Hormones connect the brain to the barn. In this episode, Andy Vance and Dr. Tom Porter explore how endocrine signals shape growth, stress response, and reproduction, and why new single-cell tools are rewriting parts of the playbook. They discuss how the pituitary orchestrates development, how heat stress and management choices alter hormonal balance, and how better endocrine understanding can sharpen nutrition and welfare decisions.

The conversation stays grounded in application. Dr. Porter explains how to translate complex datasets into simple actions, such as timing interventions, adjusting lighting programs, or pairing diets with a flock’s developmental stage. For producers and students alike, it is a guided tour of the endocrine system with a clear map to practical outcomes.

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Great technical work stalls without great people skills. Andy talks with Dr. Jeff King about emotional intelligence as a practical toolkit for researchers, veterinarians, and production teams. They break down self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills into simple daily habits that reduce conflict, improve feedback, and make collaboration easier.

Listeners learn how to handle tough conversations, coach under pressure, and communicate across roles and departments. Dr. King shares real examples of turning lab insights into on-farm action by framing ideas for different audiences and by listening for what teammates need to do the job. The episode closes with a field-tested routine for building teams that deliver results and enjoy the work along the way.

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Modern genetics has changed how birds respond to pressure, from heat stress to pathogens. Andy sits down with Dr. Sue Lamont to trace the path from early QTL studies to today’s genome-wide tools and to explain why the chicken remains one of biology’s most useful research models. They connect specific genetic variants to immune traits, growth, and resilience, and they unpack how selection strategies can support welfare and performance in the same bird.

Rather than getting lost in jargon, the discussion focuses on practical questions. What data do breeding programs really need to select for robustness without sacrificing efficiency. How do we translate genomic signals into traits that matter in a 60,000-bird house. Where can producers and researchers collaborate to validate findings faster. The result is a clear view of genetics as a partner to management and nutrition, not a replacement for them.

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Sustainability only works when it works for the bird, the people, and the bottom line. In this episode, Andy Vance talks with Dr. Katy Tarrant about building a practical definition of sustainability that producers can use every day. They outline a clear three-pillar approach that balances welfare, environmental stewardship, and economic reality, and they translate that framework into barn-level choices that improve outcomes without creating new headaches.

The conversation looks at how small, measurable changes in litter management, ventilation, stocking density, and enrichment can lift both welfare and performance. Dr. Tarrant explains how to collect the right data, avoid chasing vanity metrics, and communicate results to teams and customers in ways that build trust. Listeners come away with a simple roadmap for testing ideas, tracking impact, and scaling what works across flocks and seasons.

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Turkeys share many of the same disease acronyms as broilers, yet the playbook on the ground is different. Andy talks with veterinarian Dr. Carrie Cremers about the unique biology and behavior of turkeys, how those traits shape biosecurity and daily care, and what the sector has learned from recent waves of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The conversation looks at traffic control when farms sit near wetlands and flyways, the training and culture that make protocols stick, and the real tradeoffs producers face when the ideal plan meets labor and weather.

They examine how decisions in breeder management, hatchery handling, and poult placement cascade into performance and welfare later, and why small improvements in litter quality, ventilation, and feeder access can unlock resilience when disease pressure rises. Dr. Cremers also shares what helps veterinarians communicate risk without creating fatigue, and how teams prepare for the seasonality and wildlife dynamics that make turkey production its own scientific and management challenge.

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When a fast-moving virus meets fragmented policy, producers carry the risk. Andy convenes experts from the AAAP H5N1 task force to translate the current state of play into clear priorities. The discussion explains where surveillance is strong and where it misses, why cross-species consistency matters, and how movement testing, biosecurity, and communication can be aligned so that decisions in one sector do not blindside another. Rather than rehash headlines, the conversation centers on what coordinated action looks like for poultry, neighboring livestock, and public health.

Listeners get a practical view of preparedness that starts on farm and scales to state and federal response. The guests outline what good data sharing looks like, how to frame vaccination and antiviral use inside real production timelines, and why protecting workers and veterinarians is part of protecting flocks. If you want an honest roadmap from barn realities to policy levers, this episode offers it without drama and with a steady focus on animal health, human health, and food security.

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Behind every barn-side practice is a paper trail of experiments, edits, and peer review. Andy talks with Dr. Paul Siegel about seven decades of change in poultry science and the journals that carry it. The conversation traces how ideas moved when correspondence was slow and conferences were smaller, then jumps to the digital age where collaboration spans continents and datasets dwarf what was once imaginable. Dr. Siegel reflects on authorship, mentorship, and how to balance speed with rigor when the industry needs answers and the public needs clarity.

They discuss why reproducibility and transparent methods are the real currency of trust, how editorial boards adapt to new disciplines and tools, and what it takes for a paper to make a lasting impact beyond citations. The result is a living history lesson with practical guidance for students and industry scientists who want to ask better questions, write cleaner papers, and translate research into improvements that producers can feel in their birds and budgets.

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Male chick culling sits at the intersection of economics, ethics, and public perception. Andy sits down with embryologist Dr. Yuval Cinnamon to explain how sex is determined in chickens, why early identification has been so difficult, and what new biological and optical methods can do to change the story before hatch. Rather than a play-by-play, the discussion frames the problem producers need solved, the constraints hatcheries face on speed and accuracy, and the scientific paths that could scale beyond pilot projects.

They talk about the long trail of research that brought today’s approaches into view, from understanding early embryonic markers to developing noninvasive screening that keeps the egg viable for high-throughput lines. Dr. Cinnamon explains how reducing unnecessary incubation aligns welfare and efficiency, how different markets view the tradeoffs, and what milestones must be met for global adoption. If you are looking for a grounded, forward-looking take on pre-hatch sexing that respects biology and the realities of modern hatcheries, this episode connects the science to the system that needs it.

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Automation is moving from trade-show novelty to everyday tool, and poultry is finally seeing the payoff. In this episode, Andy Vance talks with Georgia Tech’s Colin Usher about what practical robotics and sensing actually look like inside commercial houses, where floors are dusty, birds are curious, and decisions must be made in real time. The conversation focuses on systems that create value now, including platforms that reduce floor eggs, improve mortality collection, and capture continuous data on flock distribution, behavior, and uniformity.

They explore how computer vision and on-bird, in-house sensing can turn thousands of small observations into better ventilation, lighting, and nutrition decisions, and why the most successful solutions start with barn realities rather than lab ideals. Colin explains the cost curve for hardware and processing, the importance of human-in-the-loop oversight, and how a steady stream of quantitative data can tighten feedback loops from brooding to processing. If you want a clear picture of how automation can improve welfare, labor efficiency, and margins without disrupting daily routines, this episode brings the tech down to the litter line.

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Avian influenza (H5N1) is making headlines again, threatening poultry farms across the globe and pushing egg prices higher. Over 166 million birds have been affected so far, with serious impacts on both the industry and public health.

In this debut episode of Unplucked, host Andy Vance sits down with Dr. Craig Rowles, DVM, General Manager of Cage-Free Production at Versova Farms, to break down the current avian flu outbreak. Dr. Rowles draws on decades of veterinary and poultry experience to discuss:

Whether you’re a poultry producer, veterinarian, researcher, or simply concerned about food security, this episode delivers actionable insights and real-world expertise you won’t want to miss.

Related reading: It’s time to add vaccination to the HPAI solutions toolbox

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Host - Andy Vance

Producer - Lyndsey Johnson

Audio Editor & Engineer - Michael Lunt

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The information provided in this episode of Unplucked is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. While we discuss scientific research, public health, and industry practices, this podcast does not substitute for advice from qualified industry and scientific professionals. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of The Poultry Science Association, their respective affiliates, or employees.