How to start swiftlet ranching with minimal capital

With a capital of less than RM25,000 you can actually own a swiftlet house. Your cost depending on your budget, locality, size, type of materials use and the swiftlet population. This is to ensure good return on investment and reduce the risk involved in this kind of uncertain business venture.

The failure rate is 70% according to industry experiences, so be prepare to convert this structure or premises into a store, farm house or even for mushroom cultivation if you had failed. Here are some tips;
1. Check the present of swiftlet by playing a good bird call testing equipment. Testing must be conducted between 5 to 7 pm two or three times at the location you intended to use.
2. If more than 6 birds responded you can consider building the small house
3. Building measurement 12 x 24 feet of double storey with 8 feet each storey
4. To cut cost, you may use cement board 4 x 8 and hollow brick for ground floor for good support. You may even construct the upper floor first and leave the ground floor hollow for other agriculture activities such for rearing livestock etc.
5. Use aluminium as roofing to reduce heat and temperature in the room.
6. Red meranti as the blatant to ensure Good quality nest
7. Installed 2 type of bird call
8. Maintain good micro climate at 28 to 30 degree C and humidity of 80 percent
9. Keep out of pest
10. Never disturb the bird once they start patronising the premises

Be patience it may take up to 2 year to achieve a population of around 100 birds depending on locality and swiftlet ( Aerodramus fuciphagus) population.