选择燕屋洞口位置的重要性 Importance of locating the entrance hole

于巴生一间属于我朋友的同学的燕屋，四层高，位于位于巴生养燕热区。燕主是在参考了几本养燕书后自己设计他的燕屋，他在三年前开始启动他的燕屋，一年后还没有看到第一个窝，他就找了一个当地有名的顾问，那个顾问帮他安装二十个假燕窝，然后收了他五千元。又经过一年也没有任何进展，他就完全放弃了，因为他已经尝尽了一切他可以做的，他把声音关掉让它搁置在那里。直到他几个月前他和我的朋友见面提起，然后我的朋友邀请我去看看他燕屋的问题。

我一踏进他的燕屋第一件事我就去漫游室看看，墙壁只有很少鸟粪痕迹，这意味着燕子不爱进来，我能看到他的洞口对面建筑物的墙壁，我立即找到了问题的所在。他的后墙的洞口，但后墙隔一条狭窄的小巷有一排也是四层的建筑屋，洞口的飞行路径受阻。我问他为什么选择了在那里做入口，他回答说，他利用现有的窗口，以尽量减少敲洞。

切记，燕屋设计是根据燕子的习性，并不要为了我们自己的方便。之后我劝他把洞口和漫游室改到另一道侧墙，那边没有障碍阻挡。

This BH located in Klang belongs to my friend’s schoolmate, a four storey building located at hot swiftlet farming area in Klang. The owner designed this BH himself after reading few swiftlet farming books, he started his BH 3 years ago, after 1 year he didn’t get any single nest, and he engaged a local famous consultant to revamp, what that consultant did is installed about 20 fake nests and collected RM5K from him. After another year without any progress, he totally gave up as he already tried everything he could, then he shutdown the sound and let his BH hanging there. Until he met his schoolmate few months ago, I was invited to inspect his sick BH by my friend.

First thing I stepped on his BH I find the roving room and inspect the entrance hole, very little dropping mark on wall of roving room, which means birds were difficult to fly in, I could see the opposite building wall closely from his entrance hole, immediately I found the root cause. He used back window as entrance hole, across the narrow backstreet there is a row of 4 storey building, where the entering flying path was problematic. I asked him why he chose the entrance hole there, and he answered he make use of existing window to minimize wall hacking.

Bear in mind that never make design base on our own convenience but those birds. I advise him to move the entrance hole to the side wall by hacking another one where without obstacle and relocate his roving room as well.

于后墙壁的洞口
Entrance hole on back wall

漫游室墙壁只有很少鸟粪痕迹

very few bird dropping mark on roving wall

燕屋声音远程监控器 Gadget to monitor BH sound remotely

我们都知道对新的燕屋，内外声操作是对吸引新的燕子住下最重要的。我曾在几年前有这样的一个经历。新的燕屋是位于离我三个小时的车程距离的地方，我会做每月的定期检查，第一月的检查已经有大约十堆粪，当做第二检查我会期望看到更多，当我到铁门口时，我没有听到内声发出来，我知道都太迟了。我一进入检查，所有的鸟粪都干涸掉了。原因内声的播放机卡住了。

我浪费了两个月，再从零重新开始，那个时候起，我会用仪器来监视远程燕屋操作，这个简单的小工具是一个可以考虑的选项，叫做GSM声音发射器，成本比不超过150令吉，它需要以使用一张SIM卡，你可以考虑用预付SIM卡,把那监控器放到燕屋里， 当你播电到那张SIM卡号码，你会听到燕屋现场播得声音。当你的燕屋成长到一定阶段，可以把它转移到其他新燕屋或终止它，它对燕屋管理者是很有帮助的。

As we all know for a new BH, sound is extremely important in attracting new young bird to stay. I had got a bad experience on this in years ago. A new setup BH is located outstation with 3 hrs driving distance, I did monthly regular inspection, 1st inspection after one month from launching there were already about 10 bird shit spots and found birds inside when we entered, and 2nd inspection I would expect to see more, when I stepped in front of iron door, I didn’t hear internal sound working, I am sure all tenants already gone then I entered and checked, all those dropping had dried out. The rootcause was the amp player hang up.

I wasted 2 months and restarted from zero, from that time onward, I would use gadget to monitor working of sound remotely, this simple gadget is one of the economical options, called ‘GSM voice transmitter’ which cost not more than RM150, and it needs to work with a SIM card, you may consider a prepaid SIM card at very minor cost. Gadget should be located inside your BH, you can listen to your live sound playing when you dial into that dedicated SIM number. Once your BH populated, it can be moved to other new BH or discontinue it. It could be very helpful for BH caretaker.

视觉记录 Visual Recording

我打理好几间新旧燕屋，一些是自己一些是合伙的，我对管理工作的一部分就是记录数据以监测燕屋的成长健康性。或者是在修改或升级燕屋的情况下，我们怎么知道是否理想？有些人可能会数燕窝数目或鸟粪堆的数目，但对于那些已有不少窝的旧燕屋可能不太实用，因为这很耗时。其中一个方法是记录燕窝收割的重量。此外，我也习惯用照像拍摄来作记录尤其是燕群角落，这可以是一个对燕屋管理很好的记录和日后参考。

I am taking care of quite a few BHs both new and old, some own and some JV, part of management job for me is recording data to monitor the growth. Or in the event of revamping or upgrading of BH, how do we know whether we have done a good job? Some may count the nest numbers or bird dropping spot, but for those old BH with lot of nest might not be practical as it will take long. One of the ways is taking weight of nest harvested. Besides, I am used to practice visual recording such as photo shoot especially on populated corner, which could be a good recording and reference for your management.

保护你的湿度控制器 Protection for Humidity Controller

如果你的燕屋是使用湿度控制器来控制加湿器的，我会建议你加一个Relay或Contactor来保护您的湿度控制器设备，并延长其寿命。

在市场上有几个不同湿度控制器款式，但其中大多数电路装置都是直接连接到您的加湿器。因为控制器本身不能够携带高电流（最大值〜2A）来供应单个或多个加湿器除非是用Relay或Contactor来携带高电流，就算发生断路也将被隔离，不会伤害到你的控制器。

如果你对电路图不太熟悉，你可以把电路图给承包商去做。这将是很小的花费。你可以给我发电子邮件，如果你有疑问或你的加湿系统配置比较复杂。

If you happen to use humidity controller associated with your humidifiers in your bird farm, I would advise to add a Relay or Contactor to protect your device and also prolong its life span.

There are few different models of humidity controller available in the market, but most of them are made in direct circuit connection to your humidifier device. The controller itself is not able to carry high current(max ~2A) consumed by your single or more humidifier motors unless a Relay or Contactor is used to carry higher current, in case of short circuit it will isolate from reaching your controller device.

If you are not familiar with electrical, you may give the circuit drawing to your contractor to do it. a contact Relay will cost you very minor. you can drop me an email if you have doubt or complicated configuration of your humidity system.

狗洞式入口常犯的错误 Common mistake on Dog Kennel Entry

多拜访成功燕农场和失败的燕农场是累积经验的方法之一，我们能够发现理想和不理想燕屋之间的关键区别。有时我们可能因为某种原因而选择狗洞式入口，比如受附近燕屋的影响，或现成建筑物结构的限制，或合法性的考虑等等。我拜访过不少燕农场，我发现了一个狗洞式入口常犯的错误。

One of the ways to gain knowledge and experience in swiftlet farming is to visit lot of successful farms and fail farms, we could realize the key difference between good and bad. Sometime we may need to adopt dog kennel entrance for some reason such as influence of neighboring BH, or existing building structure limitation, or legality consideration etc. From numerous of farm I have visited, I found a common mistake on dog kennel entrance.

狗洞是改装阁楼而成，太窄，洞口太高，飞行路径坡度太大，新鸟很难进入
DK converted from exiting loft, too narrow and hole too high, slope of flying path too much, difficult for young bird to enter

类似的问题，洞底的横板，用以减少阳光进入，但使得飞行路径更差
Similar problem, horizontal plate at bottom of hole to reduce sunlight from coming in but made flying path worse

一个好的狗洞设计摄于一间已有好几千窝的成功农场，看看鸟粪在侧壁留下的迹象。在洞的底部也是一个不错的安全设备。
A good DK design on a successful farm with thousands of nest, look at the sign of bird dropping on side wall. Also a good idea of security device at bottom of hole.

近来完成的狗洞式新燕屋工程。
A recently completed Dog Kennel design BH project

最近完成的燕屋改造工程 Recently Completed Project

我近来的燕屋工程之一，改造3层店屋的第二层，顺利的在两周内完成，选择使用屋顶天井入口，并采用两套内声制造立体声模拟效果。，而且使用4个外声以时间控制来转播。

This is one of my recent projects, converted 2nd floor of 3 storey shoplot, managed to complete in 2 weeks, selected open rooftop entry, and adopting two sets internal sound played by one Amp. for creating stereo effect, played 4 external sounds with scheduled rotating.

屋顶入口 Rooftop Opening

开声 Launching

好燕声

对好燕声的基本标准是清晰度，少噪音，燕声内容，重复性等等.当我的新燕声库达到一定数目，我会先听过，然后根据那些基本标准做预通过选择，之后我通常会再做临床燕声测试以进行验证其效果和燕声等级分类。一个好的燕叫声会吸引很多燕子亲吻播燕声的喇叭

有人可能这么认为，一个好燕叫声在某些地区表现非常有效，但它其他地区切没有同样的效果，为什么同样的声音可以在不同地区有不同的效果？我们知道，燕子会对新的声音在1〜2周后慢慢减少感兴，当然我有我自己的解决秘方以保持燕声的吸引效果。因此，如果你的燕声在某一地方其他燕屋已被用上一段时期，它通常不能发挥它之前的好效果。其他因素如时间，天气也会影响燕声测试成绩。一般上我在养燕热区选用的燕声，我会先做附近燕屋燕声调查,确定我用的燕声没在附近被其他燕屋使用过，以确保它能发挥最好的效果。

这是临时竖起的测试燕声集燕塔，并不是在燕屋上

Good Sound

Basic criteria for the good sound are clarity, minimum noise, content, repeatability….. when my new sound library reach certain number, I will pre-listen through them and select for good sound base on those criteria, then I would usually perform sound test for validation and classification before launching in BH. A good sound will attract lot of birds to kiss tweeter

Someone may claimed that which good sound worked very well in certain area but it isn’t that effective in other area, why same sound could have different effectiveness in different area? We know that swiftlet will get bored with the new sound after 1~2 weeks, effectiveness will be getting lesser and lesser, I do have my own solution to keep the effectiveness of sound attraction. so if your sound has been used in that area for some time by another BH, and you play it in the same area it probably will not perform with good effectiveness during your sound test. Other factor like timing, and weather will be affecting outcome of your test. If I would want to select sound for new BH in hot swiftlet farming zone, I will do a round of neighbourhood sound survey and ensure that select those good sounds that I selected are not being used by other neighbour BH, it will perform the best in the launching.

黄金地点

我们有些人总是认为，哪一个因素是对于新燕屋成功的最关键？有些人可能会说是声音，设计或燕屋条件，甚至运气，但我个人认为'地点'是其中最关键的因素若所有其余因素都没有太差。有些人甚至把它认为是'风水'。

如果你可以选择你的燕屋所在地点，你可以把它掌控得很好，那你的新燕屋已向成功迈进一大步了，当然这点不是那么简单的。其中包括燕群的分部，飞行路径，食物来源，环境等，若要选择一个新燕屋的黄金位置，不少的资料研究，观察和验证是需要做。

我看过其中少数的例子，燕屋处在非常好的地点，一年后可以很轻易地达到150窝以上即使只是使用一般质量的外声，而且没有任何aroma。

Prime Location

Some of us always argue that which factor is the most critical for the success of new bird house? Some people may say Sound, Design or Micro, even Luck, but I personally consider ‘Location’ is the most critical among all provided the rest of factors are not wrong. Some people may term it as ‘Feng Shui’.


If you are given a choice to choose where your bird house is and you can catch it well, that is not far for your new BH to succeed, of course that is not easy. Location consist of bird population, flying path, source of food, environment etc. In order to choose a golden location, a lot of study, observation and validation need to be done.


I have seen small number of newly setup bird house at very good location, after one year can easily hit more than 150nests even using only normal quality external sound without any aroma aided.