One of the main reasons why most farmers run into lost in poultry farming is due to a lack of a proper poultry farm record. I doubt if there is any successful poultry farmer without a well-documented poultry farm record.

Poultry farm record helps you to keep track of your expenditure, profits and losses, and other activities in between production, which will help you to make an informed decision.

Therefore, records should be kept at all times from brooding to the end of each production cycle. Daily recording of activities is highly recommended.

Also read:  Cost Of Raising 200 Layers In Nigeria With Profit Amount

Besides, records distinguishing the non-egg versus the egg production periods are recommended. Along with daily activity reports, the maintenance of a monthly expense and sales report is also recommended.

So, on this post, I will share with you

• the importance of poultry farm record,
• discuss the types of poultry farm record
• record sample of each type of poultry farm records
• Cost and Budgeting,and
• Record of Cost
• With sample tables

Let look at the 15 reasons why you should keep a poultry farm record

15 Reasons why keeping poultry farm record is  importance

1. Production of balance sheet
2. Compare the performance of batches
3. Compare breed performance
4. Reference to prevoius
5. Reference visitor, auditor. banker
6. Reference to drug effective
7. Reference for visitors, auditors, bankers, etc
8. Reference to drug efficacy to certain disease outbreak
9. Compare feed efficiency
10. Profitability calculation
11. Shows the number of birds present
12. Show age of birds
13. Show number of egg produced
14. Mortality pattern for certainly encountered outbreaks recorded for future reference
15. Drug type and administration schedule as a reference to follow for handling similar outbreaks.

Also read: Fowl pox symptoms, treatment and prevention

Types of Poultry Record-Keeping for Layers

1. Poultry Record keeping for Non-Egg production Period (Weekly Activity Report)

The Non- egg production period is between the brooding, the grower, and the pullet stage, which is 1-18 or 20 weeks. (refer to Appendix A for a sample weekly activity report ) Some of the important activities are worth recording include

a) Hour spent – Note the approximate number of hours you spend in your farm activities ( feeding, cleaning, egg collection, etc )

b) Daily feed consumption- Generally expressed in kilograms (kg)

c) Water usage- Give estimated liters or gallons

d) Bird weights- Random selection of a few birds to determine an average weight

e) Vaccinations and medications- Note types and amount.

f) Daily mortality- Note the number of birds dying and probable Cause

g) Number of birds taken out from the flock for whatever reasons ( sale, gift, diseases, etc.)

 

2. Poultry Record keeping Egg Production Period Weekly activity Report.

(refer to Appendix B for a sample weekly activity report )

In the course of this stage, the following record should be kept:

a) In addition to maintaining the record of the activities listed during the non-egg production period, the number of eggs collected and culled layers sold daily are included are included

 

3. Monthly Expense and sale Report-

( check Appendix C for Sample)

An account of all expenses and sales should be kept every month. See below for a Sample of Monthly expenses and the report is attached and market.

Also read: Cost of Raising 1000 Layers in Nigeria with Profit Amount

               

 Costing And Budgeting

There are two types of costs, Establishment or starting costs and Production costs. Establishment costs are usually paid once at the beginning of the business.

Establishment or startup cost are:

Training 

• Attend workshops
• Employ a trainer
• Purchase training book

Market Survey

• Traveling to the main center to investigate market opportunities

Land and Housing

• Purchase land
• Clearing land
• Establish food garden
• Building materials for house

Equipment needed

• Feeders and drinkers
• Processing equipment like knives, packaging, and carrying crates

Production costs

By using as many local materials in formulating your feed you can cut down cost to 30 t0 40%

• Chickens
• Feed supplies
• Helpers

1.  Sample Table Establishment Cost

CALCULATING ACTUAL COST- LAYERS	$
Establishment Costs
Obtain a suitable piece of land	$
Build a house to suit number of layers planned, and a second house to grow replacement layers	$ $
Build a fence to keep layers safe	$
Charcoal, kerosene, lamps and jiko to brood chickens	$
....Day old chicken@ $.... each to start	$
Supply of chick and grower feed to start	$
feeders and drinkers	$
Total establishment costs	$

​

b.Sample table for On-going Cost

ONGOING COSTS LAYERS
Feed supplies for layers	$
Egg containers	$
Replacement chicks	$
Chick and grower feed for replacement	$
Kerosene , charcoal for brooding	$
Marketing and selling costs	$
Total on-going costs	$

Working Out A Profit or Bookkeeping

You need to work out what your profit is to make sure your business is successful. To do this you must take your costs away from the income or money you receive for selling eggs or old layers

This also means that you need to keep written records of all the money you spend and the sales you make.

Also read: How to hatch chicks naturally at your backyard farm

Record Of Costs

Remember you have two different lots of costs, production or on-going costs and establishment or setup costs.

You can add up all your production costs and take them away from your income but don't take all the establishment costs off your income.

The establishment costs are a big cost and the items you buy will last a long time so you must spread these cost over that time. First add up all your establishment costs. Then work out how long these things will last e.g 5 years then divide the total by the number of years.

Then deduct the part of establishment costs from your year's income.

Appendix A

 

Appendix  B

Appendisx C

In conclusion, you should cultivate the culture of proper bookkeeping and extend the same to your farm employees for optimal output. If you are computer savvy, you can set up a poultry farm record sheet, poultry farm accounting sheet with your PC using excel.

Save your records in the cloud ( using Google Drive or Drop box) in case you misplace your hard copy you can easily recover it- the world has gone digital and we all have to upgrade ourselves technically.

I am wishing a successful and a profitable poultry farming

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• poultry record keeping,
• layers

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