How to Prepare Your Chickens for Breeding Season
From PK360 Audio · 1:05:19
Show by Rip Stalvey, Jeff Mattocks, Carey Blackmon, and Sue Dobson
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 linebreeding to improve consistencyWhat inbreeding depression really looks likeChoosing the right time of year to hatchPreparing breeders through lighting managementAdjusting light for younger and older birdsImproving breeder nutrition before collecting eggsEgg size and its effect on chick qualityAmino acids, vitamins, and chick vigorPreparing clean, comfortable nest boxesWhether greens have a place in the breeder dietBreeding season is not simply a matter of putting a rooster with a few hens. Better chicks begin with healthier breeders, clearly defined goals, and thoughtful preparation.If you enjoy thoughtful, experience-based poultry information like this, that’s what this channel is all about.Poultry Keepers 360 Helping Poultry Keepers Make Better Decisions.Chapters and Timestamps0:00 Opening Conversatio7:22 Getting Ready for Breeding Season9:38 Hatching Chickens vs Breeding Poultry11:12 Where a Breeding Program Begins12:52 Where Should Your Flock Be in Five Years?15:58 Turning Goals Into a Breeding Plan16:20 Linebreeding, Inbreeding, and Predictability18:05 What Inbreeding Depression Really Means22:38 Choosing the Right Hatch Season23:19 Preparing Breeders With Light25:22 Light Color and Intensity29:40 Increasing Day Length Gradually32:15 Lighting Older Breeding Birds38:55 Continuous-Flow Watering Update43:15 Feeding Birds for Breeding Season44:35 Egg Size and Hatching Quality46:29 Amino Acids and Chick Vigor49:17 Nest Boxes for Breeding Pens50:57 Bedding and Nest Cleanliness53:32 Five-Gallon Bucket Nest Boxes59:57 Do Breeding Birds Need Greens?1:03:33 Alfalfa and Other Green Feeds1:06:03 Final ThoughtsThis Audio Edition was adapted from a PK360 LIVE originally broadcast on September 18, 2025. Prefer to watch the original Video Edition? You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/tagqQL2d1_E Join our Facebook Groups:Poultry Keepers 360 - - https://www.facebook.com/groups/354973752688125Poultry Breeders Nutrition - https://www.facebook.com/groups/4908798409211973
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