Monitoring environmental factors for optimal health and welfare of broiler chickens using sensor technology in Southwest Nigeria

Oseni, Saidu; Bashiru, Hameed; Lawal, Rasheed; Ajayi, Ayobami; Akintaro, Olamide; Munir, Kamran

Abstract

Multiple factors affect the health and welfare of broiler chickens under the deep litter system. These factors include daily variations in temperature, humidity, noxious gases (such as ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and nitrous oxide), particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds. When these factors exceed threshold levels, broiler chickens experience distress, leading to slower growth rates and higher mortality. Digital technologies, through the deployment of sensors and smart devices, enable concurrent monitoring and smart tracking of these factors to maintain comfort zones for the healthy growth of broiler chickens. However, in tropical climates, the use of sensors and smart devices to monitor these factors in broiler houses is rare. This study presents preliminary data on the monitoring of key health and welfare parameters by tracking ambient factors in a commercial broiler enterprise. The methodology involved deploying sensor nodes on a commercial broiler farm to facilitate data capture and transmission from sensors to dedicated databases. Specific variables monitored included temperature, humidity, average and peak noise levels, light intensity, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and gases (such as ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and nitrous oxide). Results indicated a consistent trend of threshold values being exceeded for temperature, humidity, ammonia, and particulate matter. Correlation coefficients were calculated to establish the magnitude and direction of interrelationships among these variables. Overall, the results highlight the need for mitigation strategies to maintain optimal comfort zones, safeguarding the health and welfare of broiler chickens, which in turn positively impacts the profitability of the enterprise.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: IDEAS 2024: The 28th International Database Engineered Applications Symposium
• Start Date: Sep 28, 2024
• End Date: Sep 30, 2024
• Acceptance Date: Aug 29, 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 2, 2024
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13261746