So far, farmers have managed the cage manually, starting from feeding, drinking, and air conditioning exhaust fan, and the temperature of the cage through the heater. One of the problems faced by broiler farms is the absence of indicators to determine air quality in chicken coops.
Previously, farmers estimated the condition of the air in the cage based on the behavior of the chickens. Breeders need to take the time to check the air and exhaust fan in the chicken coop regularly. Because this affects the mortality rate of chickens in the cage, when the air in the cage is too bad because high levels of ammonia gas cause the chickens to be susceptible to disease. Therefore, breeders use exhaust fan to remove bad air and reduce heat in the chicken coop so that the chickens can survive well. Exhaust fan must always be considered by the breeder, because if it is not controlled or the situation exhaust fan die when the air conditions in the cage are bad can cause the death of chickens.
Taking this into account, the Semarang State Polytechnic Community Service Team (Polines) innovated to make a device that can help chicken farmers detect harmful gases. The Polines team consisting of lecturers and students under the coordination of Ilham Sayekti, ST, M.Kom provided assistance to Sunardi (a chicken farmer) in Wonolopo Village, Mijen District, Semarang City, recently.
Polines team coordinator, Ilham Sayekti, ST, M.Kom said the Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring and control system for chicken coops is a system used to monitor and control air temperature and ammonia gas levels in chicken coops. "In the monitoring system," said Ilham, the readings of air temperature and ammonia gas levels in the cage are displayed on the LCD mounted on the control box. Meanwhile, to control the air temperature, heating lamps are used and ammonia gas levels are used exhaust fan to maintain air circulation in the cage.
This tool is also equipped with a siren that serves to warn farmers when there is a power outage. It is intended that farmers can immediately turn on the generator so that this system continues to work so that the air quality in the chicken coop is maintained properly.
In the application in the cage, this tool is installed in one area brooding farm, from the initial installation of the device when using Gasolec in four areas brooding which consumes 130 3 kg gas cylinders with the help of this tool the need for gas can be reduced by only spending 98 3 kg gas cylinders at one time of harvest. So with the installation of this tool can save gas cylinders as much as 32 gas cylinders which when compared with the electricity required when the system operates, farmers get a profit of Rp. 391,000.
According to the breeder, chicken mortality decreased compared to the period before this tool was installed and the level of chicken development (weight and feed ratio) was felt to be better than before. Breeders also find it easier to know the air quality by measuring the temperature parameters and ammonia levels in the cage, so that with this tool farmers no longer calculate the air quality in the cage.