See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/371915319

A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters of

Poultry Farms to Increase Poultry Production

Chapter · June 2023

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-1916-1_6

CITATIONS READS

0 752

3 authors, including:

Md. Kaimujjaman Md. Mahabub Hossain

Daffodil International University Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University
3 PUBLICATIONS 2 CITATIONS 50 PUBLICATIONS 153 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Md. Mahabub Hossain on 02 August 2023.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

A Smart Automation System
for Controlling Environmental
Parameters of Poultry Farms to Increase
Poultry Production

Md. Kaimujjaman , Md. Mahabub Hossain , and Mst. Afroza Khatun

Abstract Agriculture and poultry must be addressed as the backbone of the

economic growth of any developing country like Bangladesh. Furthermore, agricul-
tural progress and economic prosperity are inextricably linked. Technology advance-
ments and new technical developments have ushered in a new era of real-time animal
health monitoring. This study focuses on a sensor-based solution for minimal-cost,
capital-saving, value-oriented, and productive chicken farm management in order
to increase the value of the broiler farm economy index (BFEI). The goal of this
research was to see if an Intelligent System based on an Embedded Framework
could be utilized to monitor chicken farms and adjust environmental conditions using
smart devices and technology. This study also looked into how different tempera-
tures (ranges from 25 to 33 °C) affected broiler performance efficiency factor (BPEF),
livability, and feed efficiency (FCR). It was discovered that the group reared at higher
temperatures had greater broiler performance efficiency factor, livability, and lower
feed efficiency.

Keywords Intelligent farm · Embedded framework · Broiler farm economy index

(BFEI)

Md. Kaimujjaman · Md. M. Hossain (B)

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science
and Technology University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
e-mail: [email protected]
Mst. A. Khatun
Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology
University, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 79
M. Mahmud et al. (eds.), Proceedings of Trends in Electronics and Health Informatics,
Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems 675,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1916-1_6
80 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

1 Introduction

Chickens are the most popular poultry species farmed in big quantities. To provide
food, including meat and eggs, over 0.05 trillion chickens are produced every year.
Poultry contributes greatly to poverty reduction and improved food security in devel-
oping nations as a source of high-quality protein. For many poor and middle-class
families, chicken products constitute their sole affordable source of animal nutrition.
Under five-year-old who are sick and undernourished, eggs provide a convenient
source of high-quality protein [1]. Chickens are influenced by high ambient temper-
atures in poultry farming, especially when there is high relative humidity and a
sluggish air speed above the birds [2, 3]. Severe heat stress reduces production effi-
ciency and raises flock death rates. It reduces growth rates, egg output, meat quality,
and egg quality, such as smaller eggs and thinner shells, all of which can lower their
commercial value, resulting in considerable yield and economic losses [4]. Climate
anomalies, such as unexpected temperature and humidity increases, have become
more common in recent years. It has harmed not just the proper growth of chickens,
but also the quality of their meat and the size of their eggs [5]. Therefore, the develop-
ment of alternative techniques is getting attention for the remedy of poultry owner’s
anxiety over higher mortality rates in heat stressed conditions in summer season.
Incorporation of intelligent sensor technology in the poultry sheds for continuous
monitoring of temperature and relative humidity and turn-on the automated ventila-
tion system at threshold conditions would be a promising solution for the reduction
of heat stress of the poultry.
In this project study, it has been suggested that an intelligent system can be
designed and implemented that can track and manipulate environmental factors like
temperature and humidity. The sensors carry out the monitoring, and the data is kept
in a digital storage unit. The automated system compares these data against threshold
values suitable for broiler chicks’ growing conditions. The system uses relay switches
that autonomously alter the environment factors if it is unfavorable for the poultry.
The paper is sectioned into different parts as follows: Sect. 1, discusses about the
general ideas and importance of the study. Section 2 describes relevant works and best
environmental factors. The proposed design principles, block diagram of working
process and system working flowcharts are discussed in Sect. 3. Finally, the Sects. 4
and 5 depict the outcomes and conclusive comments on the performance of the
system.
A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters … 81

2 Related Work

2.1 Environmental States in Poultry Farms

Poultry growers from temperate climates countries such as Bangladesh face the
difficulty of high ambient temperatures during summer which has a major impact
on the production performance of commercial poultry. If a balance between body
heat loss and body heat production are not achieved birds are ‘heat stressed’. It is
associated with all types of poultry at all ages. As a result, an intelligent system
can offer an environment that is appropriately regulated and controlled to avoid
limiting bird performance. The most fundamental technique of regulating the poultry
environment, according to Mutai et al. [6], is to maintain optimal temperatures in
these facilities by altering circulation and warming rates. A relative humidity (RH) of
more than 70% is unfavorable and should be avoided by using ventilation in buildings
[7]. RH levels are below 50% because more dust and airborne microorganisms are
produced, but this is not a regular occurrence. High RH paired with high temperatures
might cause discomfort in birds during the summer months [8].
Birds eat more feed to maintain a normal body temperature when exposed to
cooler temperatures. Feed is not turned into the meat when used for heating [9].
When temperatures rise too high, energy is squandered as birds struggle to cool
down. In these circumstances, ascites (a metabolic illness that causes performance
decline) and mortality in broilers will be more common. According to a recent study,
when two separate temperature ranges (26 and 32 °C) were applied to different groups
of broilers during growth, the group exposed to the higher temperature performed
better and used less feed [10].
The conventional systems for controlling chicken farms have a number of draw-
backs, including low energy efficiency and high-power usage. In today’s poultry
farming, smart control technologies like Zigbee, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and the
integration of wireless sensors, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Multiple
Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems have been adopted [11–15].

2.2 Best Selection of Environmental Parameters for Broilers

After surveying different reports on broiler chicken or bird farming, selection of

threshold conditions for poultry farm environment parameters are made below in
Table 1 [16]. It has been seen that during the brooding period of broiler chickens
(age < 7 days) 30–33 °C temperature is required for best production. Due to extreme
temperatures, broilers older than 21 days may experience heat stress. As a result, the
temperature of poultry farm decreases by 2/3 °C every week as the chickens grow
older. If broiler fecal matter is not changed every two weeks, relative humidity (RH)
in the poultry environment might reach 70%, which is not ideal for the best farming.
82 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

Table 1 Parameter selection

Age (Days) Temperature ( °C) Humidity (%)
0–6 30–33 50–60
7–14 28–31 50–65
15–21 26–29 60–75
>21 25–28 65–80

3 System Design and Descriptions

Microcontroller (MC) is the heart of our proposed system as shown in Fig. 1. The MC
collects data from the temperature and humidity sensors (DHT22), stores data through
Micro-SD Card module, analyzes the data and on/off relay switches according to TH
sensor values. The MC also keeps track of time through Real-Time Clock Module
(DS3231) and displays the system actions through Liquid Crystal Display (16*2
LCD) to provide interaction between human and machine world.

3.1 IDE and Microcontroller

IDE Stands for Integrated Development Environment which is a software environ-

ment that provides programming facility to microcontroller boards with C or C++
programming languages. The majority of Internet of Things related works rely on

Fig. 1 Block diagram of proposed system

A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters … 83

microcontroller technology [17, 18]. In this project, we used Arduino Mega devel-
opment board (country origin: China) based on ATmega2560. The features of this
development board are given below:
• ATmega2560-The high Performance, low power AVR® 8-bit microcontroller.
• EEPROM-The ATmega2560 features 4 kb (4096 bytes) of EEPROM, a memory
which is not erased when powered off.
• Digital and Analog Pins-The Mega 2560 has 54 digital pins, whereas 15 supports
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), and 16 analog input pins, the most of any
Arduino board.
• Serial Ports-Connect to several devices through the 4 × hardware serial ports
(UARTs).

3.2 Sensors and Peripherals

The TH is a digital output temperature and relative humidity sensor. It measures

temperature with a thermistor and humidity using a capacitive humidity sensor from
the surrounding air. A total of seven TH sensors are installed in the system. There
might be several ways for storing data but SD cards and micro–SD Cards are one
of the most popular and easiest way to store data. The SD card modules in the data
storage unit allows us to read from and write on to it. The real-time clock keeps track
of current time and date. It is integrated into every electronic device nowadays, which
needs to keep track of time. It contains a lithium battery of 3.3 V. For the first time use
of this module, it requires to set time and date. Once it is set, if the module sustains
from power, it keeps track of time with the help of an onboard battery. A real-time
clock (RTC) module can provide exact time and date to the micro-controllers.

3.3 Hardware and Software Setup

The microcontroller is used to interface all peripheral modules, such as sensor

units, data storage units, and control units. Temperature and relative humidity were
measured using TH sensors in the sensing unit. One TH sensor, 2–3 heat bulbs, and
one exhaust fan were precisely placed in each broiler cell. The data storage device
gathers information from sensors and saves it on a micro-SD card through an SD
card module. Relays, analog switches, heat bulbs, cooling fans, exhaust fans, and,
most significantly, the microcontroller make up the control unit. This completes the
hardware configuration.
84 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

By uploading the software program to MC’s CPU, the software setup is achieved.
The program’s flowchart is depicted in Sect. 5. Following the upload, the micro-
controller collects the values of TH sensors at regular intervals, compares them to
environmental factors that are required based on the age of broilers, and takes action
via relay switches to ensure a healthy atmosphere for the production farm.

3.4 Data Acquisition

Two complete broiler sheds are constructed, one in the summer and the other in the
winter. The size of each shed was 4 × 4 sq.ft. For commercial broiler production,
each shed requires 28–35 days. Cells encased the sensors, which were situated at
chicken level (approximately 0.4–0.6 m above ground level). TH sensors, an analog
temperature meter, and a hygrometer were used to detect temperature and relative
humidity. For all TH sensors, data was collected at 5-min intervals. The average
body weight and amount of feed consumed each week are also included in the data
collection. Data was downloaded from the micro-SD card to the origin program
through a USB connection for analysis.
The flowchart, as shown in Fig. 2, represents the main functionality of the program
in microcontroller. The system reads environment temperature and relative humidity
from TH sensors and stores them into micro-SD card by microcontroller. The system
also checks the threshold values of different parameters and takes action by switching
heat bulbs, cooling and exhaust fans ON/OFF at regular intervals.

4 Result and Discussion

4.1 Proposed Smart System Performance Versus

Conventional System

The conventional system has one TH sensor (DHT_7) while the smart system has
six TH sensors (DHT_1 to DHT_6). The microcontroller logs the temperatures and
humidity at a constant interval of 5-min, and the data is stored on an SD card. Then
data is downloaded into data analysis software to create temperature and humidity
graphs, which are then used to analyze the performance of specified smart system.
The most crucial period for chicken farming is the first week, which lasts up
to 7 days for broiler chicks and this period is often referred to as the brooding
phase. The majority of chicken deaths occur at this stage as a result of unsuitable
conditions. It has been observed from Fig. 3, the controlled shed temperature under
the designed smart system lies between 30 and 33.5 °C whereas the temperature
of the conventionally controlled shed fluctuates between 28.6 and 34.6 °C. From
(Fig. 4) Relative humidity in conventional system fluctuates between 62 and 68%
A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters … 85

Fig. 2 Smart system

working flowchart

and Relative humidity in smart controlled systems (cell 1, 2 and 6) lies between 69
and 83% that is permissible. Although a higher relative humidity is observed from
cells 3, 4 and 5 in smart system. Rising of the RH above 90% at cell no. 4, 5, and 6
is not an indication of humidity rather than an indication of high air pollutants NH3
level [19, 20].
In the 2nd week, at the age of (8–14) days broiler chickens, environmental temper-
ature requires modification. For that reason, upper and lower thresholds of tempera-
ture is decreased by 2 °C. From Fig. 5, it is seen that smart system temperature lies
between 28 °C and 31 °C. On this day environment temperature is maximum which
is near 33 °C at mid of the day. From Fig. 6 RH is between 70–80% in conventional
subsystem and 80–90% in smart subsystem.
In week-3, up to the age of 21 days broiler chickens, conditions for upper and
lower thresholds of temperature are again decreased by 2 °C. From Fig. 7, it is
seen that temperature lies between 27.4 and 28.6 °C on day 9 whereas environment
temperature fluctuates between 29.8 and 34 °C. From Fig. 8 RH is between 63
and 73% in environment and 80–90% in smart subsystem. It has been observed
from all the observation weeks that temperature in cells could be controlled by the
86 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

Fig. 3 Temperatures in
shed’s cells in a day in the
1st Week

Fig. 4 Humidity in shed’s

cells in a day in the 1st Week

proposed smart system whereas the relative humidity could be controlled somewhat
small degree. The significant controlling of the RH controlling can be achieved by
regular changing of fecal matter from broiler sheds every two weeks. Thus, we can
conclude smart system doing its job properly by controlling optimum environmental
parameters for chicken farming.
A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters … 87

Fig. 5 Temperatures in
shed’s cells in a day in the
2nd Week

Fig. 6 Humidity in shed’s

cells in a day in the 2nd
Week

4.2 Measurement of the Performance Efficiency of Broilers

in Both Systems Livability

Livability = (Numbers of broilers sold × 100)/Number of broilers at the beginning

(1)

The average life expectancy of a modern broiler is nearly seven weeks. Chicken
flocks have a mortality rate of nearly 5–6% on average. It can rise to 20% if broilers
are not properly maintained. A higher mortality rate is a major hindrance to commer-
cial broiler chicken expansion. During broiler production in smart and conventional
systems, it has been observed that livability rate is 93.3% in smart system and 83.3%
88 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

Fig. 7 Temperatures in
shed’s cells in a day in the
3rd Week

Fig. 8 Humidity in shed’s

cells in a day in the 3rd Week

in conventional system. Figure 9 indicates that the smart system has a 10% higher
livability rate than conventional system. Alternatively, we can say smart system has
lower mortality rate than the conventional system.
A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters … 89

Fig. 9 Livability versus

mortality pie diagram for
broilers in smart and
conventional systems

Feed Efficiency or Feed Conversion ratio

FCR = Total quantity of feed consumed per broiler (kg)/Mean body weight gain (kg)
(2)

For poultry farming the conventional FCR ranges from 1.7 to 2.0. To investigate how
smart system (SS) affects the FCR, five different types of feed were given to the
broilers namely (Nourish, Sun, A1, Aman and ACI). These feeds were also given to
the broilers that are grown in conventional system (NS). From Fig. 10, FCR values
in smart system (SS) ranges from 1.22 to 1.52 for different feeds whereas FCR
in conventional system (NS) ranges from 1.29 to 1.92, which is an indication of
better FCR in smart system. This can reduce the overall cost of poultry production.
As in poultry feed cost is around 70% from overall cost. Thus, smart system is
becoming more environmentally friendly and sustainable because of the outstanding
feed efficiency capabilities of today’s mercantile broiler chicken traits.

Fig. 10 Feed conversion

ratio bar diagram for broilers
90 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

Fig. 11 Broiler performance

efficiency factor bar diagram
in smart and conventional
systems

Broiler Performance Efficiency Factor

A practical and exhaustive indicator to evaluate the performance of broilers is the
broiler performance efficiency factor (BPEF). It has a direct relationship with the
FCR. The lower the FCR value, the higher the BPEF. The BPEF value should be at
least 100. The BPEF will be better if the value is higher.

BPEF = (Live weight (kg) × 100)/FCR (3)

From Fig. 11. It is evident that broilers maintained in smart system (SS) have a
performance factor of over 130 in all cells, which is above the minimum value of
BPEF. We observe from cell-T4R2 and cell-T5R2 have BPEF value less than 100.
These cells were enclosed in conventional system (NS). Therefore, broilers main-
tained in a conventional system have failed to achieve the desired broiler performance
efficiency factor.
Broiler Farm Economy Index (BFEI)

BFEI = (Average live weight (kg) × livability %)/( FCR × growing period (days))
(4)

A BFEI score of 2.0 or higher suggests superior farm management and optimal
broiler performance, whereas a reading of less than 1.3 denotes inadequate perfor-
mance. From Table 2, the mean broiler farm economy index for smart system is
3.89 and the mean value of BFEI in conventional system is 2.52, which is a clear
indication of better broiler farm management in smart automated system.
A Smart Automation System for Controlling Environmental Parameters … 91

Table 2 Broiler farm economy index calculation

Smart system Conventional system
Shed no BFEI Mean BFEI Shed no BFEI Mean BFEI
T1 R1 4.08 3.89 T1 R2 3.52 2.52
T2 R1 3.52 T2 R2 2.54
T3 R1 3.72 T3 R2 2.50
T4 R1 4.64 T4 R2 2.33
T5 R1 3.50 T5 R2 1.72

5 Conclusions

Temperatures, humidity, light intensities, and ammonia (NH3 ) levels in poultry sheds
have been found to be the most essential elements in poultry production. The goal of
this project is to create a smart system for controlling environmental elements that
affect chicken or broiler farming. The system maintained minimum and maximum
threshold conditions based on the age of broiler chickens in order to offer a favor-
able environment for broiler chickens during their growing period. The temperature
threshold is between 25 and 33 °C, while the relative humidity is between 50 and
85%. Ventilators were activated when the temperature was raised over the maximum
value, and heat bulbs or heaters were activated when the temperature fell below the
minimum value. Similarly, Exhaust fans are turned on and off accordingly to the
RH fluctuation between maximum and minimum levels. The health of the poultry is
very important for keeping a good farm production and minimizing the total power
required by the smart control system in order to reduce the overall production cost
of poultry farms. Poultry farming with modern technologies and embedded systems,
where climate parameters are continuously monitored and controlled by the system,
can provide a lower mortality rate, a lower feed efficiency, a higher efficiency factor,
and a higher farm economy index than traditional poultry farming management.

References

1. Scanes CG (2007) Contribution of poultry to quality of life and economic development in the
developing world. Poult Sci 86(11):2289–2290
2. Emery J (2004) Heat stress in poultry solving the problem. Defra Publications, Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs London, UK (2004)
3. Corkery G, Ward S, Kenny C, Hemmingway P (2013) Monitoring environmental parameters
in poultry production facilities. In: Computer aided process engineering forum. Institute for
Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Austria
4. Rimoldi S, Lasagna E, Sarti FM, Marelli SP, Cozzi MC, Bernardini G, Terova G (2015) Expres-
sion profile of six stress-related genes and productive performances of fast and slow growing
broiler strains reared under heat stress conditions. Meta Gene 6:17–25
5. Oguntunji AO, Alabi OM (2010) Influence of high environmental temperature on egg
production and shell quality: a review. Worlds Poult Sci J 66(4):739–750
 92 Md. Kaimujjaman et al.

6. Mutai EBK, Otieno PO, Gitau AN, Mbuge DO, Mutuli DA (2011) Simulation of the
microclimate in poultry structures in Kenya. Res J Appl Sci Eng Technol 3(7):579–588
7. British Standards Institution (1990) BS 5502: Part 43: Code of practise for design and
construction of poultry buildings, London, UK
8. Meluzzi A, Sirri F (2009) Welfare of broiler chickens. Ital J Anima Sci 8(1):161–173
9. University of Kentucky: factors affecting broiler performance (2010)
10. Fairchild BD (2009) Environmental factors to control when brooding chicks. Technical bulletin
1287, cooperative extension service. University of Georgia, GA
11. Mahale RB, Sonavane SS (2016) Smart poultry farm monitoring using IOT and wireless sensor
networks. Int J Adv Res Comput Sci 7(3)
12. Ahmadi MR, Hussien NA, Smaisim GF, Falai NM (2018) A survey of smart control system
for poultry farm techniques. Int J Distrib Comput High Perform Comput
13. Lahlouh I, Rerhrhaye F, Elakkary A, Sefiani N (2020) Experimental implementation of a new
multi input multi output fuzzy-PID controller in a poultry house system. Heliyon 6(8):e04645
14. Alimuddin KBS, Subrata BS, Sumiati NN (2011) A supervisory control system for temperature
and humidity in a closed house model for broilers. Int J Electr Comput Sci 11:75–82
15. Paputungan V, Faruq A, Puspasari F, Hakim F, Fahrurrozi I, Oktiawati UY, Mutakhiroh I (2020)
Temperature and humidity monitoring system in broiler poultry farm. In: IOP conferences on
series: materials science and engineering, vol 803, p 012010
16. Wariston FP, Fonsecac LS, Fernando BCG, Luciana (2020) Environmental monitoring in
a poultry farm using an instrument developed with the internet of things concept. Comput
Electron Agric 170:105257
17. Kaimujjaman M, Islam MM, Mahmud R, Sultana M, Mahabub M (2020) Digital FM transceiver
design and construction using microcontroller and I 2 C interfacing techniques. Int J Recent
Technol Eng 8(5)
18. Rahman MF, Md Hossain MM (2021) Implementation of robotics to design a sniffer dog for
the application of metal detection. In: Proceedings of international conference on trends in
computational and cognitive engineering. Springer, Singapore
19. Al-Chalabi D (2015) Cooling poultry houses basic principles of humidity and temperature.
University of Baghdad
20. Vaičionis G, Kiškienė A, Ribikauskas V, Skurdenienė I (2005) Environmental problems
in laying hens poultry houses. In: The second international scientific conference “Rural
Development”

View publication stats