study on suitable habitat for swiftlet farming - unimas ir

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STUDY ON SUITABLE HABITAT FOR SWIFTLET FARMING

TEO WEE CHAI

Bachelor of Engineering with Honors (Civil Engineering)

2009

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UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESIS

JUDUL: STUDY ON SUITABLE HABITAT FOR SWIFTLET FARMING

SESI PENGAJIAN :2008/2009

Saya, TEO WEE CHAI (HURUF BESAR)

mengaku membenarkan tesis * ini disimpan di Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:

1. Tesis adalah hakmilik Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

2. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan membuat salinan untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja.

3. Membuat pendigitan untuk membanguankan Pangkalan Data Kandungan Tempatan.

4. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan membuat salinan tesis ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi.

5. ** Sila tandakan (√) di kotak yang berkenaan.

SULIT (Mengandungi maklumat yand berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysia seperti yang termaktub di dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972).

TERHAD (Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan oleh organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan).

TIDAK TERHAD

Disahkan oleh

______________________ ______________________

(TANDATANGAN PENULIS) (TANDATANGAN PENYELIA)

Alamat tetap: No. 180 Lane 6 Dr. Siti Halipah Ibrahim

Star Garden Green Road Nama Penyelia

93150 Kuching

Sarawak

Tarikh: 17 APRIL 2009 Tarikh: __________

CATATAN * Tesis dimaksudkan sebagai tesis bagi Ijazah Doktor Falsafah, Sarjana dan Sarjana Muda ** Jika tesis ini SULIT dan TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa/organisasi berkenaan dengan menyatakan sekali sebab dan tempoh tesis ini perlu dikelaskan sebagai

SULIT dan TERHAD.

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The following Final Year Project Report:

Title : STUDY ON SUITABLE HABITAT FOR SWIFTLET FARMING Name : TEO WEE CHAI

Matric No. : 15835

Has been read and approved by:

___________________________ _________________

DR. SITI HALIPAH IBRAHIM Date

Supervisor

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THE STUDY ON SUITABLE HABITAT FOR SWIFTLET FARMING

TEO WEE CHAI

This project is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Engineering with Honours

(Civil Engineering)

Faculty of Engineering

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK 2008

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“Dedicated to my beloved family...”

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This report could not have been written without Dr. Siti Halipah Ibrahim who served as my final year project supervisor. I would like to take this opportunity to thanks and appreciation Dr. Siti Halipah Ibrahim for patiently guided me through the project process, her ideas, support and motivation. I am greatly indebted to her for her encouragement and incessant help to achieve more than I expected of myself.

My sincere appreciation also goes to our building services lab technicians and members under supervision of Dr. Siti Halipah Ibrahim, Mr. Rozaini Ahmad for his guidance and help when using the apparatus and useful technique during data collection, members Mr. Adam Hussary bin Ahmad, Mr. Mohamad Khairun bin Ishak and Miss Wennie Blantaw anak Enggu.

Thanks to all my dearest classmates and freinds for always be there and support me. Last but not least, my beloved family who always give me encouragement and supporting through my life. Thank you.

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ABSTRACT

Swiftlet farming is a new industry in Sarawak as compared to other long- standing industries such as rubber, palm oil and timber. It is one of the businesses that involved a small capital investment and it can generate enormous returns in future.

Swiftlet farming involves the conversion of human-centric building into structures for swiftlet. The purpose of this conversion is to let Swiftlet for nesting and protect them.

The design and construction of such building will also helps to accommodate swiftlets’

population. Therefore, in order to increase the productivity of bird nest, study of the suitable habitat for swiftlet should be done thoroughly. Environment factors such as temperature, humidity, ventilation and light intensity are the keys for a successful swiftlet farm house. Internal temperature of building should maintain from 26⁰C to 35⁰C, humidity from 80% to 90%, low air velocity and light intensity less than 5 LUX.

Proper ventilation and installation of humidifier could help the building to achieve the

desirable range of environment factors. Location of structure will also be considered

from direct sunlight direction to reduce the internal temperature. Only licensed swiftlet

farming is legal.

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ABSTRAK

Pemeliharaan burung layang-layang adalah satu industri yang baru di Sarawak

jika dibanding dengan bidang-bidang industri yang lain seperti getah, kelapa sawit dan

kayu. Ia adalah satu perniagaan yang hanya memerlukan modal yang kecil and akan

mendapat keuntungan yang lumayan di masa depan. Pemeliharaan burung layang-

layang ini termasuk penukaran bangunan buatan manusia ke banguan pemeliharaan

burang layang-layang. Tujuannya adalah untuk kediaman dan memberi perlindungan

kepada burung layang-layang. Rekabentuk dan perbangunan bangunan tersebut juga

boleh menambahkan populasi burung layang-layang. Oleh sebab demikian,

pengetahuan berkaitan dengan habitat burung layang-layang dijalankan untuk

menambahkan produktiviti sarang burung. Faktor seperti suhu dalaman, kelembapan,

ventilasi dan keterangan cahaya merupakan faktor penting dalam pemeliharaan burung

layang-layang yang berjaya. Suhu dalaman mesti kekal pada lingkungan 26⁰C ke 35⁰C,

kelembapan dari 80% hinnga 90%, kadar kelajuan anjin and rendah dan keterangan

cahaya yang kurang daripada 5 LUX. Ventilasi yang sesuai serta pemasangan mesin

kelembapan boleh tolong mencapai lindungan faktor sekitar yang diharapkan. Arah

struktur yang menhadapi arah cahaya matahari juga perlu dipertimbangkan untuk

mengelakkan suhu dalaman yang tinggi. Pemerliharaan burung layang-layang hanya

disahkan dengan menpunyai lessen tersebut.

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

Table 1.1 Comparison between Swiftlet farming and palm oil

plantation industry 9

Table 3.1 Methodology chart 25

Table 4.1 Channel location 39

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

Figure 1.1 A.Fuciphagus is only available within the circled

countries 2

Figure 1.2 Example of shop lot converted swiftlet farming 4 Figure 1.3 Completed swiftlet house and ready to be operate

(Batu Pahat) 5

Figure 1.4 Another successful shop lot converted bird house

(Mukah) 5

Figure 1.5 Swiftlet building completed on agricultural land 6 Figure 3.1 Photo of selected site 24

Figure 3.2 Globe Thermometer 26

Figure 3.3 ThermoHydrometer 27

Figure 3.4 Anemometer 28

Figure 3.5 Data Logger 29

Figure 3.6 Thermocouple 29

Figure 3.7 Photometer 31

Figure 4.1 Location of Channel from Data Logger 38

Figure 4.2 Graph of CH01 40

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Figure 4.19 Location of globe thermometer 51 Figure 4.20 Graph from globe thermometer 52 Figure 4.21 Location of humidity record 53

Figure 4.22 Graph of humidity 54

Figure 4.23 Location of air velocity check 55 Figure 4.24 Graph of air velocity 56 Figure 4.25 Light intensity during day time 57 Figure 4.26 Light intensity during evening 59

Figure 6.1 Ventilation layout 70

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LIST OF SUBSCRIPTS AND SYMBOL

% percentage

kg kilogram

⁰C Celsius

RM Ringgit Malaysia

⁰F Fahrenheit

CH Channel

LUX SI unit of luminance and luminous emittance

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Swiftlets is a type of birds that similar to swallows, sparrows and house swifts but they are not closely related to each other. Swallows are often found in woody structures, forest and coastal areas. Sparrows are one of the few species of birds that associated with human inhabitants in city or town and they nest in cavities.

Swiftlets are short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground. They are only perching vertically on surfaces or their nesting planks. Currently there are 24 species of swiftlets recorded in the world. The five most common species of swiftlets found in Malaysia and Borneo Island are H.Gigas, C. Esculent (White belly swifts), Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus Balasiensis), A.Fuciphagus and A. Maximu.

(Lim, 2006). Swiftlets are insectivores; hymenopterans and dipterans being the most abundant prey (Lourie and Tompkins, 2000).

Aerodramus Fuciphagus is the Swiftlet species that will build white edible nest. It consists of 90-95% of edible nest and 5-10% of feathers and purities.

Matured birds’ nests will be harvested and sell to the market at handsome price. The

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share flying or nesting space with other species of birds. Hence their chance of contracting the bird flu virus is minimal. Swiftlet are constantly in the air because of their short legs and never perch anyway except their own nesting place. Swiftlet also do not share the same food and water sources with other birds or animals. They drink water droplets in the atmosphere and feed on insects flying mid air.

1.0.1 History of bird nest

In Malaysia, the most famous place of bird’s nest is Niah Cave of Sarawak, the discovery of ancient tools together with ceramic from the Tang and Sung Dynasties in Niah Caves suggested that Chinese merchants during those times may have traveled to East Malaysia for bird’s nest trading. Based on early historical records, the consumption of bird nests can be dated back as far as one hundred and fifty centuries ago during the Tang Dynasty Period (618-907 A.D.). Bird’s nest claimed to be nutrition and good for skin development. The common peoples in China were only made aware of their benefits 400 years ago, during the Ming and Qing Dynasty.

1.0.2 History of Swiftlet farming

In Malaysia, the earlier 1980’s, Swiftlets started to nest in an abandoned wooden homes in coastal areas especially Sitiawan, Pekan and Teluk Intan. It was subsequently found that Swiftlet urbanization is humane and economical and also

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species in the year before swiftlet farming. There are several places such as Bau and the famous Baram where this A.Fuciphagus swiftlet species could be found. It could be for purpose in search of food or better environment, this swiftlet migrate from one place to another and slowly expend the population of A.Fuciphagus after the swiftlet farming.

A.Fuciphagus is a protected wild life by The Wild Life Protection Ordinance, 1998 in Sarawak. Application of license is necessary to own, maintain or operate a wild life farm under prescription of so called the Controller. Shop lot converted swiftlet farming is restricted by law in Sarawak and the enforcement was started taking action on it since December of 2008. There were only 2 licenses being issued by the government before December of 2008 and until the earlier of 2009, hundreds of license application being submitted and being process by department in charge.

Several departments are involved in licensing applications were Sarawak Forestry Department, Sarawak Land and Survey Department, Environmental Department, Sarawak Economy Development Corporation and the Local Council.

1.0.3 Swiftlet Farming and the economy impact

Swiftlet farming involves the conversion of human-centric building into structures for Swiftlet. The purpose of this conversion is to let Swiftlet nesting in that particular building and protects them. The design and construction of such buildings will also helps to accommodate swiftlets’ populations as well.

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Swiftlet farming is still a new industry in Malaysia as compared to other long-standing industries such as rubber, palm oil and timber. It is one of the businesses that only involved a small capital investment and it can generate enormous returns in future. It is also one of the few rare investments that you can make back your investment within three years.

The projected income generated from sales of bird nests from a standard 20 x 60 feet square shop lot stands at roughly RM10,000-20,000 per month which is also roughly 2-4kg per month. The bird nests are mostly sold to Chinese countries such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. With China fast emerging as one of the global superpowers, there is a constant unmatched demand for the supply of bird nests. This mismatch if further amplified during Chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year when gifts of bird nests are synonymous with wealth and good fortune.

Besides only bird nest could generate extra income, the property or the successful farm house could also result in a handsome price from prospective buyers.

For an example of a four storey shop lot has increased from RM450,000 to RM1,000,000 (appreciation of 122%) in less than 5 years. However, not all investors in Swiftlet farming were successful. The failure rate in Malaysia is at region of 50- 70 percent.

Currently, unprocessed bird nests are sold at Rm3,500-Rm5,500 per kilogram.

After processing, they are mainly exported at RM8, 000-RM12, 000 per kilogram.

Bird nests are the center of a multi-billion dollar industry in Asia. Indonesia alone exports 250-300 tons of nests worth Rm3.8 billion to Hong Kong and China, while

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Malaysia exports only 25 tons of what they consider the best quality on the market.

Malaysians exported a total of 18.6 tons of bird nests, mainly to Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan, valued at RM2.93 million in 1991. Today the trade is valued at RM150 million per year. Below is a roughly comparison between the business Swiftlet farming and palm oil plantation:

Table 1.1: Comparison between Swiftlet farming and palm oil plantation industry

Swiftlet Farming Palm Oil Plantation Area required Roughly 20 feet x 60 feet building 1 acre

Make back investment 3 years 3 years

Mass of harvesting 1 kg 1 ton

Market Price RM4, 500/kg RM700/ton

Investment increment Increasing annually Maintain

The industrial of swiftlet farming also a potential investment compare to others industrials such as palm oil plantation. Bear in mind that successful swiftlet farming only required roughly a shop lot size’s structure, the investment increment is increasing annually and the price is awesome.

However, swiftlet farming operations on shop lot are prohibited in Sarawak.

The Sarawak local authority only allowed swiftlet farming to be operate on agriculture land that is 35km far away from town area for hygienic and sound pollution prevention purpose. According to current media, the Sarawak Forestry