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What starts with a few backyard chickens can spiral into a full-scale farming operation before you even know what hit you. In this kickoff episode of Next Level Nerds: From Hobby to Hustle, hosts Jennifer and Carey get real about how they each went from “just a few birds” to running multi-layered ag businesses — from breeding, shipping, and selling hatching eggs to creating feed brands, running delivery routes, and launching podcasts.

If you’ve ever wondered how to offset your feed bill (or justify those extra goats), this episode is for you. Whether you’re looking to start selling eggs, launch a side hustle, or go full-time farmpreneur, this series is your crash course in turning passion into profit—without losing the joy in the process.

hobby farming, poultry business, homestead income, farm side hustle, backyard chickens, hatching eggs, selling chicks, farm entrepreneurship, gamefowl business, quail farming, small farm startup, farm podcast, farm business ideas, NPIP, breeding poultry, livestock business, homestead to business

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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

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In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we’re joined by Danny from the Chicken Coop Company to talk all things predator prevention for backyard chickens. Whether you're battling raccoons, foxes, coyotes, or the real danger—your neighbor’s dog—this episode breaks down practical, real-world solutions to protect your flock.

We discuss coop design features that work, the best materials to use (like hardware cloth vs. chicken wire), how predators behave (from raccoons to hawks), and why infrastructure matters more than people realize. You’ll also hear some wild stories—from dogs trained not to chase chickens, to building coops strong enough to deter even the craftiest critters.

🔨 Coop building tips
 🛡️ Anti-dig barriers and predator aprons
 🦊 How foxes, raccoons, and hawks break in
 📦 Shipping coops that assemble like IKEA
 🐔 What not to do if you want to keep chickens safe

Don’t miss this funny, info-packed episode that’s perfect for both beginners and seasoned poultry pros.

chicken coop predator proofing, backyard chicken safety tips, raccoon proof chicken coop, chicken wire vs hardware cloth, how to keep chickens safe, predator apron for chicken coop, best chicken coop for backyard, chicken coop design tips, chicken predator prevention, Chicken Coop Company podcast, poultry nerds podcast

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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

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In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we're joined by Jessica from The Gypsy Hen, a passionate poultry breeder with over 300 birds, including Americanas, Silkies, Morans, Cochins, and more! We dive into what it’s like managing over 30 breeding pens, navigating poultry shows, using incubators like the GQF Sportsman 1502, and preparing for exhibition season. Jessica shares real talk about chicken math, double mating for patterned varieties like Silver Duckwing Americanas, and tips for first-time poultry exhibitors. Whether you're showing backyard birds or raising serious breeders, this episode is packed with practical insights and laughs.

poultry show tips, chicken breeding podcast, how to show chickens, gypsy hen farm, bantam breeding, Americana chickens, game bird exhibition, poultry show checklist, poultry incubator tips, GQF Sportsman 1502, chicken math podcast, double mating chickens, showing patterned poultry, NPIP certified breeders, hatching eggs for sale USA

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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

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Join Carey and Jennifer in this lively episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast as they crack open the secrets to successful summertime hatching! Discover essential tips on humidity control, preventing common incubator mistakes, and the hilarious realities of poultry parenting. From handling incubator maintenance (without breaking the bank) to navigating humidity spikes, this episode equips you with practical solutions to improve your hatch rates. Plus, enjoy some entertaining "egg-ventures" and cautionary tales from the world of poultry social media. Tune in for laughs, learning, and lots of poultry wisdom!

Keywords:
Summertime hatching, incubator humidity, poultry incubation tips, incubator cleaning, chick hatching humidity, poultry podcast, humidity control incubators, troubleshooting incubators, dry hatching, egg candling tips, hatch rates improvement, backyard poultry, incubator airflow, poultry care, beginner incubation tips

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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

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In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we're diving deep into the world of Welsh Harlequin ducks with returning guest Tyrel, a seasoned breeder and duck enthusiast. 🦆 From the breed's unique Tennessee import history to the auto-sexing traits, color phase differences (silver vs. gold), and the nuances of eclipse vs. nuptial plumage, this episode is packed with insight for both beginners and serious waterfowl breeders.

Tyrell shares stories from showing against legendary breeders, gives tips on selecting for correct bill and leg color, and explains why type matters more than color in sustainable breeding programs. We also break down how to tell a quality Harlequin from hatch, why mentorship in poultry breeding is invaluable, and the importance of staying a lifelong student of the hobby.

Whether you're a duck keeper, breeder, or just duck-curious—this episode is for you!

🌐 Visit us at www.poultrynerdspodcast.com
🐣 Brought to you by ShowPro Farm Supply – Feed the Difference.

Welsh Harlequin ducks, duck breeding tips, poultry podcast, auto-sexing ducks, duck color genetics, duck showing, waterfowl care, beginner duck breeding, poultry mentorship, exhibition ducks

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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

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💩 Welcome to the Poultry Nerds Podcast — where no question is too weird and no topic too gross to cover… especially when it comes to poop!

In this explosively informative episode, we're joined by the legendary Jeff Mattocks, poultry nutrition expert and feed formulator, to answer the #1 mystery in backyard poultry: "What the crap is wrong with my bird?"

Jeff breaks down:

• What normal vs. abnormal chicken manure looks like
• Signs of mycotoxins in poultry feed and droppings
• The truth about wet feed, fermentation, and feed spoilage
• How to recognize Clostridium, coccidiosis, and nutritional imbalances
• Why apple cider vinegar is not the enemy
• The power of Redmond Conditioner and natural mycotoxin binders
• Secrets to interpreting color, texture, and smell of poultry poop
• Why poop tells the story of your flock’s health

We also laugh through talk of pigs, turkeys, ducks, and why raising poultry is just like raising kids — only more rewarding.

📌 Whether you're a backyard poultry keeper, show bird enthusiast, or just curious about what your chicken’s poop is telling you — this is one you do not want to miss.

✅ Subscribe to Poultry Nerds Podcast for more poultry education, expert interviews, and hilarious deep dives into the science of birds, feed, health, and more.

chicken poop analysis, poultry mycotoxins, Jeff Maddox poultry, abnormal chicken droppings, what chicken poop means, coccidiosis in chickens, mycotoxins in feed, Redmond conditioner poultry, duck poop explained, Clostridium chickens, chicken health tips, chicken feed safety, poultry manure signs, backyard chicken care, interpreting poultry poop, apple cider vinegar chickens

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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

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Join us for an exciting episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast as we dive deep into the highlights and behind-the-scenes secrets of the 2025 Pips n Chicks Virtual Poultry Show with special guest Breanna Patz. Discover insider tips on winning poultry competitions, understand judging criteria, and learn how to prepare your flock for virtual shows. Whether you’re an experienced breeder or new to poultry competitions, this episode is packed with expert advice, practical insights, and fun poultry show stories that will help you elevate your birds to champion status!

Keywords: Pips n Chicks, virtual poultry show, poultry competition tips, Breanna Patz, poultry judging criteria, champion poultry breeding, preparing poultry for show, Poultry Nerds Podcast, virtual livestock events, chicken show prep!

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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

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In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we welcome a passionate and knowledgeable guest — Tyrel Thurston — for his first-ever podcast appearance! Based in Montana and soon relocating to Wisconsin, Tyrel is a Master Exhibitor with the APA and ABA, known for his dedication to quality waterfowl and poultry breeding.

We dive deep into:

• The Saxony duck breed — history, temperament, egg production, and show potential
• What makes Saxony ducks the quadruple threat: egg layers, meat birds, beautiful for exhibition, and pet-worthy personalities
• Tyrell's thoughts on line breeding, outcrossing, and how he’s increasing size and quality in his flock
• Incubation tips and hatch rates (including a 204/209 duckling hatch rate success!)
• His waterfowl breeding projects, including Black East Indies, Welsh Harlequins, and Gray Rowans
• How he balances full-time concrete work, poultry breeding, and national shows

Tyrell shares stories from the road, earning exhibitor awards, and practical advice on raising ducks successfully — whether you’re breeding for show, utility, or backyard pets.

💬 Interested in Saxony ducks or want to connect with Tyrell? Reach out to him on Facebook.

👉 Subscribe and hit the 🔔 for more in-depth poultry episodes with breeders, experts, and true poultry nerds.

Saxony duck breed, Tyrell Thurston, poultry breeder interview, duck breeding tips, waterfowl for show, APA master exhibitor, ABA master breeder, Saxony ducks for show, exhibition poultry podcast, duck hatching tips, best ducks for backyard, Saxony duck egg production, line breeding vs outcrossing, how to breed ducks for size, friendly duck breeds, Saxony ducks personality, poultry nerds podcast

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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]

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Welcome back to the Poultry Nerds Podcast! In this episode, we're joined again by Gina from Wrather Farms as we dive deep into the genetics, color varieties, and mislabeling surrounding the Splash Ameraucana. What's the difference between a true Ameraucana vs. Easter Egger? We break it all down – from melanin expression, APA standards, and blue egg genetics to leg color, pea combs, and the reality of chick color at hatch.

You'll also learn the truth about breeding Splash to Splash, the genetic pyramid behind feather coloring, and whether or not those "chipmunk stripe" chicks are really what the hatchery says they are.

Plus — we nerd out on wing banding techniques, color dilution, and using spreadsheets to track flock data like pros. If you're working with Ameraucana chickens, curious about color genetics, or just trying to avoid getting sold an “Americana” imposter, this one’s for you.

#Ameraucana #EasterEgger #PoultryPodcast #SplashAmeraucana #ChickenGenetics #BackyardChickens #BlueEggs #HatchingTime #ColorGenetics #WingBanding #APAStandards #ChickenBreeds #PoultryNerdsPodcast

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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

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Join us on the Poultry Nerds Podcast as we sit down with Bronwen Brune w/Queen B Farm in Missouri to discuss her incredible journey from accidental backyard chicken keeper to dedicated breeder of Black Mottled Brahmas. Bronwyn shares her experiences, from dealing with aggressive roosters to mastering complex poultry genetics to create a new, stunning variety. Learn about chicken math, breeding strategies, genetics of mottled feathers, overcoming common poultry challenges, and the reality of creating show-quality birds from scratch. Perfect for both backyard enthusiasts and serious breeders aiming for poultry excellence!

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Feel Free to email us at - [email protected]

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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]