Good record keeping is one of the foundations of professional poultry farming. Records allow farmers to understand what happened during a batch and provide information that can be used to improve the next one.

Without records, farmers often rely on memory. This makes it difficult to determine exactly how much feed was used, how many birds died, what the batch cost, and whether the farm actually made a profit.

Why Poultry Records Matter

Farm records can help answer questions such as:

  • How many chicks were purchased?
  • How many birds died?
  • How much feed was consumed?
  • What was the average bird weight?
  • How much money was spent?
  • How many birds were sold?
  • What was the selling price?
  • How much revenue was generated?
  • What was the net profit?

Batch Information

Each flock should have its own batch record.

Information Example
Batch Number Batch 001
Placement Date Record date
Bird Type Broiler
Number Placed 100
Target Days 42
Target Weight Farm target

Chick Purchase Records

Record the purchase price and quantity of chicks.

Important information includes:

  • Date purchased
  • Supplier
  • Number purchased
  • Price per chick
  • Total cost
  • Breed or strain
  • Vaccination information supplied

Daily Mortality Records

Record deaths every day.

Date Age Deaths Remaining Birds
Date Day 1 0 100
Date Day 2 1 99
Date Day 3 0 99

Keeping daily records makes it easier to identify sudden increases in mortality.

Feed Records

Record every feed purchase and quantity used.

Date Feed Type Quantity Price
Date Starter 4 bags Record
Date Grower 3 bags Record
Date Finisher 5 bags Record

Feed Stock

Farmers should know how much feed is available at any time.

A basic stock calculation is:

Closing Stock = Opening Stock + Purchases − Feed Used

This helps prevent unexpected feed shortages.

Growth Records

Record bird weights at regular intervals.

Date Bird Age Sample Size Average Weight Target
Date Day 7 10 Actual Target
Date Day 14 10 Actual Target
Date Day 21 10 Actual Target
Date Day 28 10 Actual Target
Date Day 35 10 Actual Target
Date Day 42 10 Actual Target

Health Records

Record vaccinations, medication, health observations, and professional veterinary advice.

Important information can include:

  • Date
  • Bird age
  • Product or vaccine
  • Reason for use
  • Quantity used
  • Administration method
  • Withdrawal period where applicable
  • Observations

Expense Records

Every significant expense should be recorded.

Expense Category Amount
Chicks Record
Feed Record
Vaccines Record
Medication Record
Litter Record
Labour Record
Electricity Record
Water Record
Transport Record
Other Record

Sales Records

When birds are sold, record the transaction.

  • Date sold
  • Number of birds sold
  • Average weight where applicable
  • Selling price
  • Total revenue
  • Customer or market category
  • Transport cost

Calculate Revenue

For birds sold individually:

Revenue = Number Sold × Selling Price Per Bird

For example, selling 90 birds at ₦6,500 each produces:

90 × ₦6,500 = ₦585,000

Calculate Net Profit

Once all costs and sales have been recorded:

Net Profit = Total Revenue − Total Costs

This figure is more useful than simply looking at the amount of money received from customers.

Compare Batches

One of the biggest advantages of record keeping is the ability to compare batches.

Performance Measure Batch 1 Batch 2
Birds Placed 100 100
Birds Sold 92 96
Total Feed Record Record
Average Weight Record Record
Total Cost Record Record
Revenue Record Record
Net Profit Record Record

This comparison can reveal whether management is improving.

Digital Record Keeping

As the number of batches increases, digital poultry management software can make record keeping easier.

A good poultry management system can combine batch records, feed stock, feeding schedules, expenses, growth programmes, mortality, revenue, and profit in one place.

Keep Records Simple

The best record system is one that the farmer will actually use.

Do not create complicated records that take too much time to maintain. Start with the information that directly supports production and financial decisions.

Review Records Weekly

Do not wait until the birds are sold before reviewing performance.

A weekly review can reveal:

  • Increasing feed costs
  • Unexpected mortality
  • Slow growth
  • Water problems
  • Excessive expenses
  • Stock shortages

Use Records to Make Decisions

Records are valuable only when they influence decisions.

If one batch shows unusually high feed wastage, investigate feeder management. If another batch shows poor growth, investigate feed, water, environment, and health. If profit is consistently below expectations, review production costs and selling strategy.

Final Thoughts

Professional poultry farming depends on measurement.

Record the birds you buy, feed you purchase, feed you use, birds you lose, weights you achieve, expenses you incur, birds you sell, and money you receive.

With accurate records, farmers can move from guessing to making decisions based on actual farm performance.