The insatiable appetite of Chinese everywhere for bird’s nest has spawned a multi-million ringgit swiftlet farming business in Malaysia. For centuries, chinese has been been eating a special bird nest that is actually made of bird saliva from Aerodramus Fuciphagus species of swiftlet. Recognized for its health and wellness benefits in Chinese medicine, the Chinese has been using it traditionally for generations as a health tonic, by pregnant women, women after giving birth, for digestion and for lung ailments. It is also believed to regenerate the skin and prevent premature aging.Some cosmetic companies in Asia are also using birds nest in their masks to treat the skin. Sheet masks soaked in birds nest when applied to the face will leave the skin glowing, has anti aging benefits, moisturizes and also used for acne treatment. So what exactly is swiftlet farming?
Originally, bird nests are collected from caves but entrepreneurs have found a better way to harvest them more effectively. Swiftlet farmers have converted shop lots into cave-like environment to attract these swiftlets. Bird nests collected in such premises are much cleaner then those from the caves, thus cutting down on cleaning cost. Swiftlet farmers claim that break-even is within two years. Look into this if this is something for you.
