Development and Construction of Poultry Egg Incubator Temperature and Humidity Controller (Peitch) With SMS Notification

Abstract

Incubation is the process of keeping the fertilized eggs warm in order to allow proper development of the embryo into a chick. It is important to control the same factors of temperature, humidity, ventilation, and egg turning. Unsatisfactory results are mostly produced with the improper control of temperature and/or humidity. Improper control means that the temperature or humidity is too high or too low for a sufficient length of time that it interferes with the normal growth and development of the embryo (Okpagu& Nwosu, 2016). The common problems in incubation is the improper control of temperature that can cause damage to the development of the embryo and decrease poultry’s production. This consumes more labor and time for the owner. Moreover, it is difficult to monitor the incubator using manual monitoring that is very important in incubation. In this study, a poultry egg incubator temperature and humidity controller with SMS notification was designed, constructed and tested to evaluate its performance. The major components of this design are the microcontroller, temperature and humidity sensor and GSM module. In addition to that, a monitoring system has also been developed so that the user can have seamless accesses and easily monitor the egg incubator. Most importantly, its purpose is to create an environment where the egg incubation process occurs in a more orderly and safe manner. The incubating chamber was generally maintained throughout the incubating period at a temperature range of 37 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius and an average relative humidity of 40-50 percent must be maintained for the first 18 days. Then 65-75 percent for the final days before hatching. Therefore, the researcher concluded that the Development and Construction of Poultry Egg Incubator Temperature and Humidity Controller (PEITCH) with SMS Notification was less hassle and easy to monitor the incubator. It also provided the easiest way of controlling and monitoring using desktop application.