Record Keeping

[shadowfox]

Tell me about the records you keep for your chickens. How many birds do you have? What's your reason for keeping records? What system do you use (spreadsheet, notebook, etc.)? What things do you you keep track of? Any other other info you feel is important when it comes to keeping records for your chickens?

 

[Skipper81]

I was thinking about starting record keeping a few days back.
My flock us all healthy and don't want to overlook any of them so I came up with doing a full look over on each bird every month on the 1st and taking record of anything out of the ordinary.
This should be a good thread.
I need know what to be looking for because I'm a chicken rookie.
I have 1 Drake
3 muscovy hens
5 cockerels (8months)
13 hens

 

[RonP]

I keep a logbook inside my coop, more of a coop diary.

It is about 150 pages thick now.

The pages look like a calendar, one page per month.

Daily, I log eggs collected from my dozen or so girls.

Anything interesting or out of the ordinary, I also make a note, for future reference.

I have records since 2005… New food, new birds, end of life, extreme cold, extreme hot, light settings, predator attacks, squirrel issues, mice issues, raccoon issues, fox issues, dog issues, neighbor issues, compost collected, nest box temperatures, deep bedding changes, etc, etc…

It takes less than a minute or so each day, but to me the information is priceless.

 

[shadowfox]

4 of my 7 girls have started laying within the past few weeks. I keep thinking it would be good to track their laying. I also noticed recently that they have been hungrier than usual, going through more food. I'm sure it's been because they are laying eggs now. I'd love to be able to keep track of it all!

@RonP the page a month method sounds pretty easy. I see how I could easily implement something like that.

Does anyone weigh their eggs and keep records of that?

 

[Redhead Rae]

I wrote a blog post about my record keeping system. My main reason for record keeping is so I can track how old all my birds are, who is related to who, and so I can Identify individuals.
https://wheremapsfail.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/flock-record-keeping/

 

[aart]

Spread sheet.
Cost calcs here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-much-eggs-are-costing.1221726/#post-19563601

Other sheets in file cover hatchings...and all kinds of reference notes.

 

[h c hennery]

We keep a 1-page chart on the fridge, where we track egg-laying. It helps that we have only 3 hens, who lay different-colored eggs (Star/Red Star, Rocky/Barred Rock, Buffy/Buff Orpington).

Reasons why? Mainly because I'm a historian by trade -- keeping records is almost a nervous habit. It's also kind of fun to track productivity. The information isn't immediately useful, but may be in the future.

 

[shadowfox]

I wrote a blog post about my record keeping system. My main reason for record keeping is so I can track how old all my birds are, who is related to who, and so I can Identify individuals.
https://wheremapsfail.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/flock-record-keeping/

Those are some nice looking spreadsheets! I'm actually excited to start keeping some records for my girls!

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never kept records. Course, I don't have a huge flock. I just buy the feed, and collect the eggs, and replace birds as I see fit.

 

[Silkie_Mom]

I wrote a blog post about my record keeping system. My main reason for record keeping is so I can track how old all my birds are, who is related to who, and so I can Identify individuals.
https://wheremapsfail.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/flock-record-keeping/

You are a chicken saint! With a flock of 40ish, it's been stressful without a good system. Looking forward to trying these out.