Nigerian innovator Adaeze Akpagbula launched PenKeep in 2023 to reduce the inefficiencies of manually managing a chicken farm. The solar-powered Internet-of-Things (IoT) device is designed to be reactive and proactive, reducing the need for human intervention in regulating farming conditions.
Akpagbula and her team are already working with 1,200 chicken farmers in western and northern Nigeria. They have installed 31 devices monitoring 100,000 birds in the first six months of 2023. Farmers using PenKeep have reported a 72% decrease in poultry mortality and a 40% improvement in feed conversion ratio, which enables better animal health and increased agricultural productivity.
PenKeep has five sensors that monitor water temperature, water levels, room temperature, air quality, and relative humidity. It can operate in chicken coops of up to 30m x 25m with up to 5,000 chickens.
Farmers can set their farming parameters, such as number and age of birds, desired temperature and air quality, then access and interpret data, and adjust settings, through a user-friendly touch screen.
Data advising of any change in conditions is transmitted via the internet to the PenKeep cloud server and then through SMS, email, or an alarm. This enables rapid analysis and response, and to make data-informed farming decisions.
The device has an accuracy rate of 98% for temperature measurements, 99.8% for humidity, and 99.8% for air quality. It enables centralised data collection and has advanced data analytics to identify trends. All information is archived for future analysis of growing cycles.
Users of PenKeep have access to an Artificial Intelligence management app and advisory platform called FS Manager. These provide farmers with information on best management practices, weather information, daily price updates, and bookkeeping services. About 1,000 farmers are currently using FS Manager.
PenKeep’s low-power components and power-saving modes have resulted in a 30% reduction in energy consumption. A battery powered by a solar panel enables uninterrupted usage during power outages and for off-grid communities. The device can also be plugged into a power source.
Akpagbula and her team are working to integrate global IoT SIM cards into PenKeep devices to increase coverage in rural areas. PenKeep is now working to integrate the technology into aquaculture and greenhouse environments.
My co-founder and I are children of poultry farmers. We are working to empower farmers to be climate resilience, make speedy critical decisions about their livestock, and setting a new standard in smart poultry-farming technology.
Adaeze Akpagbula
