Design of a Smart Internet of Things Solar-Based Control System for a Small Poultry Farm

Abstract

The advancement of sustainable agricultural practices is crucial for enhancing food security and farmer productivity, particularly in rural areas with limited access to electricity. This study presents the design and deployment of a smart Internet of Things (IoT) solar-powered control system tailored for small-scale poultry farms. The system integrates an ESP32 microcontroller, low-cost sensors (DHT11, LDR, and ultrasonic), solar energy components, and wireless communication protocols to automate the control of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, lighting, and water supply. A mobile application (Blynk) was used for real-time monitoring and manual override functions. Field testing was conducted over 30 days in a prototype poultry pen containing 30 broiler birds. The smart system maintained indoor temperature and humidity within optimal ranges (26–29.5°C and 58–65%, respectively), achieved 98.6% uptime, and operated completely off-grid using solar power. Comparative results showed improvements in poultry welfare, with a reduction in mortality rate from 6% to 2% and a 20% decrease in water wastage. These results affirm the potential of affordable, scalable IoT systems powered by renewable energy to improve poultry farming efficiency and sustainability, especially for resource-constrained rural farmers.