What Records Should a Poultry Farmer Keep? (With a Free Profit Calculator)
Short answer: a poultry farmer should keep seven records: birds in, mortality, feed, vaccinations, medicine, eggs or weights, and sales. Feed is usually the biggest cost, so the number that matters most is your cost per surviving bird, which you can work out with the free poultry profit calculator on our homepage.
Most poultry farms do not fail because the birds were bad. They lose money quietly: a few more deaths than expected, feed that went further than it should have, a selling price that never covered the real cost. Records show you that early, while you can still act.
The seven records
- Birds in. The date, the number placed and what you paid per chick. Everything else is measured against this.
- Mortality. Birds lost each day, and the likely reason if you know it. A sudden jump is your early warning.
- Feed. Feed bought, feed used and the price per kg. Feed is usually the largest cost in poultry, so it deserves the most careful record.
- Vaccinations. What was given, the date and the flock. This is your health history and your proof.
- Medicine and treatments. What was used, when, and why, with the cost.
- Eggs or weights. For layers, eggs collected each day. For broilers, sample weights through the cycle.
- Sales. Birds or eggs sold, the price, the buyer and whether you have been paid.
If you only start with three, start with birds in, mortality and feed. Those three decide most of your profit.
Worked example: 500 broilers
These figures are an illustration to show the method, not a benchmark. Swap in your own numbers.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chicks placed | 500 at 0.90 each = 450 |
| Birds lost | 25 (5% mortality) |
| Birds surviving | 475 |
| Feed used | 1,800 kg at 0.55 per kg = 990 |
| Medication and vaccines | 60 |
| Labour | 150 |
| Total cost | 1,650 |
Cost per surviving bird = 1,650 ÷ 475 = 3.47. That is also your break-even price: sell below it and you lose money.
If you expect to sell at 5.50 per bird, revenue is 475 × 5.50 = 2,612.50, so projected profit is 962.50, or about 2.03 per surviving bird. In this example feed is 990 of 1,650 total cost.
Now see why mortality matters. Keep every cost the same but lose 75 birds instead of 25. Only 425 survive, so cost per surviving bird rises to 1,650 ÷ 425 = 3.88, and profit falls to 425 × 5.50 − 1,650 = 687.50. Fifty more deaths took 275 off the profit, and the cost you pay for the dead birds is spread across fewer survivors.
You can run your own batch through the poultry profit calculator. It takes a minute and needs no login. The same section of our homepage also has a mortality calculator for your loss rate, an FCR calculator for feed used per kilogram of weight gained, and an egg production calculator for hen-day production and egg income.
Why feed deserves the closest look
Because feed is the biggest line, a small change in how much feed you use per bird, or in what you pay per kg, moves your break-even price more than almost anything else. We wrote about testing feed decisions with real numbers in Feed might get cheaper, but is your farm making more money?
How StokData keeps these records
On the poultry farm management software, each batch of birds has its own file with daily logs for mortality, feed used and eggs collected, plus vaccination and treatment records kept against the flock. Your workers can record on their phones without internet, and the records sync when a connection is available. You can log sales and expenses to see how each flock performed financially, and StokData AI can give feed advice based on your own farm records. When birds look unwell, the AI Health Check helps you think through possible conditions and when to call a vet. It is decision support and does not replace a veterinarian.
If you manage the farm from far away, see how to manage a farm in Zimbabwe while living overseas.
Frequently asked questions
What records should a poultry farmer keep?
Seven: birds in, mortality, feed, vaccinations, medicine and treatments, eggs or weights, and sales. If you are starting small, begin with birds in, mortality and feed.
How do I calculate cost per bird?
Add up all costs for the batch (chicks, feed, medication, labour and anything else), then divide by the number of birds that survived, not the number you placed. That figure is also your break-even price.
What is a good mortality rate for broilers?
It depends on your breed, housing, season and management, so compare your own batches over time rather than chasing one number. A rising trend or a sudden jump is the signal to investigate.
Why use birds surviving and not birds placed?
You pay for every chick and every kg of feed, including for birds that die. Dividing by survivors puts that cost into the price of each bird you can actually sell.
Does StokData give feed advice?
Yes. StokData AI can give feed advice based on the feed, mortality and sales records you enter for your farm.