nests. The more the better.

In the event that BH do not show any signs on any of the above, I would said something is not right. You need to put more efforts to identify any possible reasons. Check the temperatures regularly plus humidity and also the room's darkness.

Taking care of your BH is something like having a new baby in the house. Just imagine that you have taken home your first toddler from the hospital and you have never look after a baby before?

You need to closely monitor their health carefully. For me I remembered calling my Mom to be around. Yes, she did identified that my toddler have jaundice (lack of red blood cells )

Do not leave to a third party all the way but you need to be prepared to ensure that your BH is healthy with reasonable numbers of nest population built up.

If for some reasons that you have done nearly everything but the results is still stagnant my advise is to call for help. Get the doctor to the house and let him analyse what is wrong with your BH or your toddler.

Do not wait until one year to diagnose. Every three months if you monitor closely, you can gauge if your BH is okay or not okay.

The faster you identify and do the necessary corrections the better it is for you. Remember those birds will still multiply but they are doing it at your expense.

They are just on the other side of your walls. Yes at your neighbor's BH and not yours.

Book: All About How To Make Your Own Fake Nests !!!

This light red colored book is something that you should have in your swiftlet farming books collection.

The book described on how you can make your own fake nests using manila cardboard papers.

Full of pictures and very easy to understand.

The author is Ko Abeng and I understand he will be one of the speaker at Pak Hen's swiftlet seminar in Jakarta held on the 25th of this month.

His idea is that you might want to use these fake nests to:

a) Attract those young birds into the house. They need not built any nests. Just choose one and stay. Maybe they will put some saliva so that they can recognise when they come back home.

b) Replace those made real nests so that they are clean and not contaminated by those baby birds.

Note: Fake nests are fully recommended for new BHs. Main purpose is to attract more birds into the house. They can are being used for at least two cycles you might want to remove them and let the tenant built a fresh one on the same spot.

You can actually recycle this used nests by moving them to any new location in your BH, different floor please, or move to a new BH.

Price is RM 55.

Item is x stock KL. For outstation please include packing and postage cost of Rm 8. Total

Rm63.

You can remit to this account:

CIMB Bank.

14550001819055

Awesome Swiftlet Farming.

Once remitted please email your mailing address.

A New Formula On How To Populate Your BH !!!

So you have tried to populate your BH but their numbers remains the same.

You have put in those aroma and you have got the temperature and humidity range stabilizes. Yet there are no increase in their numbers.

"Harry what else should I do?".

My advise is: Never Give Up So Easily.

Try to implement this crazy idea that I just got to know from a very close friend.

You choose a good day, preferably just after the rain where there are lots of birds in your area.

You get ready with the best bird call sound and do a short test to see their response. If you do not have one get one,The Black Cloud, from Harry.

Select the best sound and hold it until you finish reading this article.

Now you wait until the clock hit 7.00pm (West Malaysia time). ( I assumed that your birds will enter your BH at 7.15pm till 7.35pm)

Once 7.00pm you stop the bird call sound and change the sound to the selected sound that you have tested earlier. Hold on and do not play the sound yet.

Now you enter your birdhouse and open all the lights.

You now try to chase all those birds that were back earlier and inside your BH out. Let them fly outside and do not allow them to enter the BH until around 7.10pm- 7.15pm.

You now play that romantic sound and pull the rest to come to the top of your BH.

Switch of the light and let them enter the BH in a manner where other birds will join the fun.

In this way you are pulling the rest to enter your BH together with those who are your tenant. Swiftlet have a very strong tendency to join the rest in doing things like entering a BH.

In this case those birds that were chased out will be making lots of noise and as such the rest will come to investigate what is happening. But when the time reached 7.30pm they have to come in to roose.

So when the tenant fly in the rest will follow the crowd.

Caution:

1) Do this on the right day of the month. Choose the right weather especially after a heavy rain and there are lots of birds playing in your BH areas.

2) You cannot do this too often. Once in two to three months is okay. If you do this too often all the birds will vacate your BH. Your method back fired.

3) It is better if you could count the numbers of birds before and the same day you apply this technique. See how many new birds enter your BH.

4) If they works,like what my friend said, then it is good for you but if they don't, sorry for asking you to do stupid thing.

5) You never know the outcome unless you conduct a test. Ya ya ya

Best of luck to you and do not blame Harry if it does not work. He have warned you not to do stupid thing like the above.

"Harry you are just too smart or a damb idiot to ask me to do stupid thing like that. However...... I will never say no to your advises. Smart ass !!!"

He he he he

I Will Soon Be WiFied With Acer Aspire !!!

Normally I will write an article for swiftlet farming blogspot at least one a day.

However if I am on the road, I will not, since I do not carry or have any notebook.

Recently I was introduced to this beautiful gadget that is light and wifi-ed.

Hmm..... Getting something that will allow me to blog anywhere when I travel.

Make my booking and looking forward to collect the light weight notebook on this Sunday.

So now I hope I will write more often.

I came to know that there are many blog readers who read before their morning coffee. How contagious I can be.....

Well guys if you wife gives the green light, just keep reading ......

I am very happy that whatever I write makes your mind tick. A very good way to start the day.

Thanks for all the purchases of those items I posted. At least those small profits allow me to buy this small notebook. It cost about Rm1,700.

If you need one just let me know.....

Description:

Smaller than an average diary and weighing less than 1 kilo (models with NAND flash module), the Aspire one puts freedom in the palm of your hands. Freedom to use WiFi, WiMAX and 3G Networks* to explore new ways to connect, communicate and interact with the world you care about. Freedom to go beyond ultra-mobility. Freedom to be yourself anywhere you want to.

How big is perfection? How small is ideal?The Aspire one has an 8.9” CrystalBrite LED backlit LCD with 1024x600 resolution and an integrated CrystalEye™ webcam that offers just the right balance between easy-toread clarity and easy-to-use functionality. You could almost call it the perfect fit.

Power comes in many forms. Often the smallest is the most powerful. The Aspire one comes with the Intel® Atom™ processor, built with the world’s smallest transistors and designed specifically for low power consumption while delivering the power and performance you need for full online freedom.

The Aspire one has one of the most intuitive interfaces out there that takes just seconds to learn, and smart software that keeps you productive, entertained and connected all the time. Why? Because your online world is a very personal place that changes every time you connect but remains familiar because it’s a world you create. One interface, a whole world to discover. Why do it any differently?

Sabah State Goverment Are Ready And Willing To Push Swiftlet Farming As The State New Income !!!

I was on the line with HJ.A of GEM.

He was excited over his latest swiftlet farming activities in both Sabah and Sarawak.

He seem to do a magnificent work in giving free speeches to rural farmers to switch to swiftlet farming via the Government Department heads.

I believed if every state provide the right environment and guide these farmers properly I am sure they will cause any nuisance to the people staying around the BH.

You might want to read all of them by double click on the pictures attached.

Thank You very much HJ.A for being kind enough to email the news from Sabah.

Make Sure To Clean Your BH Floor After Renovation Works !!!

While in BM was invited by another blog reader who claimed that he owned at least 10 BHs.

He is also the President of Lion's Club of Seberang Prai.

Hmm...... now days I am mixing around with the rich and the famous. How lucky I am......

Well since I took the trouble to get hold of him, he took me to have a good look at two of his newly converted shop houses to BH.

Both were not doing well and as usual I came out with a 7 pages recommendations.

One of the unit was very dusty and lots of debris on the floor. The contractor did a very bad job by leaving the house with all these unwanted things.

I pointed to him that it would be advisable to clean the floor to the maximum and remove all those items that can be used as a breeding ground by those cockroaches.

The dust on the floor were very bad. Every time if you walked into a BH with these thick layers of dust you will automatically stir them up. Every movement will cause them to fly up in the air and just imagine what will that happened if you have those precious bird nests on the wooden panels?

The dust will settle down in the nest and will dirty them badly. I guarantee you that your harvested nests will fetch a very low value as compared to a Crystal clear bird nests.

So remember to clean your BH floor to the maximum and if you wish to apply those Bird shits as the aroma, put them in those clean buckets.

You might want to place those rubber pad below the nesting areas to collect the fallen bird shits from your BH. Clean them as and when you visit the BH.

As for my BM 2 1/2 stories high, the floor will be designed with a small angle to allow the owner to wash those bird shits out of the house by water flushing.

So fellows, when your contractor finished his job make sure to check your BH floor before releasing your final payment.

Stay In Puri Hotel, Melaka And Look At Those Swiftlets !!!

While driving to Melaka last two weeks, I called Dr.R of Putra Jaya.

"Doc this is Harry. I am on the way to Melaka. I remembered you mentioned about a hotel with a number of swiftlets staying in one of the hall."

"Yes Harry, the name of the Hotel is Hotel Puri, closed to Jonker's Street."

Well well well. I was very happy that the hotel I was booked in sound the same, Puri Hotel.

The moment I arrived I park my car outside and quickly entered the lobby. Frankly I was not searching for the reception counter but those swiftlets.

At first there was nothing and I felt disappointed. Wait a second why can't I ask the bell boy to direct me to the room where those swiftlets were nesting.

Yes, it was just at the back of the reception counter.

Marvellous, they nest in an open area with so much light day and night.

I begin to wonder those guidelines that said that these swiftlets love dark areas. So how come they built in an open area with lots of light.

Hmm...... I remember what Pak Hen said. In swiftlet farming one plus one is never equal to two.

Enjoy all the pictures I took and if you are in Melaka make sure you stay at this boutique hotel.

"The hotel is a carefully restored Peranakan house which once belonged to the descendants of an eminent philanthropist and rubber plantation owner, Tan Kim Seng. Extending 100 metres long, its distinct characteristics are its beautiful and intricately decorated facade and the impressive length of the house. Retaining its old charm, Hotel Puri Melaka provides modern amenities to its hotel guests."

Activities In BM Birdhouse Construction !!!

The Location Site:

The Backhoe Unit:

The Foot Marking:

Getting Accurate:

Let's Pull Them Down:

One Tree Down:

Now Where To Dig:

The High Wire Precision:

Let's Change The Bucket:

Dig It Baby:

Eight 4.5' X 4.5 ':

The Other Row:

Yes We Are Ready :

Why I Choose a 2 1/2 Stories For A Tested Agricultural Land !!!

I was very honored to be contacted by one of my blog reader who was very keen to own a BH.

He wanted to actually purchase a four stories shophouse and convert to be his dream BH.

He was pretty smart by asking my opinion.

I was contacted by him and wanted me to come over to the shophouse in Seberang Jaya, Penang.

As usual I pack my gadget and move in for the test. There were only 20 birds and I told him no. Not advisable.

"Do you have any other properties such as land of a shophouse?"

He stop for a second and suddently answered me:

"Yes Harry, I do have one land and currently is up for sale. Let us move to that place."

Well that was how the BH is BM started.

I followed his car and we reached this beautiful piece of land just about a few kilos from BM maintown.

The best was that it was sandwiched in between the Mengkuang Lake (a water reservoir) and BM town (Lots of successful BHs).

The moment I stepped out of my car, 5.30pm, I was amazed by the number of birds flying home from the reservoir toward the town. They were all above our head below the target land.

I quip, Mr.K, I don't think you need to run the test.

However since you have never seen a birdcall test before let us have some fun.

Less then 5 seconds, those bird came down swarming above the gadget.

The numbers keep growing until 1000 birds or more circling above the car.

Mr.K and wife was just stunned by the numbers. I told him jokingly, I will slap you if you still think this piece of land is no good for a BH.

Then I did the miracle. I told him that I wanted to bring those birds down to the ground.

I took a piece tree branch and move them up and down.

Those birds responded my coming down to play with the branch movement.

Harry, you are a BOMOH? Just unbelievable and from that day onward he was so positive and addicted to swiftlet farming.

I hope he will maintain those high esteem feeling about swiftlet farming. I told him that he will not go wrong by proceeding with the dream BH especially with such a successful test plus the fact that he has someone to guide.

Well with that he got me the job to built a BH.

Though the test was very good, I told him not to be too carried away. The best is to built a small unit just as a test unit.

I wanted him to save his money but use as little as possible to test my conclusions.

My intention is to turn the land to be the "Birdhouse Central" of BM but we need to prove that the number of birds and the feeding ground are excellent.

His total cost for this first phase is much lower then 250K ringgit.

I believed that he was just lucky to have called me to assist him to conduct those tests and at the same time followed my advise to go for the best best price and design.

Construction of BM Birdhouse Begun !!!

Yesterday took over the possession of the land and the project was activated.

We surveyed the land got those marking done.

Today, got those backhoe tractor into action. Level the ground and pull a few mangostene and durian trees down.

By end of the day those cement footing holes will be ready for tomorrow's steel bars installation. Once completed will bring in ready mixed cement lorry to pour them in the holes. I will take at least 2 days to solidify.

Will move in a few more workers to get ready the base floor and those side pillars.

If everything goes well, no rain of course, will be able to complete within 6 weeks.

Will need another 2 weeks to install those nesting planks, sound system and testing mode.

Total time required is 2 months. Keep you figure crossed.

Not bad for a simple 2 1/2 stories building.

Personal Coaching Of A Cambodian Swiftlet Farmer !!!

I never believed that my blog have been the favourite hit among many newbies.

Yesterday, while on the way to BM, stop by at Sunway Hotel in Seberang Prai, to meet Mr.L.

He is an engineer in profession and currently working with intel at Kulim Technology Park.

He wanted to have those Hygrostat for his BH in Endau, Rompin, Pahang.

What surprised me was when he commented that after reading my swiftlet farming blog spot he have constructed his own BH. No sifu was engaged.

Then come this Mr Nal of Cambodia who book his ticket to KL this 17th and block my time for a 5 days personal training to become a Sifu.

I think he will learn lots of new things and I planned to take him around from KL to Selangor to BM and then to Kelantan. On the way back will stop at Raub, Pahang.

This will me a marathon and I hope along the way will be able to show him how to select the right location.

Also he will have a very good exposure to the new BH that I have begun construction in BM.

In Raub, their is a very strong chance for him to learn about how to turn around a failed BH.

Let see how good he will be after th 5 days crash course, personal touch by Dr. Harry.

If this is successful I will be able to do the same to any blog readers who are serious in choosing swiftlet farming as their business line.

How People Keep Those Direct Sunlight Away !!!

I have seen this simple technique of reducing those direct sunlight onto your external BH walls.

In Sibu and Sungai Besar I do observed that the use of those black plastic mat. I call them Orchid Plantation Roof Netting (OPRN).

They looks okay but if they are not properly secured, the high velocity wind will blow them apart.

As such it is very important to ensure that they are properly secured both top and bottom.

My suggestion is to split them into manageable size and nail them on different part of the wall to cover the whole surface areas.

In this way the high wind effects are minimised. The cost to replace is also much lesser then to replace the whole piece from top to bottom.

However, this should have not been designed for from the design stages. You need to avoid direct sunlight onto those side walls. It would be better to built the BH direct facing the sun where the smaller part of the front or the back walls facing the morning evening sun.

If you have done the mistakes then you have very little choice but to go ahead.

If your internal temperature is still above the prescribed temperature you might need to carry out more works internally. Try using those Styrofoam sandwiched between the wall and cement board. Perhaps you might want to consider adding those air bubble sheet too.

No matter what it takes you need to get the internal temperature within the recommended range.

Note, the recommended range is 26*C to 29*C and not 29*C to 35*C.