Cost of a broiler flock is the full number that decides the settlement question — before the payout conversation begins, you should know what the flock cost to raise, per bird and per pound, and whether the contract pays above that line. On the example flock, that number is $178,050 total — about $5.94 per bird placed, $6.12 per bird sold, and $0.96 per pound produced. This page builds the flock cost from its components, shows how the number changes with feed price and mortality, and covers the records that make the comparison to settlement immediate.
The Flock Cost Breakdown
| Component | Example Flock Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | ~$160,350 | ~90% |
| Chicks (30,000 at $0.20) | ~$6,000 | ~3% |
| Bedding | ~$1,500 | <1% |
| Energy | ~$4,500 | ~3% |
| Repairs, labor, meds, insurance allocation | ~$5,700 | ~3% |
| Total | ~$178,050 | $0.96/lb at 186,240 lb sold |
How the Number Moves
- Feed price dominates. $0.05/lb delivered moves the total by about $8,000 — and the cost per pound by nearly $0.045. At a $0.55 price the same flock costs ~$0.99/lb to produce; at $0.45, ~$0.91. The contract pays what it pays regardless — the price movement lands entirely on your margin. The feed cost guide covers negotiating and timing.
- Mortality raises cost per saleable bird. At 3% mortality the example produces 29,100 saleable birds; at 6%, 28,200 — the same $178,050+ of cost spread over 900 fewer birds, roughly $0.19 more per bird sold. The cause-signature table covers what precedes it.
- Weight deviation changes cost per pound directly. A flock catching 6.0 lb instead of 6.4 lb delivers ~11,600 fewer pounds on the same cost — about $0.06/lb higher cost per pound produced. The growth bands guide covers when to act.
Comparing Flock Cost to the Settlement
The settlement comparison is arithmetic once the flock cost is recorded: settlement income minus flock cost equals margin, per flock and per pound. Growers who run this comparison every flock — instead of at tax time — catch the drift while the causes are live: a feed price that moved, a conversion that slipped, a mortality pattern in a specific house. The settlement comparison guide covers the method; the tournament guide covers what the numbers mean for your position.
Tracking Flock Cost in Poultry Log™
When feed deliveries, expenses, and settlement income are tagged to the flock, the flock cost computes itself — and the per-bird and per-pound outputs update as the grow-out progresses instead of at settlement. The cost per bird guide covers the metric, the profitability dashboard carries the multi-flock trend, and the settlement calculator brings the two sides of the comparison into one place before the payment lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost to raise 30,000 broilers?
On the worked example — $0.50/lb feed, ~6.4 lb catch weight, 3% mortality — about $178,050 total: feed ~$160,350, chicks ~$6,000, and bedding, energy, repairs, labor, meds, and insurance allocation making up the rest. Feed alone is roughly 90% of the number, which is why the feed chart and delivered price dominate flock-cost planning.
How much of broiler flock cost is feed?
85-90% on the example — every other line combined is a fraction of the feed bill. A $0.05/lb delivered-price movement adds about $8,000 across the cycle; an FCR improvement of 0.01 saves roughly 1,900 lb of feed. The feed cost guide covers the leak side of both.
When should flock cost be compared to the settlement?
Every flock, as soon as catch and settlement are recorded — not at tax time. The comparison (settlement income minus flock cost, per flock and per pound) catches drift while the causes are live: a feed price that moved, a conversion that slipped, a mortality pattern in one house. The settlement comparison guide covers the line-by-line method.
- 2026-10-06: Comprehensive rewrite. Flock cost breakdown table, feed-price/mortality/weight sensitivity analysis, and settlement-comparison framing — replacing the earlier boilerplate version.
- Earlier version: short first-person note on logging chick and feed costs.