send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we break poultry husbandry down into something simple, practical, and proven: the rule of threes.

Every bird goes through three critical stages of life — incubation, brooding, and grow-out — and in each stage, there are three things that matter most. Miss them, and problems follow. Get them right, and everything gets easier.

We dive into:

• Egg selection for better hatches (size, shape, shell quality, and why pullet eggs are a hard no)
• Why constant candling hurts more than it helps — and when checking eggs actually makes sense
• Turning, tilting, airflow, and avoiding incubator disasters
• Brooding basics done right: heat, dryness, airflow, and why floors matter more than people think
• Heat lamps vs brooder plates and how different species really behave
• Grow-out fundamentals: feeder space, moisture control, and consistent growth
• Why we don’t medicate, how natural selection strengthens flocks, and what ethical culling really means
• Common myths, bad habits, and hard truths most breeders won’t say out loud

This episode is equal parts education, experience, and straight talk — no gimmicks, no hype, just what actually works in real barns with real birds.

Whether you raise chickens, quail, turkeys, or gamefowl, this episode will help you hatch stronger chicks, brood them cleaner, and grow them out healthier.

👉 Like, subscribe, and share — and if this helped even one bird do better, it was worth it.

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

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EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

In this episode, we’re talking about how to scale from hobby quail-keeping to a real business—without getting burned by scammers, chargebacks, or platform fees.

Carrie’s back from travel (and we’re recording during an ice storm), so we’re using that momentum to break down the practical business side of quail: how to start selling, how to get paid safely, where to sell online, and how to price correctly when fees stack up. Even if you raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, or other poultry, the same business principles apply.

What we cover:

• The 3 types of poultry people you’ll run into (and why it matters for learning & scaling)
• Payment processors: PayPal, Venmo, Zelle — what they do and what they don’t protect
• Why “Friends & Family” payments are a major red flag for buyers
• Purchase protection fees (and why sellers must price for them like any other cost of doing business)
• The buyer/seller trust balance: shipping risk, fair expectations, and chargebacks
• Selling platforms: Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Shopify, Squarespace (pros, cons, and what fees really cost)
• Why websites are never “set it and forget it” (and when platform fees might be worth it)
• The importance of reviews: reading them, leaving honest ones, and building long-term credibility

If you want more business scaling strategy and quail-specific education, check out Quail Mania (free): quailmania.com.

Email us:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Or: [email protected]

#Quail #QuailFarming #CoturnixQuail #HatchingEggs #PoultryBusiness #SmallFarmBusiness #FarmMarketing #EtsySeller #eBaySeller #Shopify #Squarespace #PayPal #Venmo #Zelle #Hatching #Incubation #Homesteading #BackyardFarming #PoultryNerdsPodcast #QuailMania

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we sit down with HP Murray of Gopher Ridge Farms for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about raising quail, building efficient farm systems, and how quail math can turn a small hobby into a full-time operation.

HP shares his journey from growing up on a farm, stepping away from agriculture, and then returning to it through quail after retirement. From early brooding mistakes to importing German quail lines, this episode is packed with real-world experience you won’t find in a textbook.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• How HP got started raising quail and what he learned the hard way
• Why quail quickly become a 7-day-a-week commitment
• Importing quail eggs from Germany and introducing new genetics
• Building your own quail lines through selection instead of constantly adding “new blood”
• Designing a brooder house for heat, ventilation, and ammonia control
• Moving away from stacked cages to a low-maintenance, one-level cage system
• Why automatic waterers can dramatically reduce daily labor
• Raising and managing gamebirds like chukars and bobwhites
• Lessons learned from decades of breeding, hatching, and scaling production

Whether you raise quail for eggs, meat, breeding, or business, this episode offers practical insight from someone who has lived it—mistakes, successes, and all.

👉 Subscribe to the Poultry Nerds Podcast for real poultry education, honest conversations, and experience-based learning.

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we break down the celadon gene, explain how true blue eggs are formed, and clear up common myths surrounding celadon quail breeding. From genetics and egg shell pigmentation to breeding mistakes and record-keeping challenges, this episode delivers real education without the fluff.

We discuss:

• What the celadon gene actually does
• Why blue eggs are blue all the way through
• The difference between true blue lines and random blue eggs
• Why celadons are NOT harder to hatch
• The importance of proper egg selection
• How recessive genetics impact celadon breeding
• Why plumage color does NOT indicate celadon genetics
• Why older hens lay lighter blue eggs
• Common social media myths about blue eggs and celadons

We also explain why many people unknowingly sell celadon carriers instead of true celadons, and how improper breeding can ruin a celadon program.

This episode is part of our Quail Mania countdown, leading up to one of the biggest quail education events of the year.

🎟️ Join Quail Mania (Free or VIP):
https://www.quailmania.com

Whether you’re new to quail or working toward a true blue celadon line, this episode will help you understand the science, genetics, and practical realities behind celadon quail eggs.

👉 Subscribe to the Poultry Nerds Podcast for honest poultry education and myth-busting conversations.

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we’re joined by Brie—agricultural engineering student, software developer, and creator of the Poultry Pro app—to explore how data, genetics, and technology are transforming modern poultry breeding.

Brie shares how her background in agricultural engineering and livestock systems led her from managing endless spreadsheets to building Poultry Pro, a powerful yet easy-to-use platform designed specifically for poultry keepers. Whether you raise backyard chickens, quail, or large breeding flocks, this episode breaks down how tracking the right information can save time, improve results, and increase profitability.

We cover how Poultry Pro helps poultry breeders:

• Track egg production, fertility, hatchability, and feed usage
• Manage individual birds, flocks, pedigrees, and genetic traits
• Monitor health checks and condition scores before problems arise
• Calculate cost per egg, cost per bird, and overall farm profitability
• Export financial data for Schedule F and farm records
• Benchmark performance against real breeder averages

We also discuss the challenges of building agricultural apps, why mobile apps matter for today’s breeders, and how data-driven decision-making leads to stronger, healthier birds.

If you want to stop guessing and start breeding with confidence, this episode is packed with practical insight and real-world poultry knowledge you can apply immediately.

poultry podcast, poultry breeding, Poultry Pro, chicken genetics, quail breeding, poultry data tracking, backyard chickens, poultry health, farm management software, poultry records, livestock technology, agricultural engineering, precision farming, poultry finances, Schedule F, Quail Mania, Poultry Nerds

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

Happy New Year and welcome to Year 3 of the Poultry Nerds Podcast! 🎉
We just crossed 50,000 downloads, and in this episode we’re celebrating by looking back at 2025, looking ahead to 2026, and breaking down why quail are becoming one of the smartest poultry choices today.

We officially announce Quail Mania 2, a free, two-day online quail education event packed with expert speakers, real-world knowledge, giveaways, and incubation insight — from first egg to freezer or business.

In this episode, we cover:

• What we learned from launching the first Quail Mania
• Why quail are easier, faster, and more efficient than chickens
• Real timelines: incubation, growth, laying, and harvest
• Feed-to-meat cost comparisons (real numbers)
• Why quail are perfect for small spaces and urban setups
• How quail fit modern homesteading and food planning
• What to expect from Quail Mania 2 in February

Whether you’re a chicken keeper curious about quail, a homesteader looking for efficient protein, or someone ready to scale quail production up or down — this episode gives you clarity and a plan.

🎟️ Quail Mania 2
📅 February 14–15
🎥 Free to attend all weekend
🎁 Giveaways, expert speakers, incubation education
👉 Learn more & register: quailmania.com

quail farming, raising quail, quail eggs, quail meat, backyard quail, homesteading podcast, poultry podcast, small scale farming, quail incubation, quail vs chickens, urban homestead, sustainable protein, poultry education, quail business, quail hatching

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

Merry Christmas from the hosts of the Poultry Nerds Podcast!
In this special Christmas Day episode, Carrie and Jennifer take a moment to say thank you to the incredible listeners around the world who have supported the show over the past two years.

What started as a simple weekly conversation about chickens, quail, turkeys, and poultry life has grown into a global community with over 50,000 downloads, educational courses, live events, and so much more. In this short and heartfelt episode, we reflect on the unexpected growth of the podcast, share some lighthearted farm stories (including winter eggs and confused birds), and give a sneak peek at exciting plans coming in 2026.

Whether you raise backyard chickens, gamefowl, quail, turkeys, or simply love learning about poultry, this episode is our way of saying thank you and wishing you and your flock a very Merry Christmas.

🎧 Visit poultrynerdspodcast.com to explore episodes, courses, and events — all in one place.

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

What really happens to the rest of the bird after processing? In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, Carey and Jennifer dive deep into nose-to-tail poultry utilization—breaking down how quail, chickens, turkeys, and even manure can be used with little to no waste.

From feeding pigs and dogs, making dehydrated pet treats, bone broth, schmaltz, bone meal, compost, garden fertilizer, and even crafts and jewelry—this episode pulls back the curtain on sustainable, homestead-style poultry processing. You’ll learn how to turn a single bird into food, supplements, soil improvement, and long-term value instead of waste.

Whether you raise quail, chickens, turkeys, or just want to be a more intentional poultry keeper, this episode will completely change how you look at “the rest of the bird.”

poultry processing, nose to tail poultry, what to do with chicken carcasses, quail processing tips, turkey processing at home, bone broth from poultry, poultry sustainability, homesteading with poultry, zero waste poultry, chicken bone broth, quail homesteading, using chicken manure, composting poultry waste, poultry pet treats, instant pot bone broth, freeze drying broth, heritage turkey processing, poultry nutrition education, backyard poultry podcast

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

Christian from QuailOS joins Jennifer this week in a discussion about tracking chicken and quail expenses.  In the next episode of our Business Episodes, Christian has been making quail a profession for 5 years!  Now he is here to share his latest product that can help you move from backyard chicken keeper to business.  From counting hatching eggs to printing shipping labels, this ap does it all. 

Find out more at QuailOS.com

Valley Hatchery is a proud sponsor of Poultry Nerds, find more at ValleyHatchery.com

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]

send us an email and be sure to include your address so we can respond!

In this episode of Poultry Nerds, we sit down with Dr. M — our resident poultry vet — to get real about worms in backyard flocks.  From the most common culprits (roundworms, tapeworms, cecal worms) to why a fecal float test matters, Dr. M breaks down:

• ✅ What types of worms chickens typically get — and how common each is. 
  
  
• 🔬 How a fecal flotation test works: mixing droppings with solution so worm eggs rise — then viewing under a microscope to spot the parasites. 
  
  
• 🎯 Why even free-range birds can have worms — and how worm eggs can linger in soil for years, reinfecting flocks. 
  
  
• 🧹 Best practices for prevention: quarantine new birds, rotate pasture, clean or turn over soil — plus when to consider deworming. 
  
  
• ⚠️ The risks of heavy worm loads — from reduced egg production to intestinal blockages, poor growth, or even death. 
  
  

If you raise chickens — whether a small flock or a full backyard setup — this is essential listening. 🐣

➡️ Timestamps

• 0:00 — Intro & quick background on Dr. M
• 2:15 — Cold weather & worms — do they survive?
• 5:30 — What a fecal float test is & how to get one done
• 10:00 — Common worms: roundworms, tapeworms, cecal worms
• 16:45 — How worms spread & contaminate soil
• 22:00 — Treatment, dewormers, and why you must check withdrawal times
• 26:30 — Prevention: spacing, rotation, biosecurity
• 30:00 — Q&A: eggs, worms, wild birds, and natural remedies

Don’t forget: check the show notes for a link to the approved-meds site (FARAD.org) when using dewormers — especially for birds you plan to eat or collect eggs from.

Support the show

Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

Join us on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/PoultryNerds

Sign up for News at PoultryNerds.com

EggFoam.com get your egg shippers and live shipping boxes and always get free shipping!

ShowPro feed supplement for all your feathered friends! Grow them bigger and healthier with the best ingredients.

Coturnix Quail hatching eggs from Bryant's Roost, including jumbo celadons!

Quail cartons and Supplies from Double R Farms

Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we appreciate you.  And if you have a subject request, email us. [email protected]