Who is the Planning Center for?

Farm owners, EPC contractors, consulting engineers, procurement managers, investors and buyers preparing commercial poultry projects — before suppliers are selected.

Are the calculators free?

Yes. Every tool runs locally in your browser with no login and no data leaves your device.

How accurate are the results?

Results are Class-4 planning estimates suitable for feasibility, CAPEX budgeting and RFQ scoping. Detailed engineering must still be validated by a qualified consultant with site-specific data.

Do you help with RFQs and financing?

Yes. HatchMatch is vendor-neutral and opens every RFQ to qualified international suppliers. Financing runs through an independent third-party partner and is subject to that partner's approval.

Can I download templates?

Yes. The Templates Library provides RFQ, specification, budget, timeline, FAT/SAT and supplier evaluation templates.

Project Budget Estimator — How accurate is a Class-4 budget?

Class-4 estimates carry a ±30% accuracy band and are used for feasibility and initial CAPEX planning before detailed engineering.

Project Budget Estimator — Does the budget include equipment and civil works?

Yes. Ranges cover imported equipment, civil works, installation and commissioning; land and finance costs are separate.

Farm Capacity Planner — How many broiler cycles per year are realistic?

5 to 6.5 cycles per year is typical, depending on downtime, sanitary breaks and target slaughter weight.

Farm Capacity Planner — Does the planner support layers?

Yes. It models 72–90 week laying cycles including rearing period and molt strategy where relevant.

Building Size Estimator — What stocking density should I use?

18–22 birds/m² for broilers in temperate climates; 12–15 birds/m² for hot climates or welfare-certified operations.

Building Size Estimator — Is 15 m a good house width?

12–15 m works well with tunnel ventilation; wider houses require larger fan banks and careful airflow modelling.

Expansion Planner — Is upgrading cheaper than new build?

Usually 40–60% of new-build CAPEX per m², but only when structure, biosecurity and utilities can be retained.

Expansion Planner — What limits expansion on an existing site?

Biosecurity zoning, water rights, grid capacity and litter/manure management usually cap on-site expansion.

Project Timeline Planner — How long does a turnkey broiler project take?

9–14 months for a mid-size farm, driven by financing close, equipment lead time and civil works.

Project Timeline Planner — What is on the critical path?

Financing approval, equipment lead time (16–24 weeks) and civil works are almost always on the critical path.

Utility Requirement Planner — How much water does a broiler use?

Peak daily demand near market age is ≈250–320 mL per bird per day; design reservoir to cover 48–72 hours.

Utility Requirement Planner — What backup power is standard?

A diesel genset sized to 100% of critical ventilation, brooding and water pumping load, plus 20–25% margin.

Bird Density Calculator — What is the EU welfare density limit?

EU Directive 2007/43 sets 33–42 kg/m² depending on management conditions.

Bird Density Calculator — Why lower density in hot climates?

Heat stress compounds above ~30 kg/m² in ambient >30°C; lower density preserves growth and welfare.

Feed Storage Calculator — How many days of feed buffer?

7–10 days for well-served sites; 14–21 for remote farms.

Feed Storage Calculator — One silo or two?

Two silos allow feed transition between rations and avoid cross-contamination.

Water Storage Calculator — Buffer beyond peak?

48–72 hours standard; longer if borehole depends on grid pumps.

Water Storage Calculator — On-site chlorination?

Yes — inline chlorine or UV to control biofilm and pathogens.

Ventilation Capacity Estimator — What ACH for tunnel?

60–90 ACH peak, ≥2.5 m/s wind speed across the birds.

Ventilation Capacity Estimator — Cross vs tunnel?

Tunnel is standard above 25°C; cross is cheaper but limits max bird weight in hot climates.

Heating Load Estimator — Placement temperature?

32–34°C at floor level for day-old chicks; drop 2–3°C per week to 21°C by day 21.

Heating Load Estimator — Radiant or forced-air?

Radiant reduces energy 20–40% vs forced-air but needs ceiling clearance and gas supply.

Generator Sizing Calculator — Starting factor?

1.3–1.6× running kW when multiple tunnel fans start on ATS.

Generator Sizing Calculator — Prime or standby?

Standby is standard for grid-parallel farms; prime is required if the genset runs >200 h/year.

Fuel Storage Estimator — Days of diesel?

72 h at 100% load minimum; remote sites 7–14 days.

Fuel Storage Estimator — LPG or diesel for brooding?

LPG cleaner and lowers ventilation load; diesel often cheaper but dirtier.

RFQ Readiness Score — Why do RFQs get ignored?

Missing capacity, Incoterms, timeline and financing status make suppliers deprioritise the RFQ.

RFQ Readiness Score — How high should the score be?

85%+ is supplier-ready; below 60% expect vague quotes or silence.

Supplier Comparison Matrix — Weight price or lead time higher?

For financed projects with fixed drawdown, lead time and warranty outrank raw price.

Supplier Comparison Matrix — Service coverage checks?

Local spare parts stock, mean time to respond, language coverage of field engineers.

Technical Specification Builder — Which Incoterms are standard?

CIF or CPT to destination port is standard; DAP/DDP when supplier handles inland delivery.

Technical Specification Builder — What triggers acceptance?

Site Acceptance Test (SAT) with documented performance against contractual specification.

Equipment Checklist — Vary by climate?

Yes. Hot climates need cooling pads and more fans; cold climates need heat recovery.

Equipment Checklist — What is forgotten?

Feed weighing, water meters, backup controllers and biosecurity gates.

Shipping Planning Tool — 40'HC or 20'?

40' HC dominates due to fan and silo volumes; 20' for dense small parts.

Shipping Planning Tool — Landed cost surprises?

Port fees, inland trucking and customs add 10–18% to FOB.

Tender Preparation Guide — Two-envelope vs single?

Two-envelope (technical then commercial) is standard for donor tenders above ~US$500k.

Tender Preparation Guide — Pre-qualification criteria?

Similar-size references, in-country service capacity, audited financials 3 years.

CAPEX Calculator — How much contingency?

10–15% at Class-4; drop to 5–8% only after detailed engineering.

CAPEX Calculator — Optimistic vs pessimistic?

Pessimistic adds ~20% on equipment and civil for FX and lead-time inflation.

Operating Cost Calculator — Biggest OPEX line for broilers?

Feed accounts for 60–70% of OPEX at typical corn/soy prices.

Operating Cost Calculator — Where do farms lose margin?

Poor feed conversion, high mortality and undersized ventilation.

ROI & Payback Calculator — Typical broiler payback?

4–7 years for well-run integrated broiler farms.

ROI & Payback Calculator — Why does ROI vary?

Feed price, live-bird price, mortality and financing terms.

Financing Estimate — Rates guaranteed?

No. Every offer is subject to the independent financing partner's approval.

Financing Estimate — ECA-backed or commercial?

Both. ECA cover extends tenor to 7–10 years for eligible countries and equipment.

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Project Planning

Project Budget Estimator

Class-4 CAPEX range by flock size, bird type and construction level.

Professional Poultry Engineering, Procurement & Planning Center

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Feed Storage Calculator

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