Design of a Microcontroller-Based Automated Egg Incubator with Temperature and Humidity Control for Poultry Farmers in Benue State

Poultry production in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, is significantly hindered by poor hatchability rates in manually operated egg incubators, primarily due to inconsistent temperature and humidity maintenance. This project presents the design and construction of a microcontroller-based automated egg incubator capable of precisely regulating temperature and humidity throughout the 21-day broiler hatching cycle. A DHT22 sensor provides simultaneous temperature and humidity readings to an Arduino Uno microcontroller, which activates a 100-watt incandescent bulb heater via a solid-state relay for temperature control and a small ultrasonic humidifier via a relay switch for humidity regulation. A DC motor-driven egg-turning mechanism rotates the egg tray by 45 degrees at programmable intervals to prevent embryo adhesion to the shell membrane. Setpoints were configured at 37.8 degrees Celsius and 55 percent relative humidity for the first 18 days, transitioning to 37.2 degrees Celsius and 75 percent for the final lockdown phase. A controlled hatching trial was conducted using 90 fertilized broiler eggs. The automated incubator achieved a hatchability rate of 84.4 percent compared to 61.7 percent achieved by a conventional manually operated incubator used as a control. An LCD display and buzzer alarm provide real-time monitoring and parameter deviation alerts. The incubator was fabricated using locally sourced materials at a total cost of approximately 32,000 Naira. Keywords: egg incubator, temperature control, humidity regulation, poultry farming, Benue State