Financial Tracking for Your Flock

Know Your Numbers

Whether you're curious about your actual cost per egg or running a small chicken business, Flockstar's financial tracking helps you understand the real economics of your operation. Track everything from feed costs to egg sales with detailed categorization and analytics.

1. Financial Tracking Overview

Flockstar separates your finances into two main areas: expenses (money going out) and sales (money coming in). Both are organized by categories and can be optionally assigned to specific flocks, giving you detailed insights into your operation's profitability.

Expense Categories

Track all costs associated with your hobby or operation

Feed: Starter, grower, layer feed
Bedding: Shavings, straw, sand
Housing: Coops, runs, hardware
Medicine: Treatments, supplements
Live Birds: Chicks, pullets, breeding stock
Hatching: Incubator supplies, equipment
Poultry: Processing costs
Misc: Everything else

Sale Categories

Track all revenue for your small business or side hustle

Eggs: Table egg sales
Hatching Eggs: Fertile egg sales
Live Birds: Chick and bird sales
Poultry: Meat bird sales
Consumed: Value of eggs/meat used
Donation: Value of donated products
Misc: Other revenue streams

Flock-Based Organization

Every expense and sale can be optionally assigned to a specific flock, allowing you to compare profitability between breeds, age groups, or breeding programs. See which parts of your operation are most cost-effective.

2. Tracking Expenses

Consistent expense tracking is the foundation of understanding your true costs. Flockstar makes it easy to log expenses as they happen or batch-enter them from receipts.

Adding a New Expense

Navigate to the Finances section
Tap orange action button (+) to add a new expense
Choose expense category from the dropdown list
Set the date (defaults to today)
Enter the amount spent
Assign the vendor: Pick from previously entered or add a new one
Add notes (optional)
Select the flock this expense relates to (optional)
Add a photo or the receipt or paperwork (optional)
Save the expense

Feed Expense Example

Most common expense category

Flock: "Laying Hens"
Category: Feed
Amount: $24.99
Vendor: "Tractor Supply"
Notes: "50lb layer crumbles"

Housing Expense Example

One-time infrastructure investment

Flock: Not assigned
Category: Housing
Amount: $127.50
Vendor: "Home Depot"
Notes: "Hardware cloth & lumber for run"

Expense Tracking Tips

Log expenses immediately: Use your phone right at the store
Include vendor info: Helps track where your money is going
Use detailed notes: "50lb layer feed" vs just "feed"
Don't forget one-time costs: Initial coop setup, equipment purchases

3. Recording Sales and Revenue

Sales tracking covers everything from egg sales to bird sales, and even the value of products you consume yourself. This complete picture helps you understand the true value your flock provides.

Adding a New Sale

Navigate to the Finances section
Tap orange action button (+) to add a new sale
Choose sale category from the dropdown list
Set the date (defaults to today)
Enter the amount received
Add dozens (for egg sales): Helps calculate price per dozen
Assign the customer: Pick from previously entered or add a new one
Add notes (optional)
Select the flock this sale relates to (optional)
Add a photo or the receipt or paperwork (optional)
Save the sale record

Sales Tracking Best Practices

Record immediately: Log sales right after transactions
Include consumption: Track eggs/meat your family uses
Note regular customers: Build customer relationship data
Track seasonal patterns: Notice peak and slow periods
Separate categories: Keep table eggs separate from hatching eggs

4. Understanding Your Financial Analytics

Once you have expense and sales data, Flockstar provides helpful analytics to help you understand profitability, cost trends, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Profit & Loss

Overall financial performance

• Total revenue by period
• Total expenses by period
• Net profit/loss
• Trends over time

Cost Analysis

Detailed cost breakdowns

• Cost per egg produced
• Expense category breakdown
• Cost trends by flock

Revenue Analysis

Income source breakdown

• Revenue by category
• Sales by customer
• Customer analysis

5. Advanced Financial Management

With consistent tracking, you can implement more sophisticated financial analysis to optimize your operation and make data-driven decisions about your flock.

Seasonal Planning

Use historical data to plan for seasonal variations:

• Identify peak laying seasons
• Plan for winter feed cost increases
• Schedule major expenses during high-revenue periods
• Adjust pricing based on market trends
• Budget for heating/cooling costs

Flock Comparison

Compare profitability between different flocks:

• Cost per egg by breed
• Revenue per bird by age group
• Break-even time by flock
• Feed efficiency comparisons
• ROI on breeding programs

6. Business Records

Whether you're tracking for hobby interest or running a small business, Flockstar's financial records can help with tax preparation and business planning.

Business Expense Tracking

Export your data for easy integration with tax preparation software or provide to your accountant.

Record Keeping

Maintain detailed vendor information and notes for audit trail purposes. The timestamp and date tracking provides the documentation needed for business record requirements.

Data Export

Export your financial data to CSV format for integration with accounting software like QuickBooks, Excel analysis, or tax preparation tools.

7. Editing and Deleting Financial Entries

Made an error in an expense or sale entry? The Activity screen provides an easy way to find, edit, or delete any financial transaction. This calendar view shows all your activities with color-coded dots for different entry types.

How to Edit or Delete a Financial Entry

Navigate to the Activity screen from the bottom tab bar
Locate the day containing the entry you need to change
Tap on that day in the calendar
Find your expense or sale entry in the list
Tap the 3-dot icon next to the entry
Choose "Edit" to modify or "Delete" to remove

Filter by type: Use the "Activity Types" filter at the top of the Activity screen to show only expenses or sales, making it easier to find specific financial entries.

Common Financial Entry Corrections

Wrong amount: Correct typos in expense or sale amounts
Wrong category: Move expenses between Feed, Housing, Medicine, etc.
Wrong flock: Reassign expenses or sales to the correct flock
Missing vendor: Add vendor information to expense entries
Duplicate entries: Delete accidental duplicate transactions
Wrong date: Move entries to the correct day

Common Financial Tracking Questions

"Should I track every single expense, even small ones?"

Yes! Small expenses add up quickly. A $3 bag of treats here, a $5 supplement there - these "minor" costs can significantly impact your true cost per egg. Track everything for 2-3 months to get an accurate baseline.

"How do I handle startup costs like coop construction?"

Log all startup costs as Housing expenses in your first flock. These one-time investments will amortize over time as your flock produces. You can also create a separate "Startup" flock to isolate these initial investments.

"What if I don't sell anything - should I still track finances?"

Absolutely! Use the "Consumed" category to track the market value of eggs and meat your family uses. This shows the real value your flock provides and helps justify the expenses to skeptical family members!

"My cost per egg seems really high - is this normal?"

Early costs are always high due to startup expenses and young birds not yet laying. Most flocks break even around month 8-12. Focus on trends rather than absolute numbers in the first year.

Want to do more with your numbers?

Pair financial tracking with these features to turn raw entries into actionable insights:

Egg Tracking

Combine production and finance to see true cost per egg and revenue per bird.

Learn More: Egg Tracking Guide →

Breeding & Lineage

Tie offspring sales and improved genetics back to your program costs.

Learn More: Breeding Records Guide →

Expense Reminders

Automate recurring costs (feed, bedding, supplies) with scheduled tasks.

Learn More: Task Management Guide →

Hatching Economics

Compare the cost of raising chicks to buying pullets or day‑olds.

Learn More: Hatching Guide →