Couple of months ago I was engaged to design a 3 storey Swiftlet farm in Sabah. This new Swiftlet farm will be built on a 20 acres land looking over a small valley. The surroundings are low land Padi fields and Oil palm plantations.
Plenty of vegetation here, there will be plenty of insects for the Swiftlets. In order to build a successful Swiftlet farm, firstly, I need to do a land survey to find the best locating to place this 3 storey swiftlet farm on that 20 acres land. This is one of the most important things one needs to do before deciding on the next step.
There are many small size Swiftlet farms around the valley. I prefer to call them Mini Swiftlet Farms. They are located along the road leading to the 20 acres land. The small sizes Swiftlets farm is not new. People have been trying to build small Swiftlet farms since the beginning of Swiftlet farming many decades ago. I still remember some used metal container which I strongly opposed as it is difficult to control the internal environment (eventually failed later). The main objective of the Mini Swiftlet farm was low cost. People wanted it cheap so everyone can build one. Sincerely, I do not oppose the idea of Mini swiftlet farm but I opposed to the way and technique they built it ( the design and the insulation) Bear in mind we are here to build Successful Swiftlets farm not buildings or structures.
Way back in the early 2000 when I was building Swiftlet farm in Sarawak I have seen and visited many of these Mini Swiftlet farms in the rural areas. This was originated from Sarawak. Where they turned their abandoned chickens coops or goat sheds into Switlet farm. This were done by the locals. When they sold all their stocks which subsidized by the government, the empty sheds are turned into Swiftlet farms.
Back then, Swiftlets do not have a choice there were no Swiftlet farms around. At that time even with the poor micro environment they still managed to attracts Swiftlets to stay and build nests. Today it is totally different. There many Swiftlet farms now. Swiftlets could choose, only the best design and good internal environment could attract them to stay.
With the news from those old Mini Swiftlet farms having few kiligram of nests per harvest everybody is going into it. With the current trend many believe that the Mini Swiftlet farm is easier to attract birds and the successful rate is high. This is very misleading. The technique, design and requirements are the same for the big/huge and Mini Swiftlet farm. If you can get the design ( flying path, partitioning, entrance hole size,etc) right and managed to control the micro ( Rh%, temperature, Insulation, evaporation process,etc) then the said Swiftlet farm will be successful. Nine out of ten of the Mini Swiftlet farm have temperature and humidity problems. Nine out ten failed.
In my next article I shall write about the Pros and Cons of the mini Swiftlet farm.
*This Mini Swiftlet farm is consider big in comparison with others. A 4ft roving...it is extremely difficult for birds to negotiate the sharp turn. Small young Swiftlets wouldn't dare to fly in. Has the owner ever considered this when building it?
*A 6ft height farm is not enough to create the force of lift when young Swiftlets drop and fly from the nesting plank. It is hard to control the temperature and the humidity. The internal space is so compact. The heat from the roving could easily reach the nesting area. I wonder, is the nesting area is big enough to accommodate the movement of air since it is so small.
* Light density problem is evidence in all Mini Swiftlet farms. Some farms are merely 16ft long. Due to its length the light from the Entrance hole could reach the back of the farm easily making the whole farm too bright. To solve this problem many resorted to installing partition or hanging partition but, this creates more problem and making it worst as the farm is already to small. Having the additional partition will cramped up the farm. ( I will teach you how to solve this in my seminar)
*The narrow and high Dog kennel design is to prevent light and drought air but, still not good enough.
* A very high Dog kennel . It is to prevent thief. It also making it hard for the birds to fly in.
Good Swiftlet Farming All
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