Chicken Management Spreadsheet Suite

[Roan]

Hi there! I am currently working on a spreadsheet that will, in time, help with all aspects of chicken farming.

Some functions of this suite are:

1. Egg Journal
   1. Recording daily egg collection
   2. Maintaining a running average of eggs laid per day, week, month and year
2. Expense Journal
   1. Record daily expenses
   2. Maintain a running tabulation of expenses including average expenses and total expenses for day, week, month and year
3. Sales Journal
   1. Record egg, meat, adult and chick sales
   2. Maintain a running tabulation of sales per each category including average expenses and total expenses for day, week, month and year
4. Feeding Journal
   1. Record feeding amounts for each flock on one sheet.
   2. Sort and analyze feeding habits for each individual flock for easier flock assessment
5. Incubation Worksheet
   1. Record individual records for separate incubators
   2. Maintain a running tabulation of incubator records
6. Coop Design
   1. Calculate total footage of individual chicken houses based on desired square footage per bird
   2. Calculate dimensions for individual chicken houses based on square footage per bird and desired width or length of each house
7. Customer Record Keeping
   1. Tracking customer purchasing trends
   2. Maintaining customer contact information

Please post below any other areas that would be helpful.

Thank you.

Reason for edit: Added new journal (new #4)

 

[KittyKat3756]

What format will it be in? I'd go for "no" if it's going to be an Excel document and a "maybe" if it's going to be a LibreOffice document.

I already use proper account software called GnuCash to track the expenses (currently my eggs have cost me a grand total of GBP 0.16 each as opposed to GBP 0.35-0.45 that I would need to pay for the same welfare standard from a shop) and a spreadsheet to track hatches and growth. In other words, I already keep records for 2-4 and 6. 1 I can easily calculate accurately in my head (verifiable by 3) and 5 I don't care about recording becuase I only have the two coops and don't have space for any more.

In the mean time, I'm writing an application to use instead of a spreadsheet becuase the speadsheet cannot do everything that I want it to.

 

[Dandelioness]

This is pretty cool. I don't care what format it is in, as long as I could view the formula to get it into my spreadsheet program.

I have a nifty feed mixing spreadsheet which is a modified version of the one found in the back of Harvey Ussery's book. Instead of just calculating protein % & weights, it also automatically calculates the cost per batch.

I can't think of anything else that a chicken keeper would want in addition to your ideas, but hopefully others will chime in, too.

 

[Roan]

Thanks for the feedback. It is being written in open office but I will make it in OpenOffice (Libre Office) and Microsoft Excel

What format would you prefer it be in?

As for your other points, using all of that software is great but in the spreadsheet (which will have macros for ease of operation) it will automatically update all relevant sheets, thus keeping all records current as each new bit of information comes in.

Managing two flocks is not an easy task, I'm sure. I currently have only 1 but am making this suite so that I can expand and track all necessary information for each individual flock and track overall information for the entire farm just by entering the data once.

If I may ask, are you doing any breeding and how many hens do you have per flock? Do you need to track each flock to make sure that each one is producing to their max potential?

With the data tracking of the Egg Journal, you will be able to track how many eggs were laid in any given day, week, month or year. So you can then analyze who is shutting down and who is starting to lay. Also, with breeding, as I'm sure you're aware, inbreeding can cause smaller, weaker and/or less healthy offspring. So by tracking where each egg comes from, you can be sure that each chick you hatch is not the result of inbreeding too close of relatives.

As for coop design, that is definitely a specialist area for people who have room to expand their current housing and/or build more housing for more flocks.

Also, not every aspect of this suite will appeal to everyone but the goal is that every aspect of this suite will appeal to someone.

 

[Roan]

This is pretty cool. I don't care what format it is in, as long as I could view the formula to get it into my spreadsheet program.

I have a nifty feed mixing spreadsheet which is a modified version of the one found in the back of Harvey Ussery's book. Instead of just calculating protein % & weights, it also automatically calculates the cost per batch.

I can't think of anything else that a chicken keeper would want in addition to your ideas, but hopefully others will chime in, too.

Thank you! As for the feed mixing spreadsheet, I will admit that is not something that I considered, however it may be something that I incorporate. My spreadsheet is already being designed to calculate the total cost per day, month, week, year and bird which will allow you to analyze the expense of expanding your flock before you do so.

Also, we must remember that not every flock is the same so with my feeding journal (a new addition that I am currently working on) each individual flock's daily intake is recorded which will tell you exactly how much feed your flock is going through in a day rather than some other farmer's flock.

The whole design of this spreadsheet is to be completely customizable to your flock and your needs, therefore, as time goes on, the data will become more and more specific for you. For instance, I may have a flock that eats .52 lbs of grain each day per bird (on average) while you may have the very same breed but yours may only be eating .29 lbs per bird. So this will help you to get a better picture of your own flock.

And the expense journal will keep track of every purchase you make which in turn will translate into the total cost of each egg, bird, lb of meat and/or chick that you produce. That data will help you determine the best price to charge for each and/or know whether you are saving or spending more by having your own flock as opposed to purchasing from other sources.

 

[Dish chickens]

I think that will be great, question, would you be able to track each individual hen on laying rate food consumption or will it be set up as a flock tally?
On the feed charting you could set it up as an option to be used for mix feed or just type of food. A lot of us around my neck of the woods spend a lot of time fermenting our feed so what is going in and benefit being tracked would be helpful.

 

[Roan]

I think that will be great, question, would you be able to track each individual hen on laying rate food consumption or will it be set up as a flock tally?
On the feed charting you could set it up as an option to be used for mix feed or just type of food. A lot of us around my neck of the woods spend a lot of time fermenting our feed so what is going in and benefit being tracked would be helpful.

Tracking individual hens and roosters is definitely something that I am considering at least as far as breeding goes. I will have to think on how best to set up the sheet to track individual hens for feed and other stats.

As for the feed mixing, I'll need more data to wrap my head around how best to accomplish this but it is definitely a great idea and I'll look into it.

 

[SassysMom]

Thanks for the feedback. It is being written in open office but I will make it in OpenOffice (Libre Office) and Microsoft Excel

What format would you prefer it be in?

As for your other points, using all of that software is great but in the spreadsheet (which will have macros for ease of operation) it will automatically update all relevant sheets, thus keeping all records current as each new bit of information comes in.

Managing two flocks is not an easy task, I'm sure. I currently have only 1 but am making this suite so that I can expand and track all necessary information for each individual flock and track overall information for the entire farm just by entering the data once.

If I may ask, are you doing any breeding and how many hens do you have per flock? Do you need to track each flock to make sure that each one is producing to their max potential?

With the data tracking of the Egg Journal, you will be able to track how many eggs were laid in any given day, week, month or year. So you can then analyze who is shutting down and who is starting to lay. Also, with breeding, as I'm sure you're aware, inbreeding can cause smaller, weaker and/or less healthy offspring. So by tracking where each egg comes from, you can be sure that each chick you hatch is not the result of inbreeding too close of relatives.

As for coop design, that is definitely a specialist area for people who have room to expand their current housing and/or build more housing for more flocks.

Also, not every aspect of this suite will appeal to everyone but the goal is that every aspect of this suite will appeal to someone.

I would love this in any format compatible with iOS 8 (I think). I've been trying to get a good figure on costs, especially food, but either forget to document dates, or it changes by how old my chicks, hens and roosters are. I went from 10 laying hens to 85 chicks, hens and roosters in a really short time

I now how 7 coops of varying sizes and a 270 sq. ft "condo" separated into 4 separate areas. Obviously I'm really bad at chicken math!!!

 

[Roan]

I would love this in any format compatible with iOS 8 (I think). I've been trying to get a good figure on costs, especially food, but either forget to document dates, or it changes by how old my chicks, hens and roosters are. I went from 10 laying hens to 85 chicks, hens and roosters in a really short time

I now how 7 coops of varying sizes and a 270 sq. ft "condo" separated into 4 separate areas. Obviously I'm really bad at chicken math!!!

Wow, sounds like you're farm is exploding! LOL

Sorry this has taken so long but I've had a rough couple of months.

I am back to working on it full time though.

 

[alphajtwolff]

My boy are in 4-h and we have broiler and turkeys is there anything that i can tracker there info feed weigh and so on again tyvm