Bird's nest: He's reaping the rewards after trial and error

2010/03/29
NST



FOR swiftlet farmer Abdul Rahman Yaacob, success did not come overnight.


It took him more than three years of extensive research and countless visits to swiftlet farms in and out of the country before he had enough courage to start his own farm in the Tepoh countryside in Terengganu almost two years ago.

The 50-year-old building contractor knew the capital outlay for the project would be sizeable and he also knew he could not expect swift returns from his investment.

The father of three says he has learnt that for every successful swiftlet farmer in the country, at least five have failed to cash in on the lucrative bird's nest industry.

"That is only a 20 per cent chance of success but I had a feeling that many had started the bird hotel business with little knowledge.

"I did not want to be like them," he says, before admitting that he also did not learn enough.


Pix: Swiftlet farmer Abdul Rahman Yaacob (right) has modified his swiftlet hotel in Tepoh, Terengganu, to suit the needs of the birds.

The first year was of constant trial and error as he often had to tinker with the design of his building to meet the needs of the birds.

"I now understand why most people call swiftlet farms bird hotels as just like in the hospitality business, the comfort of the guests is the most important thing.

"The birds prefer the temperature to be between 26oC and 28oC, regardless of day or night, rain or shine. Air-conditioning will not do as the air will not retain the right moisture level," he says.

In the beginning, he used to hide for hours to observe the birds' flying pattern when they entered the building, the length of their stay and the trouble they went through before deciding on a nesting spot.

He says finding the right bird calls was a lengthy process as different sounds would make the birds do different things.

"Once, I was delighted to stumble upon a bird sound on tape which brought about a lot of birds to my place but, for some reason, they just did not want to enter the building.

"After conducting research, I now know what sound to play when I want them to come or when I want them to stay and build their nests," says Rahman, adding that the sound of birds on loudspeakers should not be allowed in residential areas.

His farm is located on an isolated hill.



"Kuala Terengganu has turned into a swiftlet city as hundreds, if not thousands, of bird hotels can be found along Jalan Bandar, Jalan Tok Lam, Jalan Kampung Tiong, Jalan Pejabat and other main streets. Shophouses along those streets have been and are being converted into bird farms and that is not right as the noise alone can drive people crazy. And I am not talking about the bird droppings yet."

So far, he has invested more than RM300,000 in the business.