Patent ID: 7661391

Claim:
A method of cultivating and harvesting edible bird's nests, said method comprising: providing a production facility comprising a man-made cave structure configured to provide a shelter and nesting habitat for breeding swiftlets for their nests in an environment emulative and simulative of natural cave conditions in which cave dwelling swiftlets thrives; said production facility comprising: an enclosure; a plurality of steep vertical walls disposed within the enclosure, said vertical walls having a surface with numerous footholds adapted for alighting by swiftlets, said vertical walls including a plurality of roosting structures dispersed at various heights on wall, said roosting structures adapted to accommodate swiftlets nests; humidifying means operable to maintain the humidity of the enclosure at about 90% humidity; air conditioning means for maintaining the temperature within the enclosure in the range of about 25° C. to 30° C.; means for positioning a harvester to inspect and harvest nests from the roosting structures; stocking the production facility with swiftlets; maintaining the environment within the enclosure at approximately 90% humidity and 25° C. to 30° C.; stocking the facility with live insects appropriate to the swiftlet diet; providing a lifting or hoisting system for positioning harvesters proximate the roosting structures; operating the lifting or hoisting system to position the harvesters proximate the roosting structures and removing any abandoned swiftlet nests.