Episodes

Buying spring chicks? Before you choose a breed or order another dozen, answer one question: What do you want your flock to do? Eggs for breakfast, meat for the freezer, birds to show, or simply chickens you enjoy—your answer helps you choose birds that fit your goals, your space, and your everyday life. In this Audio Edition, the Poultry Keepers 360 team—Rip Stalvey, livestock nutritionist Jeff Mattocks, Carey Blackmon, and Sue Dobson—talks through the decisions worth making before chicks com...

Did you choose the right breed—but still end up with birds that don’t meet your needs? Two flocks can carry the same breed name and give their keepers very different results. What might you have overlooked? Frank Reese joins the Poultry Keepers 360 team to discuss choosing standardbred poultry for eggs, meat, and preservation. Drawing on his experience breeding chickens and turkeys, Frank explains why the breeder and the particular line deserve as much attention as the breed name. We discuss N...

The protein percentage may be the first number you notice on a bag of chicken feed—but it cannot tell you the whole nutritional story. In this Audio Edition, Rip Stalvey, Carey Blackmon and livestock nutritionist Jeff Mattocks examine the vitamins, minerals and metabolizable energy that help determine how well poultry use their feed. The conversation explains why minimum nutrient requirements are not necessarily optimum levels, how vitamins support vision, feather development, reproduction and...

Does a deep orange yolk mean a more nutritious egg? Why do some eggs taste richer or develop a fishy flavor? And what causes watery whites or thin shells? In this Audio Edition of our member-led PK360 egg show, Rip Stalvey hosts a discussion with team members Jeff Mattocks, Carey Blackmon, and Sue Dobson. Together, they work through the questions poultry keepers sent us. We discuss how feed, forage, breed, and the hen herself can affect egg flavor, yolk color, fatty acids, texture, and shell qu...

Poor hatch rates are not always the incubator’s fault. Temperature, humidity, airflow, egg quality, breeder nutrition, storage, turning, and even the room where the incubator operates can influence the outcome. In this Audio Edition, the Poultry Keepers 360 team explains how to prepare and fine-tune an incubator, recognize temperature and humidity problems, manage hatching eggs, and make better decisions throughout the incubation process. Topics include: • Preparing an incubator before settin...

Linebreeding can reveal weaknesses already hiding in a flock—and that is exactly why careful breeders use it. This Audio Edition was adapted from a PK360 LIVE conversation featuring Rip Stalvey, poultry nutritionist Jeff Mattocks, Karen Johnson, and guest Logan Courtney. Logan is a sixth-generation Oklahoma farmer who uses linebreeding with registered Jersey dairy cattle, Hereford cattle, and Light Sussex chickens. Together, they discuss what linebreeding can accomplish, why it sometimes produ...

Winter gives poultry keepers something we rarely have during the busy season: an opportunity to slow down, look back, and decide what genuinely needs improvement. A winter flock reset does not mean changing everything. It means identifying the routines, systems, and decisions that made poultry keeping harder than necessary—and correcting them before another breeding or hatching season begins. In this episode, Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, Carey Blackmon, and Sue Dobson discuss how to evaluate th...

Successful breeding begins long before the first eggs go into the incubator. In this episode, Carey Blackmon and poultry nutritionist Jeff Mattocks explain how to prepare a flock for breeding season—from choosing the right birds and setting breeding goals to managing lighting, nutrition, housing, and nest boxes. We discuss: The difference between hatching chicks and building a breeding programChoosing breeders with the fewest serious faultsDeciding what you want your flock to becomeUsing line...

When cold weather arrives, many poultry keepers instinctively close their coops tightly to keep their chickens warm. Unfortunately, that can trap moisture, ammonia, and stale air—creating conditions far more dangerous than the cold itself. In this episode of PK360 LIVE, Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, Carey Blackmon, and Sue Dobson take a practical look at winter air quality and what poultry keepers can learn by observing their birds and the conditions inside their coops. The team discusses: • Th...

Protein percentage is only part of the story when it comes to feeding poultry well. What matters is how protein, amino acids, fats, fiber, and the other components of a diet work together. In this PK360 discussion, Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, and Carey Blackmon take a deeper look at three major components of poultry diets—protein, fat, and fiber—and explain why simply choosing the feed with the highest protein number may not give your birds what they actually need. We discuss vegetable and ani...

A chicken can look big, fluffy, and healthy—but what do you really know about what's underneath all those feathers? In this episode of Poultry Keepers 360 LIVE, Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, Carey Blackmon, and Sue Dobson take a practical look at the difference between a bird's weight and its body condition—and why understanding both can help you make better decisions for your flock. We discuss how to use your hands to evaluate muscle and fat, what the keel and pelvic bones can tell you, why ...

The first 14 days of a chick's life can shape far more than its early growth. Nutrition, brooder conditions, access to feed and water, lighting, temperature, grit, and opportunities for natural behavior can all influence how those chicks develop. In this episode of Poultry Keepers 360, Rip Stalvey, Carey Blackmon, and poultry nutritionist Jeff Mattocks take a practical look at what chicks need during this critical early period—and why getting the basics right from the beginning matters so muc...

Winter often brings shorter days—and fewer eggs. But is adding artificial light really the answer? In this video, we'll separate fact from fiction and discuss what supplemental lighting can and cannot do for your flock. We'll cover: • Why egg production naturally declines during winter. • How day length affects a hen's laying cycle. • When supplemental lighting may be helpful. • Common mistakes poultry keepers make with winter lighting. • Why lighting alone won't solve every egg production ...

This is audio from the July 16, 2026 PK360 LIVE Got questions about your flock? Pull up a chair and join the conversation. Flock Talk LIVE is our interactive livestream where small flock poultry keepers come together to talk about the real challenges and opportunities of raising chickens and other poultry. This is a relaxed, experience-based discussion where we share practical knowledge, explore current poultry topics, and answer your questions live. In tonight’s episode, we...

Winter has a way of changing a flock. Some birds become more active. Others spend more time on the roost. Feed consumption changes. Water consumption changes. Social interactions change. The question isn't whether your flock behaves differently during the winter—the question is whether you know how to read what those changes are trying to tell you. Join us for this PK360 LIVE as we explore one of the most valuable skills a poultry keeper can develop: learning to "read" your flock through ob...

The future of Poultry Keepers 360 starts now. Join Rip Stalvey, Sue Dobson, and Carey Blackmon in this special PK360 Audio, as they unveil the biggest improvements and educational initiatives in our organization's history. During this show, we'll discuss: • The new PK360 Learning System • Field Guide Videos • PK360 Sheets • YouTube Shorts as learning reinforcement tools • The Observation Framework (our first official curriculum) • Our new programming guide • Seasonal content planning •...

Discover the art and science behind selecting and breeding true dual-purpose chickens in Part 2 of our series! Join us as we dive deep into evaluating carcass quality, balancing body structure for meat and egg production, and how nutrition and genetics both shape your flock’s success. Learn firsthand from real breeders’ experiences, feeding trials, and practical selection methods to create resilient, productive birds. Whether you’re a homesteader, breeder, or serious poultry enthusiast, this epi...

In this information-packed episode of the Poultry Keepers Podcast, we dive deep into how to evaluate and select true dual-purpose poultry breeds for both meat and egg production. Join Rip, Jeff, Carey, and Mandelyn as they discuss hands-on selection techniques, key body traits, breed standards, carcass evaluation, and how to use real production data to make better breeding decisions. Whether you’re breeding American Bresse, Rhode Island Reds, or other traditional dual-purpose breeds, this episo...

This is the conclusion of last week's episode. Calling all poultry enthusiasts! Are you ready to elevate your bird game? This episode unravels the science and art behind poultry breeding and selection, a path that can take your casual interest in birds to a whole new level. We guide you through the maze of information, from understanding the essential factors like egg laying rates, persistence and molting rates to the different breeding strategies that can set a solid foundation for your floc...

Get ready for an invigorating journey into the world of poultry, as we unravel the intricacies of laying cycles, bird selection, and egg production. Our expert guides are seasoned veterans in the poultry hobby. We'll draw on their wealth of knowledge to delve into the impact of various factors on the laying cycle, from lighting to regional variances. They reveal golden strategies for keeping track of the best eggs and spotting poot quality hens, emphasizing the importance of selecting for vigor ...

Think your chicken coop is “good enough”? What Rip, Jeff, and Carey reveal in this episode will change the way you look at every part of your coop—from the floor under their feet to the air they breathe. Most poultry keepers focus on predators, bedding, or heat… but the real secrets that make coops safe, healthy, and long-lasting are hiding in plain sight. In this episode of Poultry Keepers Podcast, we break down the most misunderstood parts of coop design. You’ll learn why insulation isn’t nec...

Discover the real secrets behind a clean, productive, low-stress chicken coop that keeps your birds happy, healthy, and stress-free. In this episode of The Poultry Keepers Podcast, Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, and Carey Blackmon reveal the five coop setup choices that have the biggest impact on flock health, egg quality, and ease of management. These aren’t the tips you find on Pinterest—these are the practical, experience-backed methods used by lifelong poultry keepers. In Part 1, you’ll learn ...

Think your chicken coop is “good enough”? What Jeff reveals in this episode will change the way you look at every part of your coop—from the floor under their feet to the air they breathe. Most poultry keepers focus on predators, bedding, or heat… but the real secrets that make coops safe, healthy, and long-lasting are hiding in plain sight. In this episode of Poultry Keepers Podcast, Rip, Carey, and poultry nutrition expert Jeff Mattocks break down the most misunderstood parts of coop design. ...

If you’ve ever wondered why some coops keep birds healthy and thriving while others create nonstop problems… this episode is your missing blueprint. Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, and Carey Blackmon break down the real factors that make or break a coop—space requirements, ventilation, run design, soil management, flock stress, and more. Whether you’re building your first coop or improving one you’ve used for years, this conversation will help you avoid the hidden mistakes that lead to behavioral i...