Feed typically accounts for 65–70% of the total cost of producing a broiler in Kenya. This means FCR — the ratio of feed consumed to weight gained — is the number that most directly determines whether your batch makes money.
What Is FCR?
FCR = Total Feed Consumed (kg) ÷ Total Weight Gained (kg)A batch that ate 4,000 kg of feed and gained 2,000 kg of live weight has an FCR of 2.0.
Lower is better. An FCR of 1.7 is excellent. An FCR of 2.3 means you're spending 35% more on feed per kg of output.
Kenyan Benchmarks
| Bird Type | Excellent | Good | Poor |
|---|
| Ross 308 Broiler | < 1.75 | 1.75–2.0 | > 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobb 500 | < 1.72 | 1.72–1.95 | > 1.95 |
| Improved Kienyeji | < 3.5 | 3.5–4.0 | > 4.0 |
What Drives FCR Up?
- Sub-standard feed quality — poor protein digestibility means birds eat more to meet nutritional needs
- Incorrect feeding phase — using starter feed in the finisher phase wastes money; using finisher feed in starter phase slows early growth
- Water restriction — birds need 2× their feed weight in water. Less water = less feed consumed and slower growth
- Disease — any respiratory or enteric disease diverts energy from growth
- Cold stress — birds burn feed calories to maintain body temperature instead of gaining weight
How to Track It on e-Poultry
Log your daily feed amounts in the Feed Log tab. The batch dashboard calculates your running FCR automatically and compares it to the breed benchmark.
A sustained upward trend in FCR (getting worse) is usually an early warning sign of disease or nutritional issue — often before you see visible symptoms.