Feed Conversion Ratio Explained — The Number That Controls Your Poultry Profit

Feed is your biggest expense. On most Kenyan poultry farms, feed accounts for 65-75% of total production costs. If your feed is being wasted — converted into body heat instead of eggs or meat — your profit disappears even when everything else looks fine.

Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) measures this efficiency. It is the number that separates profitable poultry farms from those that wonder where the money went.

What FCR is

FCR = Kilograms of feed consumed ÷ Kilograms of product produced

For layers: FCR = kg of feed consumed ÷ kg of eggs produced

For broilers: FCR = kg of feed consumed ÷ kg of live weight gained

A lower FCR is better — it means less feed per unit of product.

Layer FCR in practice

A 300-hen flock consuming 36 kg of feed per day (120g per hen) and producing 240 eggs weighing an average of 60g each:

Total egg weight: 240 × 60g = 14.4 kg
FCR: 36 ÷ 14.4 = 2.5

This means it takes 2.5 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of eggs.

Layer FCR benchmarks:

FCR	Rating	What it means
1.8-2.0	Excellent	Top-tier management. Genetics, feed quality, and environment all optimised
2.0-2.3	Good	Well-managed commercial flock
2.3-2.5	Average	Room for improvement. Common on Kenyan farms
2.5-2.8	Poor	Significant feed waste. Investigate immediately
Above 2.8	Critical	Major feed or management problem

Broiler FCR in practice

A batch of 500 broilers that consumed 2,400 kg of feed over 35 days and reached an average weight of 2.0 kg:

Total live weight: 500 × 2.0 kg = 1,000 kg
Starting weight: 500 × 0.04 kg = 20 kg
Weight gained: 1,000 - 20 = 980 kg
FCR: 2,400 ÷ 980 = 2.45

Broiler FCR benchmarks (at 35 days):

FCR	Rating
1.4-1.6	Excellent (modern genetics, controlled environment)
1.6-1.8	Good (realistic target for Kenya)
1.8-2.0	Average
2.0-2.2	Below average
Above 2.2	Poor — significant loss

Why FCR matters in shillings

Let us put KES numbers on the difference between good and poor FCR for a 300-layer flock:

At FCR 2.0 (good):

Daily feed: 300 hens × 120g = 36 kg
Daily feed cost: 36 kg × KES 55/kg = KES 1,980
Daily eggs (at 85% HDP): 255 eggs × 60g = 15.3 kg
Feed cost per kg of eggs: KES 1,980 ÷ 15.3 = KES 129

At FCR 2.5 (poor):

Same 255 eggs, but the flock needs more feed to produce them
Required feed: 15.3 kg × 2.5 FCR = 38.25 kg
Daily feed cost: 38.25 × KES 55 = KES 2,104
Feed cost per kg of eggs: KES 2,104 ÷ 15.3 = KES 137

Difference: KES 124 per day. KES 3,720 per month. KES 44,640 per year.

And that is for 300 hens. For a 1,000-bird farm, multiply by 3.3. For 3,000 birds, multiply by 10.

What causes poor FCR

Feed waste. Feeders that are too full, improperly designed, or accessible to wild birds. Studies show 5-15% of feed in open trough feeders is wasted (spilled, contaminated, eaten by rodents or wild birds). Tube feeders or pan feeders reduce waste to under 3%.

Feed quality. Low-protein feed, poorly mixed rations, stale or mouldy ingredients. If the protein content of your layer mash is below 16%, hens cannot convert feed efficiently no matter how well you manage everything else.

Water. A hen drinks 1.5-2 times as much water as she eats feed by weight. Restricted water access immediately increases FCR because digestion and metabolism slow down. Check nipple drinkers daily.

Temperature. Above 30°C, hens eat less but need energy to cool down (panting). Below 15°C (unusual in most of Kenya but possible in highland areas at night), they eat more to stay warm. Both extremes worsen FCR.

Disease. Subclinical infections — mild enough that you do not notice symptoms — can increase FCR by 0.3-0.5 points. The flock eats normally but produces less because energy goes to fighting infection.

Overcrowding. More birds per square metre means more competition for feed and water, more stress, more disease pressure. All of which increase FCR.

Lighting errors. Layers need 16 hours of light. Less light means less eating time and less production. More than 17 hours provides no additional benefit and can stress birds.

How to improve FCR

Measure it first. You cannot improve what you do not measure. Record daily feed consumption (weigh what goes in) and daily egg collection (count and weigh). The app calculates FCR automatically.

Fix the feeders. Switch from open troughs to tube or pan feeders. Fill them only one-third full. This alone can improve FCR by 0.1-0.2 points on farms with significant spillage.

Check feed quality. Buy from a reputable mill. Request the nutritional analysis certificate. Layer mash should have minimum 16% crude protein, 2,750 kcal/kg energy, and adequate calcium (3.5-4.0%).

Ensure water access. One nipple drinker per 8-10 hens, or adequate trough space. Water should flow freely. Check pressure and clean lines weekly.

Cull non-producers. Hens that eat but do not lay (identifiable by pale, dry combs and tight pelvic bones) are pure FCR drag. In a 300-hen flock, even 10 non-laying hens raise FCR measurably.

Control temperature. In hot areas of Kenya, ensure adequate ventilation, consider wet pad cooling for enclosed houses, and provide shade for free-range birds. Offer cool, clean water at all times.

Tracking FCR over time

A single FCR calculation tells you where you are. Monthly FCR tracking shows you where you are headed.

Plot FCR by week or month. You should see:

Rising FCR as the flock ages (normal — older hens are less efficient)
Stable or slowly rising FCR within each production phase (normal)
Sudden FCR spikes (abnormal — investigate immediately)
FCR improvement after management changes (confirming what worked)

The trend is more important than any single number. A flock at FCR 2.3 and improving is in better shape than a flock at 2.1 and rising.

Track your FCR automatically at shira.farm.