In a quiet hatchery in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, three million developing embryos depend on temperature stability within one-tenth of a degree.
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How advanced environmental control is transforming hatcheries in SA By Eamonn Ryan with technical input from Dave Starkey, director: Keystar Industries
In a quiet hatchery in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, three million developing embryos depend on temperature stability within one-tenth of a degree.
At this level of biological precision, even the slightest fluctuation is not just a technical deviation, it is the difference between optimal hatchability and measurable financial loss.
Maintaining this level of control across hundreds of thousands of eggs is no small task. What makes this operation particularly remarkable is that the entire process is now governed by a locally engineered automation system, designed and programmed in South Africa by Keystar Industries, operating reliably in an environment challenged by power instability and loadshedding.
Managing the rapidly changing heat loads produced when thousands of chicks begin to hatch almost simultaneously requires more than conventional control systems. It requires adaptive environmental intelligence, software capable of responding to extreme biological and thermal dynamics in real time. That challenge became the catalyst for one of the most technically sophisticated hatchery control retrofits undertaken in the region.
Keystone Hatcheries, one of the region’ s large-scale poultry incubation facilities, operates 24 industrial setters, each processing approximately 120 000 eggs per cycle. In an operation of this scale, even small improvements in environmental control can translate into significant annual gains in hatchability and profitability.
For years the facility relied on imported Scandinavian electronic control systems. While technically advanced, these systems became increasingly difficult to maintain due to high replacement costs, exchange rate volatility and limited local technical support. The solution was ambitious: replace the ageing imported platform with a locally engineered PLC-based automation system that could deliver equal or greater precision while improving reliability in South Africa’ s challenging electrical environment.
Working in partnership with Eliwell( by Schneider Electric), Keystar Industries developed a new control architecture built around Eliwell Free Advance PLCs combined with Schneider Electric industrial interface hardware( HMI). While the hardware is globally sourced, the real innovation lies in the locally developed software architecture and control algorithms.
The incubation process takes place over a 21-day cycle, during which developing embryos require tightly controlled environmental conditions. Temperature must remain stable within ± 0.1 ° F, a remarkably narrow range essential for healthy embryo development. The poultry industry traditionally measures incubation temperature in Fahrenheit because the scale allows finer control resolution than Celsius.
But temperature is only one part of a complex biological equation. Within each setter, the system must carefully regulate relative humidity, oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide levels, airflow distribution and egg turning cycles.
Eggs are loaded into large incubation trolleys fitted with integrated hydronic cooling coils. Throughout incubation, these trolleys automatically tilt at regular intervals to simulate natural brooding behaviour, preventing embryo adhesion and ensuring uniform development. Behind the scenes, the PLC continuously monitors and adjusts environmental parameters to maintain optimal conditions.
Traditional PID( Proportional – Integral – Derivative) control strategies proved inadequate for the dynamic thermal conditions inside the hatchery.
As embryos develop, they generate increasing metabolic heat, and during the hatching phase thousands of chicks can begin producing heat simultaneously. The result is a rapidly shifting thermal load that can destabilise conventional control loops. To solve this, the engineering team developed a refined adaptive control algorithm based on PID principles but enhanced with improved damping and dynamic tuning. The system can now respond rapidly to sudden temperature changes without causing overshoot or oscillation, maintaining ultra-stable conditions even during peak biological activity.
A HATCHERY BUILT ON WATER
Thermal management across the facility relies on an extensive hydronic heating and cooling infrastructure.
The hatchery operates eight industrial water chillers, configured with reverse-cycle heat pump capability. These units produce chilled water for cooling while simultaneously recovering heat for warming circuits, significantly improving overall energy efficiency. Redundancy is built into the system, with gas-fired hot water generation providing backup heating when required.
Water is distributed through zonecontrolled pipe networks supplying the incubation trolleys. Each trolley connects automatically via articulated quick-connect valves, eliminating manual connections and simplifying operation.
Egg grading service line where they are checked for defects, cracks and quality.
All images by Keystone Hatcheries |
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Hatchery equipment and tray handling systems form part of the facility’ s day-to-day operations. |
Digital monitoring systems maintain controlled environmental conditions during hatchery operations. |
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Control systems mounted on each setter assist with monitoring and regulating incubation conditions. |
Background image by Wirestock | Freepik. com |
June 2026 www. coldlinkafrica. co. za COLD LINK AFRICA
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