Poultry project plan: sizing, cost, RFQ and proposal comparison in one page
Every calculator, the RFQ and the proposal-comparison step in the order a commercial poultry project actually needs them — each with worked figures from the same example farm, so you can see how one number feeds the next.
Worked example: 100,000-bird broiler farm, hot climate, grid + backup
The same project is carried through all six steps below.
| Target capacity | 100,000 broilers per cycle |
|---|---|
| Houses | 4 tunnel houses, 120 m × 15 m (1,800 m² each) |
| Stocking density | ≈ 13.9 birds/m² (≈ 33 kg/m² at 2.4 kg live weight) |
| Cycles per year | 6 (35-day grow-out + 14-day turnaround) |
| Climate | Design temperature 38 °C, tunnel ventilation + evaporative cooling |
| Power | Grid + diesel backup sized for full tunnel load |
Step 1 of 6
Size the houses and the flock
Convert the capacity target into house dimensions, stocking density and number of houses. Every later number — ventilation, heating, feed, CAPEX — depends on this being fixed first.
Example figures
| Birds per house | 25,000 |
|---|---|
| House footprint | 120 m × 15 m = 1,800 m² |
| Density | 13.9 birds/m² |
| Houses required | 4 |
Permitted density depends on national regulation and welfare or certification schemes — confirm locally before freezing the layout.
Run it with your own numbers
Step 2 of 6
Size ventilation, cooling and heating
Tunnel airflow, pad area and brooding heat load drive fan counts, pad cooling and gas or biomass heater sizing — and a large share of both CAPEX and running cost.
Example figures
| Tunnel air volume | 1,800 m² × 2.6 m ≈ 4,680 m³ per house |
|---|---|
| Target tunnel velocity | 2.2–2.5 m/s at market weight |
| Fans per house | 10 × 50" fans (≈ 40,000 m³/h each) |
| Evaporative pad | ≈ 45 m² per house at 1.8 m/s face velocity |
| Brooding heat | ≈ 350–450 kW per house at 38 °C swing design |
Indicative sizing for comparison between suppliers — final selection belongs to the equipment engineer against local design temperatures.
Run it with your own numbers
Step 3 of 6
Estimate CAPEX and the investment envelope
Build a package-by-package CAPEX range before talking to any manufacturer, so a proposal that is 30% below the range is recognised as a scope gap, not a bargain.
Example figures
| Houses (structure, insulation, floor) | USD 900,000 – 1,150,000 |
|---|---|
| Equipment (feed, drink, climate, controls) | USD 640,000 – 820,000 |
| Power, backup generator, distribution | USD 150,000 – 240,000 |
| Site works, water, biosecurity | USD 180,000 – 300,000 |
| Freight, installation, commissioning | USD 190,000 – 280,000 |
| Indicative total | USD 2.06M – 2.79M |
AACE Class 4 order-of-magnitude range (−30% / +50%). Use it to test proposals, not to sign one.
Run it with your own numbers
Step 4 of 6
Model feed, FCR and operating cost
Feed is normally 60–70% of lifetime cost. A small FCR or energy difference outweighs most equipment price differences over ten years.
Example figures
| Live weight per cycle | 100,000 × 2.4 kg = 240 t |
|---|---|
| FCR | 1.58 |
| Feed per cycle | ≈ 379 t |
| Feed cost at USD 430/t | ≈ USD 163,000 per cycle |
| Annual feed cost (6 cycles) | ≈ USD 978,000 |
| Effect of 0.05 FCR improvement | ≈ USD 31,000 per year |
Benchmark assumptions only; substitute your own breed performance and local feed prices.
Run it with your own numbers
Step 5 of 6
Write one RFQ that every supplier answers identically
Freeze scope, quantities, standards, delivery terms and documentation in one document. Without it, the proposals that come back are not comparable and the whole exercise restarts.
Example figures
| Scope line | 4 × tunnel-ventilated broiler houses, 25,000 birds each, turnkey equipment |
|---|---|
| Delivery term | CIF Mombasa, Incoterms 2020 |
| Standards | IP55 controls, CE marked fans, 230/400 V 50 Hz |
| Spares | 2 years of consumables and critical spares, priced separately |
| Documentation | Layout drawings, load schedule, O&M manuals, commissioning plan |
| Validity | Price validity 90 days, delivery lead time stated in weeks |
Anything left unstated in the RFQ becomes a variation order after the contract is signed.
Run it with your own numbers
Step 6 of 6
Normalise and compare the proposals
Bring every proposal onto one scope and one lifetime basis: add missing items back in, convert delivery terms, then compare energy, spares and downtime over ten years.
Example figures
| Supplier A — quoted | USD 720,000 CIF |
|---|---|
| Supplier B — quoted | USD 648,000 FOB |
| B + freight, insurance, duty | + USD 74,000 |
| B + generator and controls excluded from scope | + USD 61,000 |
| B normalised | USD 783,000 |
| 10-year energy difference (A more efficient) | − USD 96,000 in A's favour |
Illustrative normalisation to show the method — the headline price was not the lower total.
Run it with your own numbers
After the comparison
Once proposals are normalised, the remaining work is contractual: payment milestones, liquidated damages, spares pricing, commissioning acceptance and warranty scope. HatchMatch is an independent procurement platform — it does not manufacture equipment, does not act as an EPC contractor and does not guarantee supplier performance.
Estimates Only: This calculator is provided for general informational purposes only. Results are approximate and may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information. They do not constitute legal, financial, engineering, tax, technical, or professional advice. Users are solely responsible for independently verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations, and requirements with qualified professionals before making any decisions. By using this calculator, you acknowledge that the website owners, operators, and affiliates accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or decisions resulting from its use.