When should a flock of birds be sent to market?
When should a flock of birds be sent to market?
The answer to this question can be very complex for commercial producers who want to maximize profits per square meter of floor space per year. If they have the option of selling, or usually processing, their birds at different ages, then there are several variables that must be considered. How much floor space do the birds of different ages need? How many batches per year can be produced? How many chicks and how much vaccine will be needed, etc.?
The answer to the question of when to send birds to market can be much simpler for small producers. If the producer only has one flock to finish feeding the question becomes when are returns to feed consumption maximized.
SaleDay.xlsx was written to answer the question “How to maximize returns over feed costs for a single lot (or flock) of chickens. The small producer has only to estimate the technical data, growth rate, feed consumption and daily mortality of their flock. The technical data is then combined with the economic data, the value of the birds and cost of the feed. SaleDay.xlsx calculates the expected net returns over feed cost as the birds grow. The producer looks to see when the daily marginal returns turn negative to see when to send the flock to market.
The Poultry Hub Australia profoundly acknowledges and respects that its foundations, both people and facilities, are established on land rich in the history and traditions of the world’s oldest living culture. PHA values and respects Indigenous knowledge, understanding its importance in our shared history. We acknowledge the strength, resilience, and contributions of the Aboriginal community, we pay our tributes to the Aboriginal Elders – those who guided us in the past, those who lead us today, and those who will enlighten our paths in the future.