Patent ID: 8210126

Claim:
A method of breeding swiftlets for their edible nests ( 62 ) comprising: housing swiftlets in an artificial cave system ( 100 ) having an enclosed aerial feeding chamber ( 259 ) and cage ( 350 ), the cage comprising a feed dispenser ( 300 ) and water dispenser ( 214 ), the feed dispenser and the water dispenser mounted on a ceiling of the cage; for providing an aerial supply of nutrients to feed and water the swiftlets; producing aerial feed in a breeding apparatus ( 263 ); ( 264 ); ( 265 ), the aerial feed comprising a swarm of live airborne insects ( 297 ) and worms ( 128 ); providing the aerial feed ( 297 ) to feed the swiftlets, the aerial feed dispensed by the feed dispenser; providing aerial water droplets to the swiftlets from the water dispenser by injecting water drawn by a pump ( 357 ) from a pond ( 260 ) into the enclosed aerial feeding chamber; and providing a pneumatic propulsion mechanism to propel the aerial feed through a pipe connected at a first end to the pneumatic propulsion mechanism and at a second end to the feed dispenser, the pneumatic propulsion mechanism comprising an air intake suction port at a first end and a discharge port connected to the pipe connected to the feed dispenser, the air intake suction port draws in the aerial feed from within a container and air flushed from the pneumatic propulsion mechanism propels the aerial feed through the pipe to the feed dispenser and introduces the aerial feed into the aerial feeding chamber.