about swiftlets & bird's nest

1kg bird’s nest limit for tourists

2012-01-17T10:37:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: Tourists to Malaysia are now only allowed to take home a maximum 1kg of bird's nest.

“This is to ensure that no smuggling of this expensive commodity takes place,” Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar.

He also announced that local companies would require three certificates to export edible bird's nest products to China.

The certificates are from the Veterinary Services Department, the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

“After a company receives all three certificates, it will be allowed to use the 1Malaysia Best' logo and can export to China,'' Noh told reporters after launching the first authentic edible bird's nest trade and depository centre by PT Swift Marketing Sdn Bhd in Puchong yesterday.

He said the Government would not be held responsible for products without the “1Malaysia Best” logo.

Noh said previously only a Veterinary Services Department certificate was needed but due to the decline in quality, additional requirements had been added.

He added that only eight companies had acquired the certificates so far.

Noh said the new rules were necessary because of concerns expressed by the Chinese government on excessive nitrite in bird's nests from Malaysia.

“The two governments are discussing to determine the acceptable nitrite content.

“It is impossible to get bird's nest with zero nitrite content but we hope to announce the figure soon,” he said.

Cleaned @ RM650 vs raw @ RM450

2012-01-08T19:57:00.000+08:00

Bird's Nest Talks Begin

2011-12-29T09:03:00.000+08:00

燕屋變地下賭場‧設油棕園內24小時營業

2011-12-27T10:03:00.001+08:00

燕屋變地下賭場‧設油棕園內24小時營業

國內

2011-12-26 17:22

雪蘭莪及霹靂州邊界一些漁村的燕屋，賭博集團改成賭博機中心。（圖：星洲日報）

（雪蘭莪‧八打靈再也26日訊）燕屋不養燕，卻成了賭博中心大本營！

根據《每日大都會》報導，雪州沙白安南地區以及霹靂州丹絨馬林地區一些靠近漁村的甘榜被賭博機中心業者滲透，悄悄將一些設立在油棕園旁的燕屋改造成賭博機中心，吸引許多好賭的漁民以及不良少年入場賭博。

由於這些燕屋設立在油棕園內，四處被油棕樹擋住，因此他們的不法勾當不容易讓執法當局掌握。

據悉，這些全天候24小時營業的賭博機中心除了傳統的跑馬機外，也引進了輪盤遊戲，以吸引更多漁民及居民前來賭博。

有些漁民因為將整個月的薪水全部“貢獻”給這些賭博中心，而必須在捕魚之餘出外打散工或到到油棕園撿棕果去賣。

此外，這些賭博中心也成為不良少年的聚會地點，他們會坐在賭博機的電腦前小賭幾局或在燕屋前玩桌球小賭。

沒燕鳴聲引懷疑警破
3賭博機中心扣6人

改裝成賭博機中心的燕屋，因沒有如一般燕屋般傳出吵雜的燕子鳴叫聲，而引起警方注意！

武吉阿曼反風化、肅賭及私會黨取締組於上週五聯合沙白安南及丹絨馬林警方突擊3間由燕屋改成的賭博機中心，當場充公55台賭博機，並扣押6名看守員調查。

全國反風化、肅賭及私會黨取締組主任拿督阿都加里指出，警方是於下午3時左右兵分三隊突擊上述3間賭博機中心。

他說，被捕的6名看守員全部是二十餘歲的青年，警方現援引1953年賭博法令4B（a）條文調查此案，嫌犯一旦被定罪可被罰款（每台賭博機1萬令吉）或坐牢不超過5年。

（星洲日報）

Breeding nuisance

2011-08-08T09:29:00.001+08:00

read the article here

progressing in swiftlet farming...

2011-06-20T09:37:00.000+08:00

from my experience....

at various points of delving in to swiftlet farming, one's expectations varies....

1. seeking potential sites...
always conducting bird call to assess swiftlet density in a particular area

2. after site has been determined...
talking to contractors, successful swiftlet farmers on the BEST possible design

3. construction stage...
still conducting bird call for reassurances and continually fine-tuning the birdhouse design

4. Birdhouse completed...
trying to purchase meranti planks, installing cctv, humidifiers and speakers

5. one month after sound has been turned on...
seeking for the 1st bird shit spot.

6. two months after sound turned on...
still fine-tuning micro climate
if many bird shit spots present, looking for feather on floor, i.e. signs of mating

7. three months on...
looking for signs of signs of nest formation above bird shit spots.
looking at sky for density of birds

8. six months on...
still seeking out new spots of bird shit.

9. 12 months on...
counting the first harvest with one hand

10. 15 months on...
harvesting and counting number of nests with both hands

11. 18 months on...
birdhouse smells like a birdhouse

12. 24 months...
consideration of constructing a new birdhouse beside!

my tip, enjoy the various points as i did progressing...

thestar: noisy swiftlet farms near homes can face action now

2011-06-17T09:54:00.001+08:00

thestar: noisy and dirty swiftlet farms

2011-05-24T09:24:00.000+08:00

sale of sample birds nest

2011-05-21T09:51:00.000+08:00

recently i have harvested some pretty nice nests.

the reason for these nice nest is the past 2 months of rainy season which have given adequate moisture to the nests.

i would like to offer my blog readers, particularly those who is keen to embark on their birdhouse to feel, smell and visually inspect what a raw birds nest looks like.

pictures above are the same full cup nest with pictures taken from different angle. (9.2 grams)

i will sell the (exact) above nest for RM88.00 to the first person who makes an offer.

pictures above are the same full cup nest with pictures taken from different angle. (8.7 grams)

i will sell the (exact) above nest for RM78.00 to the first person who makes an offer.

please contact me via email at swiftlets@htatt.com to confirm availability.

after which i will give you my maybank account for deposit.

when the money is in, i will send out the nest in a container,

nicely packed to ensure you receive it in good order via courier (malaysia p&p included)

please note that the above nest appears to be more yellow than the real raw birds nest because of iPhone camera. it is almost ivory transparent in colour!

my tip, know your produce to produce better results

TheStar: Suspected Bird nest house in office building

2011-05-20T09:26:00.001+08:00

星洲日報 - 252户饱受干扰

2011-05-11T09:13:00.000+08:00

thestar: State admits Unesco never asked for swiftlet ban in city

2011-05-10T09:52:00.000+08:00

Tuesday May 10, 2011

State admits Unesco never asked for swiftlet ban in city

GEORGE TOWN: Unesco never called for a ban on swiftlet farming in the George Town world heritage site.

The international body also did not impose any regulations on the country after Penang and Malacca were jointly listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said.

“However, swiftlet farming would have a negative impact on the inner city’s outstanding universal value (OUV) which gave rise to the listing — hence the state government’s decision to impose the ban.

“George Town’s OUV is that the city is a thriving port in the Straits of Malacca with multi-cultural heritage and unique shophouse architecture.

Although Unesco never asked for a ban on swiftlet farming, the activity jeopardises the listing because of its negative impact on the OUV,” he said in his winding up speech at the state assembly.

Chow said swiftlet farming had caused the building facade and streetscape to change, residents to move out leaving the buildings empty and was a disturbance to the nearby residents.

“These affect the OUV which is why the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site Special Area Plan does not allow swiftlet farming in the heritage zone.”

Interjecting, Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya (BN-Teluk Bahang) said instead of banning the activity, the state government should formulate creative guidelines to prevent the OUV from being compromised.

“Unesco didn’t ask for a ban so why is there a need for us to do so?

“The birds may not follow if you get the swiftlet home operators to move to another zone. Bird nest farming is a lucrative business so this ban will cause us to lose a lot of money.

“I am sure we can come up with enforceable guidelines so that the swiftlet operators need not move out.

“We can even encourage businesses related to swiftlet farming such as the sale of bird nest products and drinks in the inner city,” he said.

Defending the ban, Chow said the existing 100-odd swiftlet farms in the heritage enclave would otherwise mushroom to 1,000.

The Opposition and backbenchers have called on the state government to identify zones for bird nest farming in the state.

is heritage worth its perceive worth?

malaysian chinese wedding banquets

2011-05-09T16:46:00.001+08:00

in malaysia, it is customary to throw a lavish banquet for friends during auspicious occassions...i.e. weddings, birthdays, full moon parties etc....

and the above is a typical 8 course dinner and serve usually not leaving out the "prized" sharks fin soup...

i am sure many of you have come across the emails depicting the cruelty and the gruesome way sharks are hunted and left to die merely for their fins...and these fins are a delicacy to only the chinese....

i came across the above article and i wondered how many sharks can we save if we swap out sharks fin from the menu for a wedding banquet of 100 tables of 10 pax tables....

to date, i have only attended one wedding banquet where the host (birds nest business too) decided to swap out the sharks fin for a birds nest cocktail. it was nicely presented with caviar and salad...

okay, it does not have to be a starter, it too could be birds nest soup dessert...as we all know the desserts maybe served at 11pm and this your guest may leave too early to enjoy their dessert...not to mention too drunk by dessert time...

anyway, birds nest is not much more expensive than sharks fin but it is a whole lot better for the living environment....i still want to see sharks when i dive!!!

my tip, drive a prius and consume sharks fin....don't contradict yourself!

1st year of operations...

2011-05-06T11:53:00.005+08:00

what should a birdhouse owner expect to see in the 12 months of good operations?

should we put in corner planks? or should we wait till all corners are taken up before putting in corner planks?

one would expect that 85% - 90% of the nest harvested in the first 3 years would be from corner nests...apart from those nests form atop of polystyrene chunks.

so say you have 1000 corners in your birdhouse....would you spend RM2,500.00 to fit it all up?

some sifus may tell you to do it one shot and to leave the birds to rest...i would tell you to save the RM2,500.00 and just have corner nests...

this is because to achieve 1000 nest, you are already very settled, meaning that you are very proud of yourself...and by extension, you would already have alot of 180d nest...

one may not be too concerned with the 90d nest after as nests formed after the 90d spots are taken would would naturally be 180d....

if you still decide to annoy early commers, you can install corner planks and force them to make 135d nests!!

you see the picture above, i only installed the corner plank on one side so that i can install the tweeter...on the otherside however, i did not have a corner plank...

both 135d corners are now home to a pair of swiftlets and when the 3rd pair of swiftlets came along, they either didnt not notice the other corner to build their new home or it has already been taken up...sorry i didnt notice!!

as you know swiftlets too are clickish and then to nest in colonies...hence if this 3rd pair of swiftlets decide that this colony is their friend...they would build a nest closest to them...

my tip, 90d / 135d / 180d nest...all are nest...start-up should not pretend to be choosers

roving room

2011-05-05T11:18:00.000+08:00

the two pictures below is taken from my birdhouse's roving room...

so you may ask what is so special and to look for in the two pictures?

ah....you see swiftlets will mark territory too...like how dogs piss by hydrants and street furnitures...

you can tell by the wall markings that the swiftlets are flying in to the birdhouse and the more dense the markings, the more swiftlets there are in your birdhouse...in theory...

the other picture below shows the floor just before the entrance to the nesting room...

i.e. still the roving room....

another good sign is that feathers are seen not only below the birds nest in the nesting room but also in the roving room...

this clearly indicates that females swiftlets are being chased by male swiftlets in to their nesting room...where love takes place...

of course if you have a multi-storey birdhouse and depending on the design of the entrance to roving room, you may notice different numbers/ types of patches of the above...

my tip, roving room design equally important to nesting room design...

Utusan: Memasang pembesar suara penternakan walit

2011-05-04T17:30:00.000+08:00

Memasang pembesar suara penternakan walit

SIRI Inovasi Bersama Zull kali ini akan menceritakan tentang pembesar suara walit. Pembesar suara ada komponen yang paling penting dalam penternakan burung walit kerana pembesar suara berfungsi untuk mengeluarkan suara walit untuk memikat burung tersebut masuk ke rumah baru.

Pada mulanya Zull Design Autotronic (ZDA) akan berkongsi pengetahuan jenis-jenis pembesar suara.

Pembesar suara mempunyai pelbagai jenis dan ada yang digunakan untuk mengeluarkan bass, suara, kicauan dan lain-lain. Bass biasanya dipanggil wofer dan range yang panjang dipanggil twitter.

Twitter mempunyai dua jenis iaitu jika selombongnya pendek suaranya lebar dan jika selombongnya panjang suaranya jauh.

Dalam penternakan burung walit, kebiasaannya pembesar suara yang digunakan adalah jenis jenis twitter.

Jika kawasan penternakan tersebut mempunyai banyak bangunan, pembesar suara yang digalakkan adalah short range dan jika kawasan penternakan di kawasan lapang seperti sawah padi digalakkan menggunakan pembesar suara jenis long range.

Jika pemilihan pembesar suara kurang tepat maka akan menganggu kedatangan burung ke rumah tersebut.

Harus diingatkan juga dibelakang pembesar suara mempunyai dua terminal iaitu positif (+) dan negatif(-) , maka jangan sekali-kali tersalah pasang ketika pemasangan kerana jika penyambungan tersilap akan menganggu pengeluaran suara burung walit.

Ketika pemasangan pembesar suara tersebut tidak boleh ada penghalang dihadapan dalam jarak 20 kaki kerana ini akan mengakibatkan pantulan (echo). Jika ada pantulan suara ia akan terganggu dan ini boleh mengakibatkan ketidakaslian suara tersebut.

Pada pintu masuk harus dipasang minimum dua buah tweeter dan dimainkan pada awal pagi dan petang bertujuan memandu burung masuk ke dalam bangunan.

Bagi bangunan berukuran 20 X 30 kaki, minimum 10 buah tweeter dipasang pada bahagian siling bangunan secara tersebar bertujuan untuk mengundang burung bersarang dalam bangunan.

Selain itu, satu set pembesar suara yang mengandungi dua unit yang masing-masing berfungsi untuk menarik walit masuk ke dalam rumah baru yang dipasang pada lubang/pintu keluar masuk di tingkat paling atas.

Untuk mendapatkan suara yang terbaik hendaklah miliki DB Meter yang boleh didapati dipasaran dengan harga antara RM400 dan RM500.

DB Meter digunakan untuk mengukur kekuatan suara yang dikeluarkan dari pembesar suara. Selamat mencuba!

Sebarang pertanyaan atau maklumat lanjut boleh email kepada mail@zulldesign.com.my

Pahang guide on Swiftlet industry soon

2011-04-28T09:21:00.000+08:00

a birdhouse in ipoh

2011-04-25T11:10:00.010+08:00

view from the front

view from the side

my tip, rome wasn't built in a day

星洲日报：设燕子生能公园

2011-04-18T08:14:00.001+08:00

cloud nine

2011-04-14T10:27:00.000+08:00

my tip, action speaks louder than words

(BENTONG) Pengusaha Burung Walit dikompaun RM500

2011-04-13T15:27:00.002+08:00

(BENTONG) Pengusaha Burung Walit dikompaun RM500

Posted by azriraub on March 14, 2011

BENTONG - Seorang pengusaha burung walit dikompaun RM500, gara-gara premis perniagaan yang dijadikan rumah burung walit menjadi tempat pembiakan nyamuk Aedes.

Melalui pemeriksaan yang jalankan pihak berkenaan, premis terbabit didapati mempunyai jentik-jentik.

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bilut, Datuk Hoh Khai Mun berkata, setakat ini, kakitangan Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah sudah menjalankan pemeriksaan ke atas 20 premis perniagaan yang beroperasi menjalankan perusahaan burung walit.

Menurutnya, sejak Taman Desa Damai dan Taman Desa Ria, dekat sini, diisytiharkan sebagai kawasan denggi, pelbagai usaha dijalankan termasuk memeriksa rumah kediaman dan premis perniagaan.

“Kerjasama daripada pengusaha walit di kawasan ini sangat diharapkan kerana sekiranya mereka berdegil dan tidak mengamalkan kebersihan akan memberi impak kepada penduduk setempat.

“Pemantauan, pemeriksaan dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang akan terus dijalankan bagi memastikan masalah denggi di kawasan ini dapat terus ditangani dengan baik,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas Majlis Gotong-royong Kejiranan anjuran Combi, Taman Desa Damai Utara dan Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah di Taman Desa Damai, dekat sini.

Khai Mun berkata, kebiasaannya pengusaha menggunakan bangunan kedai untuk dijadikan rumah burung walit dan ia pula berhampiran kediaman penduduk.

Justeru katanya, keadaan itu perlu diambil perhatian serius supaya tidak wujud masalah denggi di kawasan berkenaan.

“Pengusaha walit sepatutnya memastikan setiap takungan air diisi dengan ubat jentik-jentik bagi mengelakkan ia jadi tempat pembiakan nyamuk,” katanya.

The Star: Swiftlet farm shutdown

2011-04-12T10:36:00.003+08:00

Saturday March 12, 2011

By ANN TAN

anntan@thestar.com.my

THE authorities used a chain- saw to break into an illegal swiftlet nest farming site and a skylift to gain entry into another building suspected to be used for the same purpose.

A 60-member team, comprising Penang Municipal Council (MPPP), police and Penang Veterinary Department personnel, took part in the enforcement exercise yesterday to rid George Town of illegal swiftlet farming premises.

They first went to three adjoining double-storey shophouses on Carnarvon Street at about 10am but found the units unoccupied and ‘To Let’ notices pasted on the doors at the lower level.

Skylift entry: A female MPPP enforcement officer entering the second floor of the shophouses in Carnavon Street.

MPPP personnel then used a skylift to get to the top floor and climbed into the building via a window there after removing its heavily tinted panes.

Shortly after, a worker came to open the door, saying that his boss told him to do so after being notified that there were many enforcement officers there.

Although the MPPP personnel found swiftlet droppings on the floor and a bowl believed to contain unprocessed birds nest, they could not find any nests or swiflets inside the building.

Unprocessed material: A council worker showing a bowl believed to contain birds' nest in a building in Carnarvon Street.

The man, who declined to be named, said his boss stopped the swiftlet nest business three years ago.

“He has renovated the units and is waiting for any interested party to rent the three shophouses,” he said.

His boss, known only as Yeoh, arrived minutes after the enforcement team left and was heard asking his employee why the enforcement personnel had to enter his premises like thieves.

When he saw a photographer taking photos of swiflet droppings inside the building, Yeoh lost his temper and pulled the photographer’s backpack before chasing the newsmen away.

The enforcement team later proceeded to a double-storey shophouse on Lorong Tok Aka where twittering sounds from speakers used to attract the swiftlets could be heard clearly.

Serious about crackdown: Penang Municipal Council enforcement personnel taking down a partition for swiflet breeding at the shophouse on Lorong Tok Aka.

They used a chainsaw to cut open the door lock after several calls went unanswered.

They left a RM250 compound notice on the door after seizing speakers from the unit and taking down partitions used for swiftlet nest farming.

MPPP had divided swiftlet nest farms in the city into four categories and the enforcement action yesterday was the start of the operations against 32 sites which had been illegally converted into such farms.

Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said these farms had been issued with notices to stop operations last year.

“We have earlier acted against 11 new illegal swiftlet farming operators.

“The third category are 50 operators who applied for licences but did not get approval while 28 operators who came under the fourth category have received temporary licences,” he said.

The National Council for Local Government had decided on Sept 2 last year that new swiftlet nest farms would not be allowed at heritage sites in Penang and Malacca while existing ones would have to clear out in three years.

Chow said the state would not wait until the grace period ends before taking action.

Malaysiakini: Georgetown may turn into a ghost city due to swiftlets

2011-04-11T16:13:00.000+08:00

Susan Loone • Apr 11, 11 3:00PM

Swiftlet operators are up in arms against the Penang government for cracking down on their businesses, but the latter denied that it was trying to kill off the farming activity.

State exco member for local government and traffic management Chow Kon Yeow (left) said that the authorities want swiftlet farm investors to continue the lucrative business at appropriate approved zones.

Investors should realise that if Georgetown is taken over by birdhouses, the city would be turned into a ghost town, which would threaten the capital of the state.

“In short, the future of Georgetown is at stake,” said Chow after chairing the Local Government Consultative Forum in Penang today.

“When swiftlets move in, people will move out, taking their trade with them when our forefathers have worked so hard to create this city,” he added.

“Who would allow the future of Georgetown to be compromised?” he asked.

Chow was responding to a group of 50 swiftlet operators who staged a demonstration along Komtar Walk on Friday, protesting the state’s ongoing move to get them out of Georgetown.

They accused the state of trying to kill off the swiftlet industry, lamenting that “Heritage in whatever form are still dead things, only people have lives”.

Pengkalan Kota BN coordinator Lim Poh Chye has questioned why swiftlets were allowed in Sarawak’s Mulu National Park and not Georgetown when both are heritage sites.

One of the operators, Tan Siew Teng, said he believed that the Unesco office could have been “ill-informed” through certain poison-pen letters on the situation here.

Earlier, Chow had said that the state had received a letter from Unesco warning the authorities to buck up on the enforcement of bird’s nest farming in the George Town heritage enclave.

Unesco’s main concern was whether swiftlet farming in the heritage area would affect the character of the pre-war shophouses that formed part of the city’s “outstanding universal value”, he said.

Unesco was concerned that swiftlet breeding would cause residents to move out of the area, thereby negatively impacting the multi-cultural heritage there, he added.

Meanwhile, Chow said by moving into approved zones, swiftlet farm investors would see their investment secured and sustainable in the long term.

He added that the investors should not risk their investment by putting up swiftlet farms in unapproved zones as they would have to face enforcement action for failing to get the required planning and building approval from the local councils.

Revise strategy, swiflet farmers urged

He urged swiftlet farmers to revise their investment strategy in line with the federal government’s decision to stop the activity in the World Heritage Sites of Malacca and Georgetown.

He added that swiftlet investors ahould adopt the National Guideline for Swiftlet Farming.

“By lobbying intensively against the decision to stop swiftlet farming in the Georgetown World Heritage Site, investors are expecting the wider interest of the state and people to be sacrificed so that their narrow interest can be protected,” he said.

“By asserting that heritage in whatever forms are still lifeless dead things, their lack of understanding and appreciation of Georgetown has been exposed,” he added.

On a related matter, Chow responded to Lim, a local MCA leader, by saying that his assertion was made due to sheer arrogance when he compared Mulu caves to Georgetown.

Chow said Mulu Park was a natural heritage while Georgetown is a living one, and swiftlets belong to the realm of nature.

“Just because swiftlet activities are found in Mulu, a natural heritage site, it does not mean it should be allowed in the living site of Georgetown,” Chow quipped.

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Swiftlet Farming 101

2011-04-10T19:14:00.000+08:00

Swiftlet Farming 101 by Harry Kok on MagSeven, NTV7 aired 10/04/2011 @ 3.30pm

my tip, the entusiast turn consultant...when enjoyable turns profitable...

CCTV in your birdhouse.

2011-04-08T11:23:00.000+08:00

image showing a mature swiftlet returning home

image showing a baby swiftlet returning home

i have come across swiftlet farmers who question the purpose of a cctv and the mere novelty at the early stages.

i must confess that after one year i am still not bored of occasionally watching the swiftlets from my cctvs.

the function of cctv:

1. to be omnipresent

2. to receive updates that the birdhouse operations is running smoothly

3. to know if it is raining or a warm hot day

4. to know any predators are visiting birdhouse apart from swiftlets

5. to see if there are humans present and if so what are their intents and purposes.

6. to know that there is no power failure, etc.

7. if any, to provide pictorial evidence to police in the event of a break in.

not the functions of cctv:

1. not to scare away predators and from coming near

2. not to protect birdhouse from human intrusion

3. not to give 100% peace of mind that all is good.

4. not to attract swiftlets.

5. not to display tech savyness of birdhouse owner

the reasons i enjoy watching the cctv is that it can show me at certain times of the day the number of swiftlets flying above my birdhouse.

the internal cctv also shows birds in the roving room....images of small swiftlets is a welcome sight...this means that my birdhouse has not failed to attract young swiftlets to reside within...and or that my birdhouse is still producing swiftlets and that their parents are able to raise young swiftlets in my birdhouse.

signs of bigger swiftlets shows that the birdhouse is their permanent home and depending on the times of the day, they could be out and about roaming the skies for food to feed their young...

my tip, all forms of technology should be embraced!