Bred to Perfection

This is going to be a great episode. Today we are talking with Peter Brown, known as the Chicken Doctor. We are going to discuss the Most Common Diseases most backyard breeders face. There are many pathogens, viral and bacterial that threaten our fowl. I thought it would be a good idea to quickly address as many of them as possible, so that the backyard breeder can recognize them and hopefully pre...

Join us for a very special conversation with Matt Hemmer, who is a breeder of the Erminettes. This is a very unique breed, both in a historical sense and as a genetic phenomenon. In fact, the Erminettes are the only breed of chicken where the color of plumage is based on a co-dominant factor. No other breed of chicken has this trait. Matt is going to discuss the history of the breed, the character...

In this episode, we are talking with Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo from UC Davis. He will talk about their new Gamefowl Wellness Program, which is designed to help backyard breeder, specially, breeders of American Games, to raise and breed heather birds, and to protect their birds from future outbreaks of Newcastle's Disease. There's a lot of good information packed into this episode that I know you will n...

There is a lot of confusion in this area of breeding. So much so, that many breeders are not able to produce high quality strains. They purchase birds from a reputable breeder, and are confused when the fowl they produce are not like the original breeder's fowl. We've all seen it, strains change when they're moved to different locations. The question is, are these changes temporary or permanent? A...

Here's a few tips that will help you to get through the Summer Months in great shape. Join Kenny Troiano and Peter Brown as they discuss ways to beat the heat, and help you and your chickens get through the hot Summer months. As you know, Summer is almost here, and the heat is on the way. This is a challenging time of year for us breeders. We're fighting the heat and humidity, the stress and disea...

Old Wives' Tales and Superstitions that Hold us Back This episode is about "The Misconceptions about Breeding." These are popular misconceptions that tend to hold most breeders back. And can prevent you from creating anything special or superior or great. When I talk with the average breeder, I find that they are very reliant on "Old Wives Tales" and "Superstitions." Nothing is based on empirical...

In this episode, we are celebrating our 100th Episode of Bred to Perfection. When we asked our listeners their thoughts on how to make this episode special, the response we got was they wanted to hear more about us, Kenny and Nancy Troiano. Well, our 3 daughters, Megan, Samantha, and Tawny grabbed the mics and did it for us. They talked about our lives' and what it was like to be our daughters. I...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we will talk about the 3 most dangerous breeders. These are breeders who use breeding practices that are detrimental to the breed as a whole. These include those who believe in combining the traits of two separate and distinct "breeds", such as American Games and Aseels, each having contrasting characteristics and traits. Those that think they can mix the tra...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are discussing Genetic Drift, and the effect it can have on our strains. Genetic drift is a force of nature that contributes to the evolution of species, but can also have an effect on the evolution of our strains. In fact, it can change the direction of your strain with a blink of an eye through a sudden change in the number of birds within that strain, a...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are talking with Dr. Gallardo about Infectious Laryngotracheitis, otherwise known as ILT. This is an extremely contagious virus that affects chickens and other poultry. The virus attacks the cells of the trachea (windpipe), leading to bleeding and difficulty breathing, and ultimately death. This is maybe one of the Worst and most Devastating diseases known...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are talking sublines, and why they are so important for the creation and improvement of your strain. We have mentioned sublines in our podcasts many times, but we still get questions about sublines and why they are so important. Let's see if we can shed some light on this very important practice. The use of sublines can be the difference between a successf...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are talking with Peter Brown, also known as the Chicken Doctor, about the most common mistakes made by backyard breeders. We cover a great number of topics that are aimed at helping our struggling beginners. It is our hope that by listening to this episode, you can keep from making these same mistakes.  These include worming too often, over medicating, unn...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are talking with Dr. Rachel Potter, who is a member of the Breeders Academy. Rachel is a breeder of Old English Moderns Bantams, and breeds a number of varieties, such as Birchens, Silver Blues, and Splash, and she's looking to create strain with each variety. We talk about where in the Founders Program she is with each strain, what are the next steps she...

In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are talking with Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo about Infectious bronchitis (IBV), which is an acute, highly contagious respiratory disease of chickens, caused by a type of coronavirus. This is a disease that can be found on many yards and farms, without the breeders even knowing it. In most cases, they will confuse Bronchitis with other respiratory diseases, such a...

There is a lot of confusion in this area. I see so many breeders calling their Foundation Fowl "Seed Fowl", and calling their Seed Fowl "Foundation Fowl." To make matters worse, they skip any and all regards or reference to the fowl in the middle, the fowl in the Transitional Stage, which I call my Transitional Fowl . It is my hope that by clearing up the description and meaning of the three stage...

I happy to announce that we have a new member of our team. Many of you already know him or have heard of him, and have listened to his teaching for years. And that is Peter Brown, also known as "The Chicken Doctor." We have created a new series that we call, "Healthy Practices for Healthier Fowl," and have a number of topics that I know you will like. In this episode, we talk about the Most Common...

Today, we are talking with Dr. Delon Alwar from South Africa, who is a veterinarian and breeder of Aseel's and American Games. He's a member of the Breeders Academy, and we are going to help him take his strain to the next level. In years past, Dr. Alwar found it difficult to find the right information on breeding, selection and genetics. Now that he's a member of the Breeders Academy, not only is...

Today, we are talking with Dr. Gallardo about Marek's Disease. This is a Pathogenic Virus, also known as Fowl Paralysis or Range Paralysis. Marek's Disease is by far one of the most common illnesses for backyard breeders and small flocks. Yet, it's one of the most preventable illnesses out there. It can take on many forms, from no signs to paralysis, to blindness, to sudden death. There has been q...

Today, we're chatting with my good friend, Royce, who is a Master Breeder. Through the years, Royce and I would chat about breeding and how our fowl were progressing. We would chat for hours, discussing my latest articles in the Poultry Press. Those were great times. Well, in this episode, we continue our discussion about breeding and breeding methods. We also talk bout the modern backyard breeder...

Most of the fowl today are hybrid crosses or mongrels. In fact, there are very few pure strains. The sad part is, most beginners are forced into starting with these types of fowl. So, what can you do? You can start by take steps toward transforming your bad birds into a good strain. In this episode, we talk about those steps, so that you can begin the process of creating a true strain.

Today, we are talking with Poultry Veterinarian, Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo about Coccidiosis, also known as Coxy. For good reason too, Coccidiosis is one of the most common diseases, and can have a huge effect on your strain. For example, coccidiosis affects all backyard breeders. It affects how your offspring grow and develop. And, it can have an effect on your overall strain.

In this episode, I will give you a number of useful tips, that will help get your breeding season started on the right foot. I had a great mentor who believed that preparation was the prerequisite to success. As a breeder, I took that to heart, and it has served me well for years.

Bred to Perfection present, the Troiano Family's First Christmas Special! We hope this episode brightens your day. If there were a time to laugh a lot, this is it. Not only is it Christmas time, but it's time to say goodbye to 2020. Join the Troiano Family as they recite their version of "The Night Before Christmas," that they call "The Night Before Chickmas."   And, Tawny sings her version of Jin...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo, a Poultry Veterinarian from UC Davis , about Infectious Coryza. Unfortunately, this is a disease found in many backyards flocks, and one that is highly misunderstood. Dr. Gallardo will talk with us about how the disease is transmitted, and how to prevent exposer. We will also discuss whether or not it's good practice to vaccinate for coryza, and...

In this episode we talk about the Type and Conformation of Body. Although we use American and Old English Games as the model, the information is applicable for most breeds of chickens. We all want birds that can perform and reach their potential. Well, this is not going to happen with a family with good conformation of body. Listen in as we take the bird apart and put back together again. That's r...