Swiftlets Farming For Production of Edible Bird's Nests

Abstract

An edible bird's nests production facility, for use in creating and harvesting edible bird's nests. A plurality of arrangement of swiftlet's nesting substrates configured to maximize efficiency, productivity and high net worth value of the edible nests products created. The facility includes mechanized equipment and apparatus for harvesting swiftlet's edible nests at great heights; carriage of goods and equipment in swiftlets farming houses; safe and efficient collection of nests.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of cultivating and harvesting edible bird's nests, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing at least one artificial man-made swiftlets habitat in an enclosure ( 17 ) within a housing structure ( 200 );   providing a first production facility within the artificial man-made swiftlets habitat and selected from the group comprising: a swiftlet breeding enclosure ( 17 ); an A-shaped roofing structure ( 400 ) used directly as a roosting substrate; or an A-shaped structural framework ( 400 ) for mounting at least one vertically disposed roosting substrate ( 196 );
 providing a second production facility next to the first production facility; 
 providing a mechanized nest harvesting apparatus ( 440 ); on top of the first production facility for collection of the bird nests; 
 providing an anchoring apparatus within the first production facility ( 450 ) for immobilizing an elevated working platform selected from a group comprising: a nest harvesting apparatus ( 440 ); a platform ( 470 ); a vehicle ( 444 ) or nest plucking apparatus ( 460 ); 
   providing a bird flight passage comprising a stilling well ( 510 ) or chasm ( 432 ) configured to provide a passage to enable birds to enter and exit within the passage while preventing external turbulent air flows from entering enclosure ( 17 );   wherein the first and second production facilities are used in said artificial man-made swiftlets habitat ( 17 ) to produce at least one edible bird's nest ( 62 ).   
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , comprising providing at least one artificial man-made anchoring apparatus for alighting by swiftlets within the production facility. 
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1 , comprising providing at least one artificial man-made clinging apparatus selected from a group comprising of a: indentation ( 59 ); protrusion ( 60 ); claw-line ( 245 ); claw-hole ( 246 ); thorn ( 377 ); saw-tooth grip ( 204 ); short extension ( 360 ). 
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 1 , comprising providing at least one artificial man-made roosting apparatus within the production facility selected from a group comprising:
 a horizontally disposed overhead ceiling ( 194 ) floor ( 195 ) structure ( 192 ); an “A”-shaped roofing structure ( 400 ); a “W”-shaped structure ( 420 ); a horizontally disposed half-tunnel ( 430 ); a round tunnel ( 372 ); or a horizontally disposed half-dome ( 431 );   
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein, said at least one structural framework built inside housing structure ( 200 ) used for mounting said at least one roosting substrate is selected from a group comprising of a: horizontally disposed ceiling ( 194 ) floor ( 195 ) structure ( 192 ); A-shaped roofing structure ( 400 ); W-shaped floor-ceiling structure ( 420 ); half-tunnel structure ( 430 ); half-dome structure ( 431 ); 
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 5 , comprising providing at least one artificial man-made roosting apparatus selected from a group comprising:
 a vertical wall ( 69 ); a nesting board ( 196 ); a V-shaped apparatus ( 196   a ); a V-shaped inverted staircase apparatus ( 196   b ); a cylindrical stalactite ( 375 ); a conical stalactite ( 376 ); a stalagmite ( 15 ); a vertically inclined wall ( 69   e ), ( 69   f ), ( 69   g ); inclined stalagmite ( 15   a ); or an inclined tunnel ( 372   a ).   
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 1  wherein, said at least one artificial man-made swiftlets habitat enclosure ( 17 ) is housed in said at a housing structure selected from the group comprising: a modified abandoned vacant human dwelling ( 11 ); a modified unoccupied multi-storied commercial building ( 14 ); an artificial cave ( 100 ); a cliff ( 356 ); or a multi-storied building. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, providing a utility apparatus for cultivating and harvesting at least one bird nest. 
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 8  wherein the utility apparatus used in cultivating and harvesting at least one edible nest ( 62 ) comprises a nest harvesting pole ( 460 ). 
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 1  wherein, said at least one vertical roosting substrate is accessed by a harvester ( 378 ) using a mobile chair ( 490 ) mounted on a vertically disposed beam ( 480 ) to inspect and harvest at least one edible nest ( 62 ). 
     
     
         11 . A method of  claim 1  wherein the bird flight passage is selected from a group comprising: an internal passage linking the habitat ( 17   a ) with stilling well ( 510 ); or an external passage linking stilling well ( 510 ) with the wild open airspace. 
     
     
         12 . A method of  claim 1  wherein, further including preventing the airflow by an apparatus selected from the group comprising: a stilling well ( 510 ); ( 511 ); ( 511   a ); a chasm ( 432 ); a cave tunnel passage way ( 79 ); ( 79   a ); an access way ( 12 ); ( 12   a ); ( 12   b ); ( 12   c ); ( 12   d ); or wind diversion chute ( 79   x ). 
     
     
         13 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein, said at least one suitably configured enclosure ( 17 ) in structure ( 200 ) provides a nesting habitat to a bird selected from a group comprising the genus:  Aerodramus; Apus; Collocalia.    
     
     
         14 . A method of  claim 13 , wherein, said bird  61  comprises a bird selected from the group of species comprising:  Aerodramus fuciphagus; Aerodramus maximus; Aerodramus germani; Aerodramus unicolor; Collocalia fuciphaga; Collocalia maxima; Collocalia germane; Collocalia unicolor; Collocalia linchi; Collocalia esculenta; Apus pacificus.