Design and implementation of a sustainable, low-cost solar-powered egg incubator to enhance poultry production in remote areas of Nigeria

Abstract

Poultry production is vital to food security and income generation in rural Nigeria, yet access to reliable incubation technology is limited by high costs and unstable electricity. This study presents the design and construction of a low-cost, solar-powered 100-egg incubator tailored for remote communities. The incubator casing was fabricated from plywood, fitted with four 12 V PTC heating elements, a 12 V ultrasonic humidifier, and a motorized wooden egg-turning tray powered by a 12 V DC motor and XY-LJ02 timer relay. An STC-3028 controller regulated temperature and humidity, while Autodesk Fusion 360 provided 3D modeling and schematics for local fabrication. Performance evaluation showed that the system maintained an average incubation temperature of 37.6 ± 0.4 °C and relative humidity within recommended ranges (55.2% during incubation and 67.1% during hatching). Using 40 fertile eggs as a test batch, the incubator achieved a hatchability rate of 80%, comparable to outcomes reported for commercial and research-based systems. Power consumption was measured at 75 W, corresponding to 0.9–1.8 kWh/day depending on heater duty cycle. A solar supply system comprising 3 × 100 W panels, a 12 V 120 Ah LiFePO₄ battery, and a 40 A MPPT controller was sized to ensure continuous, off-grid operation. The results demonstrate that the incubator is affordable, reliable, and sustainable, offering a practical solution to the challenges of energy access and poultry technology adoption in rural Nigeria. This innovation can significantly enhance poultry production and improve rural livelihoods.