Farms, ranches & agritourism
Books and taxes for poultry and egg farms.
A weekly egg subscription paid by regular customers, a processing day that turns broilers into freezer-ready meat, and feed costs that never stop no matter how the flock is laying. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
May came in at $4,800. The processing day cost for this month's broiler batch got logged against that batch, not general feed costs.
- Weekly egg subscription payoutsEgg sales
- Farmers market broiler salesProcessed poultry sales
- Layer feed deliveryFeed and feed supplement
- Mobile processing day feeProcessing costs
- Egg cartons, packaging supplierPackaging
Why your books are different
Poultry and egg farm books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a farm stand selling eggs. Your business often runs two flocks at once, layers producing eggs every week and broilers raised for a processing date months out, and feed costs keep coming whether or not either flock is at its most productive. When the books do not separate those, you cannot tell what a batch of birds actually cost against what it earned.
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1
Layer and broiler income get rung up together
A weekly egg subscription payment and a customer buying a whole processed broiler both look like farm income on the bank statement, but they come from two different flocks with very different costs and timelines.
What we doKeeps egg sales and processed poultry sales in their own lines, so you can see what each flock actually contributes. -
2
A broiler batch's feed cost gets spread across the whole year
Feed for a batch of broilers raised over eight to twelve weeks gets bought steadily during that window, but if it is not tied to that specific batch, the books cannot show what raising that group of birds actually cost against what selling them brought in.
What we doTracks feed costs against the batch and its processing date, so you can see what one round of broilers really cost to raise. -
3
Processing day costs look like a routine expense
A mobile processing service or a trip to a small processor costs real money on a specific day, but on a bank statement it can blend into general farm costs instead of showing up as what it took to turn birds into product.
What we doKeeps processing costs in their own line, tied to the batch, so you can see the full cost of getting a bird from the pasture to the freezer. -
4
Egg production swings by season, and the books do not explain why
Layers naturally produce fewer eggs in winter and more in spring and summer, so a slow winter month can look like a problem with the flock instead of a normal seasonal dip.
What we doTracks egg sales against the season, so a winter slowdown reads as normal laying patterns, not trouble. -
5
Brooding and coop infrastructure get filed as feed supplies
A new brooder setup, mobile coop, or electric fencing for rotational grazing costs real money and lasts for years, but on a bank statement it can look like just another feed or supply purchase.
What we doFlags brooder, coop, and fencing purchases the month they show up and logs them as equipment, not supplies.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a poultry and egg farm.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Egg salesWeekly subscriptions, farmers market sales, and direct egg sales by the dozen.
- Processed poultry salesWhole broilers or cut-up chicken sold after a processing day.
- Live bird salesChicks, pullets, or started birds sold to other small flock owners.
- Manure and compost salesComposted litter sold to gardeners or other growers.
- Farm tour or workshop feesVisitors paying for a coop tour or a small flock-keeping class.
Money out
- Feed and feed supplementLayer and broiler feed, grit, and supplements, the largest ongoing cost.
- Processing costsMobile processing service fees or trips to a small processor, tied to each batch.
- Brooding and coop equipmentBrooders, mobile coops, and fencing, logged so they get written off right.
- Chick and pullet stockDay-old chicks or started pullets bought to refresh the flock.
- PackagingEgg cartons, labels, and freezer bags for processed birds.
- Predator controlFencing, netting, and guard animal costs to protect the flock.
- Veterinary and flock healthVaccinations, medications, and the occasional flock health visit.
What we watch for you
- Layer vs. broiler mix
How much comes from egg sales versus processed poultry, so you know which flock to grow.
- Feed cost per batch
What a specific broiler batch cost to feed, tracked against what selling it brought in.
- Egg production by season
How laying rates move through the year, so a winter dip reads as normal, not a problem.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things poultry and egg farm owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
I keep egg sales and processed poultry sales in their own lines, so you can see what each flock actually brings in.
No. I track egg sales against the season, so a winter dip reads as normal laying patterns, not trouble.
Usually it can. I logged it as equipment, not a feed supply, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of a poultry and egg farm.
Most of what goes wrong here is tracking two flocks at once. Broiler batch costs blended into general feed, coop equipment filed like supplies, and a set-aside nobody started until tax season.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Schedule F farm incomeRaising poultry and selling eggs generally lands on Schedule F instead of the Schedule C a typical small business files, which changes how income and certain costs are handled.
- Equipment and coop infrastructureBrooders, mobile coops, and fencing can usually be written off, sometimes the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099s for processing helpAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 for processing day help gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- State egg licensing and inspectionSelling eggs directly often requires a state license or grading exemption, and rules vary by state, so Gus flags this for the accountant rather than guessing at a specific rule.
Deductions poultry and egg farms miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Layer and broiler feed
- Grit and feed supplements
- Egg cartons and labels
- Mobile processing fees
- Chick and pullet stock
- Predator fencing and netting
- Coop and brooder repair
- Veterinary and flock medications
- Farmers market stall fees
- Freezer bags for processed birds
- Liability insurance
- Feeder and waterer replacement
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A poultry and egg farm year, kept every month.
Layers keep a steady rhythm while broiler batches come and go on their own schedule. Your taxes come on a schedule of their own. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the processing help 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so egg and batch income funds it evenly.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed before spring chick orders and the busiest laying months begin.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at midyear, and whether egg subscriptions and broiler batches are keeping pace with feed costs.
- October
Before winter
Gus looks at coop or fencing upgrades worth doing before winter and flags what this year's numbers say about pricing eggs and birds.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for poultry and egg farms. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions poultry and egg farm owners ask first.
Can Gus tell egg sales apart from processed poultry sales?
Yes. He keeps egg sales and processed bird sales in their own categories, so you can see what each flock actually contributes.
Can Gus track what one specific batch of broilers cost to raise?
Yes. Feed and processing costs get tied to the batch and its processing date, so you can see what that group of birds really cost against what selling them brought in.
Do I have to change how I sell eggs or take subscription payments?
No. Keep selling eggs and taking subscription payments your usual way. Gus sorts deposits from your bank statement, and a payment he cannot place between the layers and the broilers gets one question.
Our egg sales drop every winter. Will that look like a problem?
It shouldn't. Gus tracks egg sales against the season, so a winter dip reads as normal laying patterns, not trouble with the flock.
Is a new mobile coop or brooder written off all at once?
Usually. A mobile coop or brooder bought for the flock typically qualifies for a full write-off the year you buy it, though some seasons call for spreading the cost. Gus flags it and hands the decision to the accountant.
Do I need a license to sell eggs directly?
Rules vary a lot by state, so Gus flags it and the accountant helps you sort out what applies where you sell.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever