Why there are so many failed Swiftlet farms (85% failed)? Partly because the Bh’s owners think that they know all.From fresh with very basic information, with just few months of experience and had never seen other Bh except 1 or 2 Bhs that belong to their friends or relatives. After that they start to think they know all and their ideas are the ultimate solution to all problems and it is 100% workable.
In other words they could build a successful farm anywhere immaterial of the environment, skill, knowledge, etc and expected that they would be laughing to the bank in a year time.
Is that realistic or just a dream? To those who had been long enough in this industry, skillful and had experiences wouldn’t call it a dream, they call it Day Dreaming.
Confident is good but in many cases they are over confident with no direction. When one is over confident whatever ideas that come into their minds they consider it workable.
They would apply all sorts of things they have heard from friends, forum, etc into their Bhs without finding whether it would work or it would harm their farms. I can’t blame them they have no previous data or experience to compare with. All they knew is what they think is right. Later to find out what THEY KNEW IS NOT RIGHT by this time it is already too late and often damages have been done.
They would try all sort of things in their Bhs (the Ideas they consider workable) “without realizing that they are turning their Swiftlet Farms in a Guinea Pig research center.
Their own belief and confident are playing tricks on them.
One of the cases I encountered lately was a Bh that has a good start. It has few nests in 2 months after operation with plenty of birds dropping spots. It beats all the Bhs which started at the same time around that area.
It was not located in a prime area but with such results and based on the dropping spots it would hit at least 50 nests or more in the first year. Though this figure is not impressive but for such located what more could we ask for?
They were many spots of birds’ shits and it increases every month. It shows good sign. The owner is exited he can’t wait to see his bh. If he could he wants to see it every day. I guess he had many ideas he thinks that would work and wanted to apply them in his bh without knowing that he is turning his investment into a Guinea Pig Research Center. It is painful to see such good Bh been abused by the owner without himself realizing it.
I have been with him during the construction of his farm which takes few months. I know how well he knows about Swiftlet farming. In term of knowledge in Swiftlet farming from the scale of 10, I would give him 0.1. Sometimes it hurts to know the truth and this is how a person would learn. If we didn't know our weakness then how could we learn? But for him he thinks he is at the 10 of the scale.
He has been pestering me to visit his Bh. He would enthusiastically ask what my plan is. What I am going to do? What I intended to do? And so on. I told him I can’t intend and I don’t presume. I have to see the internal of the Bh first before I decide what to do. Because the internal of the bh would indicates the next course of action. He often ask me..Who and who did this and who did that…and should he follows them. My reply is always up to you.
He often comes out with ideas which he thinks that it is what the bird wants. There were once he told me, James Birds prefer Plastic fake nests than Styrofoam nest. I asked him how you know that. Have you done a research, or the bird tell you, or you read it somewhere? His reply was, no James it is just what I think.
He used to call me often almost every other week and ask when I could visit his Bh but for the past few months he didn’t call me. Out of curiosity I called him last week after 5 months and discovered he has turned his very potential Bh into a Guinea Pig Research Centre.
After 2 months of operation with good result he went into the Bh and restore everything from sound system to
Humidifier based on what he thinks “the birds want”.
Hi Mr.K, how have you been? Haven’t heard from you for a while. How is your Bh?
James, not good no improvement after that good 2 months period.
Mr.K , that can’t be. Your Bh should have at least 30 nests or more by now. There are many spots of droppings. There are from young birds. How could there be no increase in nests. There might be something wrong somewhere.
James, I think the Humidifier is too loud. I think the tweeters and the Hexagonal position is not right. I think the birds don’t like Styrofoam fake nest they prefer Plastic Fake nests.
And the “I think this, I think that” goes on and on…….
Mr.K how do you know the Humidifier is loud and the Birds don’t like it? Could it be the Motor inside damaged?
Oh James, I could hear them from down stair in the control room.
With such reply I scratched my head and wonder how he could hear the Humidifier sound from the control room. Then I realized there must be something fishy. If he could hear the Humidifier in the control room then it means the Internals sound is not loud enough or there is no internal sound at all.
By knowing his character I realized that he must have done something to his Bh. I prompted him, what did you do to your Bh Mr.K? I discovered he had tried his ideas in his Bh.
He reduced the volume of the internal sound because he heard that successful Bhs switched off their Internal sounds when they reach certain Kg of nests. That is for Bhs that have huge population not for new Bhs. DUDE!
After reducing the internal sound volume he realised that he could hear the sound of the Humidifier because of this he then switched off the Humidifiers. After switching off the Humidifier he realised not many birds are flying in and so on. He discovered one link to another eventually he almost shut down everything in the Bh.
He tuned the sound system which I had set at the beginning and so on if you can imagine. He wanted to reduce the height of the Hexagonal based on what he thinks is right. He explained, it is because the way the birds fly into his farm but it was totally wrong interpretation. He can’t even distinguish the flying pattern between Apus-apus and A.Fuciphangus then how could he interpret their flying behaviors. He wanted to do many things that I can’t imagine that could harm the Bh.
He went into his Bh almost every week to try out his so call workable Ideas.
He really trashed his own Bh. It is very sad to see how a good Bh been abused. I have yet to visit his Bh but I anticipated there are more things to be discovered. I think I won’t be able to find out more as I don’t intend to visit this Bh again.
I told him there are many Bhs out there that hardly could achieve 10 nests in 3 months. You have it and you chased them away.
I hope those who read this would think twice whenever they think their ideas are workable.
Good Swiftlet farming All.
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