How the break-even calculation works
Expected birds sold equals chicks started after the mortality percentage is removed. Total sale weight is surviving birds multiplied by your expected average market weight. Revenue is sale weight multiplied by the selling price per kilogram.
Cycle cost includes every chick purchased, feed for the flock, vaccines and medicine, heating and litter, labour, transport, marketing and any other expenses you enter. Break-even price per kilogram is total cycle cost divided by expected sale weight.
Why mortality changes the answer quickly
When a bird dies late in the cycle, part of its chick and feed cost has already been spent but there is no sale from that bird. That is why it is useful to run this calculator more than once. Compare a normal case with a difficult case using higher mortality, more feed and a lower selling price.
Records worth keeping each cycle
- Number of chicks placed and the exact purchase price.
- Every feed bag purchased, its weight and cost.
- Deaths by date and likely cause.
- Medicine, vaccines, heating, litter, labour and transport.
- Birds sold, average weight and actual price received.