The livestock sector continues to grow rapidly from day to day, especially in terms of housing. From the beginning, breeders are accustomed to open cage system, now many breeders have switched to closed house system. Breeders have proven that using closed house cages can improve the performance of broiler chickens, increase competitiveness, and breeders can get bigger profits for sure.
The closed house system is chosen by many breeders because it is able to release excess heat, steam, and harmful gases (e.g. NH3) in the cage. On the other hand, it can provide O2 needs for chickens so that the productivity and health of chickens can be optimal. Moreover, change of weather (global warming) and genetic changes of broilers urge the breeders to provide comfort. The breeders also have to meet the needs of broilers so that the health and performance of broilers can be maximized.
In order to increase the use of closed house cages, the responsibility is bear by the government, academics, and private sector. In order to answer these challenges, Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences / Fakultas Peternakan dan Pertanian (FPP) Undip together with PT. Charoend Pokphand Indonesia inaugurates a closed house research center on November 10th 2020. The online inauguration event is attended by Rector of Diponegoro University and President Director of PT. Charoend Pokphand Indonesia. The two representatives emphasize the importance of collaboration between stakeholders for the advancement of Indonesian livestock sector.
Researchers in poultry field are required to be able to find and provide the best solution to all problems faced by breeders. The presence of closed house research center will be a great assistance for broiler chicken researchers at Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences of Diponegoro University, in finding and providing the best solution to breeders’ problems. This research is different from the existing closed house since it emphasizes the usage of technology.
The Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences Undip in collaboration with Faculty of Engineering Undip, has developed Internet of Things (IoT) to run and control feeding, to check ammonia concentration, temperature, and humidity in the cage, and so on. In the future, FPP Undip will continue to develop this system so that it can overcome problems in closed house cages effectively and efficiently. This step will also be encouraged at the commercialization stage of IoT products, so that it can be more beneficial for the industry and broiler breeders in Indonesia.
At the end of the event, Dean of Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences Undip, Dr. Ir. Bambang Waluyo H. E. P., M.S., M.Agr., IPU said that in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0, everything is required to be fast, accurate, efficient, and practical. The use of IoT in the livestock industry will greatly assist breeders in managing and controlling broiler chicken farms without having to directly be and work in cage.
