Abstract:
oultry egg incubation is an essential step in meeting the growing demand for poultry meat.
However, maintaining ideal incubation conditions can be challenging due to variations in
environmental parameters, particularly in small-scale setups that struggle to regulate temperature
effectively. Large-scale operations tend to use air conditioning to maintain consistent hatch rates,
but this approach adds considerable costs.
The aim is to develop an economical and efficient incubator that adapts to variation in ambient
temperature. TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current) along with a temperature sensor outside the
incubator is used to regulate the heat source with variation in ambient temperature. It is designed
with two separate compartments, one for incubating eggs where temperature and humidity are
maintained at 38 ºC and 60% respectively and the other for generating heat and moisture. This
design minimizes hot and cold spots, monitored by deploying temperature sensors in each of the
three layers holding 116 eggs. Two 4" fans are used to distribute heat and moisture generated
through a PTC heater and an ultrasonic humidifier, respectively, while one 4" fan is used to
dissipate heat and maintain optimum levels of CO2 (4000 ppm) inside the incubator. The eggs are
also rotated every 90 mins till the 18th day of incubation at 45 degrees to prevent the embryo from
sticking to its shell and dying. Two incubation trials were conducted, and the hatch results obtained
were 94.9% and 92.6%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of the incubator in achieving
consistent hatch efficiency.
The development of an economical incubator capable of adapting to variations in ambient
temperature using locally sourced materials is crucial for poultry farms. The use of TRIAC,
temperature sensors, and multiple fans ensures uniform heating and moisture distribution, resulting
in consistent hatch efficiency. This study provides a potential solution to the challenges of
maintaining ideal incubation conditions and improving hatch efficiency in poultry farms.
