My BH Temperature and Humidity Chart using Data Logger

I have started record my Temp and Humidity of my BH from 25-Oct to 27-Oct. I configured the data logger such that it can record the data every 1 minute. With this setting, you can actually collect data for 11 days.

From the chart below, the internal temperature is within 28degC to 29degC even though the external temp on Sunday is around 33degC.

The Humidity around 78%. Ideal humidity should be around 88%. I found out that the hygrometer inside the BH around 88% almost all the time. So, there is some reading different between hygrometer and my data logger. Will do the correlation check on my next visit.

I zoom in the chart on Sunday which is the hottest day.

Please email me if you are interested to know more about the data logger.

swiftlet.victor@gmail.com

BH Completed and Start Operating on 25-Oct

My BH completed on 22-Oct-2008. My consultant start to test run the internal and external sound to make sure the sound no problem. They also applied aroma liquid, hormone liquid and bird powder in order to turn the BH into cave enviroment in a shortest time.

I went in to the BH with my consultant on 25-Oct-2008 to install the 4 IR camera as well as understand all the setting in the BH. When we when in at around 2pm, I saw there is 1 bird flying in the BH. Good start, I guess?

I use 3 amplifiers in my BH. The first amplifier is use to play external sound from 7.30m to 8pm. The other 2 amplifiers (stuck-up) are used to play internal sound. Each amplifiers are connected to 100 tweeters and they play 3 hours each in alternate mode.

The tweeters on the planks are used to play internal sound. Tweeters at the wall are used to play external sound to attract birds flying to the end of the BH. Note all the tweeters are facing the extrance hole.

1 humidifier is used internally to control the temperature and humidity. We prefer to use this rather then the mist system as mist system requires more maintenance as sometime the nozzles will get choke.

About 10 fake nests are used to help young birds to make their nest faster. All are placed right at the top of the tweeter as bird like to rest beside the tweeter.

3 Bazooka (long range) tweeters and 1 Hexagon tweeter are installed at the entrance hole. The Bazooka will play external sound and Hexagon tweeter will play playing sound. A humidifier is installed at the pool to operate every alternate hour to let the bird play as well as reduce the heat from external.

Few external tweeters are installed at the along the entrance hole to the nesting area.

Insect Powder has been activated. Hope more birds will visit my BH. Will visit again my BH on 14-Nov-2008.

After 1 week of renovation

I have visited my BH last weekend. 80% completed. Below the BH floor plan.

The actual BH entry hole have been moved to opposite site after observed most of the bird prefer to fly in CCW direction

The pic beside show the open roof entry hole. The roof will be opened once the pool below has been completed.
Bird will fly through this door.

Top ceiling with Styrofoam for insulation. There are a level of sand board and original ceiling board below this foam. In additional, aluminum foil will be used to cover Styrofoam. There is another layer of aluminum bubble foil right below the roof.

2 planks wood used to serve as colony partition
Tweeters have been installed.
Corner block

Humidity and Temperature data logger

Before my shop lot start renovate, I used the humidity & temp data logger to record the temperature and humidity at afternoon.

The logger is small, easy to configure, can collect > 1 month data and easy to download to the PC using USB interface. This data logger is much better than the common temp and humidity recorder which can only record the max and min reading, but do not know what time and trend of the temp and humidity. With this, you can know excatly when the temp or humidity out of control.

Below is the chart on that afternoon before renovation started. The room temp is around 31degC and humidity around 68%. Will collect again after renovation completed

How to choose good Swiftlet Consultant

I think this is one of the biggest headaches for those beginners like me. How to choose good swiftlet consultant .Knowing that the success rate for swiftlet farming is about 20%, so I choose to build my first BH with the help of consultant. Even thought I attended a few seminar and read few books, but there still a lot of details inform are not stated or mentioned in the book or seminar.

I have contacted a few consultant, and I based on the following criteria to access whether they are good or not.

1. Popularity of the consultant - Writer of popular Swiftlet blog; Swiftlet Farming Seminar Organizer
2. Character of the consultant - Willing to share FOC information; Fast response to your questions; Willing to come down to your site to check with min charges
3. Track record and experience - Must be the owner for at least 3 BH; Must be helping > 10 people setup BH; Visit a few of their BH; Visit a few failed BH with them and see how they resolve the problem
4. Cost and items use in the BH renovation - use of insulation material for roof and wall
   use of humidifier with sensor control; use of aroma that can expedite the Bird population
   ability to edit and create own bird sound; reasonable cost. Note this cost vary between 25K to 40K depend what quality of the items used.

I hope my consultant selection criteria do not fail me. Otherwise I will have a lot of hard time do FA job from the CONsultant. Ha...Ha....Good luck to me.