Poultry Calculator

The Poultry Calculator is a regionally specific, physical model of broiler chicken production; the purpose of the model is to simulate broiler performance, resource consumption, and environmental impacts. The user interface is designed for ease of use and is equipped with button navigation. Users can virtually design production systems by entering inputs such as broiler breed, ration type, barn design, geographical region, and climate control system design. Upon completing the inputs and running the model, the user is presented with an interactive output page. Broiler performance outputs include feed conversion ratio, interactive cumulative weight gain curve, mortality rates, and litter production information. Resource consumption displays electricity, fossil fuel, and water consumption on an annual, per bird, and per live weight basis. Global warming potential, water depletion, and land occupation output tabs outline the environmental impacts of the operation. Each environmental output tab displays a breakdown of the contributions from different on-farm processes in tabular form and as an interactive pie chart. The model is intended to inform producers, researchers, and industry decision-makers about the effects of on-farm management practices. The aim of this model is to provide a tool that will help the United States poultry industry on its path of continuous improvement. 

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW :

1) To download the Poultry Calculator Application and the Poultry Calculator User Manual, click on the respective links. The link will redirect you to the download web page. You should see the following page after clicking on the Poultry Calculator Application download link (the message simply means that there is not an icon associated with executable files):

Download the Poultry Calculator Application | Download the Poultry Calculator User Manual

2) After clicking the “Download” button, a file save dialog box will appear. Save the file to your desktop or another convenient directory.

3) Navigate to the downloaded file and double click “Poultry Calculator Installer.msi” to start the installation process. You should see the following image:

4) Choose the location where you wish to install the application. The recommended and default location is your desktop (a new folder named Poultry Calculator V4 will be created upon clicking ‘Install’).

5) Once installation is complete, double click the “Start Poultry Calculator” shortcut icon that has been automatically added to your Desktop.

6) At this point, the application should open in your default internet browser.

7) Use the navigation buttons to progress through the simulation; be sure to follow all explicit instructions.

NOTE: Please send any questions, comments, or suggestions to machrist@email.uark.edu. Your opinion is VALUABLE. Input that we receive may result in a more useful or easy-to-use tool! Please DO NOT hesitate to contact Martin Christie at machrist@email.uark.edu. Looking forward to your input!