Design and Construction of an Automated Poultry Feeding System for Small-Scale Farms

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Manual poultry feeding is labor-intensive and prone to inconsistencies. This project developed an automated feeding system for small-scale farms. The system comprised a storage hopper (100 kg capacity), auger conveyor, timer-controlled motor, and distribution troughs. The timer allowed four feeding events per day with adjustable feed quantities. Construction used locally available materials including PVC pipes and mild steel. Testing with 500 birds showed feed distribution accuracy of 95% with variation of less than 5% between feeders. Labor requirement reduced by 70% compared to manual feeding. Bird uniformity improved with coefficient of variation in body weight reducing from 15% to 8%. System cost was N95,000 with payback within 1.5 years from labor savings.