A Swiftlet's Breeding Cycle

JinYi Group · Bird's Nest Knowledge Base

The breeding cycle of a swiftlet — from building its nest and laying eggs until the baby swiftlets hatch and are ready to fly — takes about 3 to 4 months. As a result, bird's nest can be harvested up to 4 times a year.

This natural rhythm also defines how a responsible swiftlet house operates: we harvest only after the young have fledged (see the ethical-harvesting principles in JinYi's 12-point methodology), and set harvesting schedules based on colony population and nesting stages — sustaining yield while protecting the colony's health.