Now it seems that many people are building small Swiftlet farms that measure around 20x50 or 18 x 40ft. Some are of 2 storey and some are of 3 storey.
This is what Mr. T told me when we had dinner yesterday. Mr.T is a contractor from Johor. He had built many successful Swiftlets farms and has used my products. Yesterday he was in town and insisted that I have dinner with him.
“James, are you in town?”
“Yes Mr.T, I am. Why? Can I help you?”
“James, I come all the way here to have dinner with you..ha..ha..”
“That’s good. I glad to hear that. So where is the place that you would like to have dinner?”
“James, same place lah where else?”
He is a hilarious person who likes to joke. He was here to see few Nest processors and the same time pay me a visit.
While we were having dinner he asks my opinion and advises on small sizes swiftlet farms. He said many people have requested him to built Swiftlet farms that are smaller than the ordinary sizes of 20x70 or 20x80sf. The reason being it is cheaper, faster to build and needed fewer materials.
He asks my opinion on this, well as for cost involved he is right but whether a small Swiftlet farm could attract more birds than a bigger Swiftlet farm that is definitely arguable.
To me there is no standardization in Swiftlet farming. All depended on the design of a particular farm. This includes the internal set-up and the materials use.
It doesn’t mean smaller is better than bigger and vice versa. It is how the internal environment being controlled. This is what I’ve explained to Mr.T.
Control of light density is evitable in smaller farms creating brightness problem as the light could reach the very end of the farm.
To avoid this many erected partitions to reduce the brightness thus affecting the flying path of birds. Imagine for a 20x 50-60ft how many partitions could one put inside. Bear in mind the roving and the interholes have taken a sizable area.
Unless one is very skillful and know very well on how birds fly and their limitation then having a small farm shouldn’t be a problem.
This doesn’t mean bigger Swiftlet farms are better. It has it limitation too.
Though cost is one of the criteria in building Swiftlet farm but it is not the absolute decision.
We discussed for more than 4 hours and only left when we were sort of being chased out by the restaurant staff. The staff showed us the bill without requesting.
So it is not a matter of big or small it is how you made them.
Good Swiftlet Farming all! Best is to Share with All.
“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together”.
Eugene Ionesco