Bred to Perfection

Breeding Smarter, Preserving Type, and Shaping the Future of Exhibition Poultry
In this episode, we sit down with Mike Sayre, co-host of the Talking Chickens with M&M Exhibition Poultry Podcast alongside Matt Lhamon, for an in-depth conversation about exhibition poultry, judging, and the future of the hobby. Whether you're a seasoned breeder or just getting started, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed in the poultry fancy.
Mike shares his journey into poultry, from raising a wide range of breeds, including Cochins (his specialty), Modern Game bantams, Wyandottes, Leghorns, and Plymouth Rocks, to becoming a respected APA/ABA licensed judge and longtime exhibitor. As President of the American Bantam Association, he offers valuable insight into how the organization has evolved and what changes he's witnessed over the years.
We talk about the art and responsibility of judging: how one becomes qualified, the challenges judges face, and what truly separates a "good" bird from a champion. Mike also opens up about controversial decisions, common faults in today's show birds, and the delicate balance between adhering to the Standard of Perfection and allowing room for interpretation.
Beyond the show table, Mike reflects on the deeper meaning of poultry exhibitions, highlighting the camaraderie, community, and shared passion that bring breeders together. He also discusses how social media has influenced breeding trends, and what first-time exhibitors often misunderstand when entering the show world.
The conversation explores some of the more complex and debated topics in poultry breeding today, including:
The role of judges in shaping breeds, and whether "breeding to win" can do more harm than good.
The challenges of double mating and maintaining birds that breed true to standard.
Concerns about shifting priorities from utility to beauty in modern exhibition birds.
The ongoing debate around American Gamefowl recognition in the APA.
The risks of focusing too heavily on egg color at the expense of overall bird quality.
Mike also shares stories from his background in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry, along with his extensive contributions to poultry education, writing articles, co-authoring books like Breeding and Showing Cochins: Making it to Champion Row, and developing resources, such as "Incubation and Brooding Ideas from the M&M Guys" and the M&M Master Mix feed.
As we look ahead, Mike offers his perspective on where the poultry hobby is headed over the next 10–20 years, what concerns him most, and how breeders can stay grounded in strong fundamentals while adapting to change.
If you're passionate about poultry, breeding, or exhibition, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Be sure to check out the M&M Exhibition Poultry Podcast with Matt Lhamon and Mike Sayre for more expert insights, engaging interviews, and up-to-date discussions on everything happening in the world of exhibition chickens.
Thanks for listening!
#PoultryPodcast #ExhibitionPoultry #ChickenBreeding #PoultryShow #BantamBreeders #APAABA #BackyardPoultry #ChickenExhibitors #PoultryJudging #HeritageBreeds #FarmLife #PoultryCommunity
Make sure to follow and watch our future shows. We plan to dive deep into the world of breeding and genetics, nutrition and health management, and provide essential tips, so you too can create high quality strains.  Whether you're breeding domestic chickens, gamefowl, or various types of livestock, this show is for you. 
Watch Bred to Perfection Live - Friday's at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST on YouTube - Join Kenny Troiano and guests as they explore advanced breeding techniques, poultry nutrition, health management, and genetic sustainability-all with one goal: helping you create high-quality, long-lasting strains.
See ya there!
Kenny Troiano
Founder of "The Breeders Academy" 
We specialize in breeding, and breeding related topics. This includes proper selection practices and the use of proven breeding programs. It is our mission to provide our followers and members a greater understanding of poultry breeding, poultry genetics, poultry health care and disease prevention, and how to improve the production and performance ability of your fowl. 
If you are interested in creating a strain, or improving your established strain, you are in the right place. 
We also want to encourage you to join us at the Breeders Academy, where we will not only help you increase your knowledge of breeding and advance your skills as a breeder, but improve the quality and performance of your fowl.
If you would like to learn more, go to: https://www.breedersacademy.com

In this episode, we sit down with Greg Landwehr, "The Chicken Guy," Editor and Publisher of Gamefowl Times Magazine, for an in-depth conversation about his journey into the world of gamefowl, and the inspiration behind launching Gamefowl Times. We explore the mission of the magazine and the challenges of publishing.
From breeding philosophy and maintaining strains to preserving authenticity and honoring the people behind the birds, this conversation goes far beyond the pages of a magazine. We also talk about the responsibility of carrying forward a legacy, while creating a platform where breeders, historians, competitors, and enthusiasts can all connect.
We also dive into:
The role of magazines in today's digital world
Concerns about the future of the gamefowl community
His vision for the future of Gamefowl Times
Whether you're a longtime breeder, a student of gamefowl history, or simply fascinated by preserving heritage and culture, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.
#GamefowlTimes #GregLandwehr #AmericanGamefowl #GamefowlCommunity #GamefowlBreeding #PoultryPodcast #GamefowlCulture #HeritageBreeding #OldSchoolBreeders #PreservingTradition #BreederSpotlight #GamefowlLegacy
Make sure to follow and watch our future shows. We plan to dive deep into the world of breeding and genetics, nutrition and health management, and provide essential tips, so you too can create high quality strains.  Whether you're breeding domestic chickens, gamefowl, or various types of livestock, this show is for you. 
Watch Bred to Perfection Live - Friday's at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST on YouTube - Join Kenny Troiano and guests as they explore advanced breeding techniques, poultry nutrition, health management, and genetic sustainability-all with one goal: helping you create high-quality, long-lasting strains.
See ya there!
Kenny Troiano
Founder of "The Breeders Academy" 
We specialize in breeding, and breeding related topics. This includes proper selection practices and the use of proven breeding programs. It is our mission to provide our followers and members a greater understanding of poultry breeding, poultry genetics, poultry health care and disease prevention, and how to improve the production and performance ability of your fowl. 
If you are interested in creating a strain, or improving your established strain, you are in the right place. 
We also want to encourage you to join us at the Breeders Academy, where we will not only help you increase your knowledge of breeding and advance your skills as a breeder, but improve the quality and performance of your fowl.
If you would like to learn more, go to: https://www.breedersacademy.com

Bred to Perfection with Kenny Troiano and Nancy Troiano
What stands between you and a truly exceptional strain of fowl? Sometimes, it's the defects hiding right in front of you.
In Episode 307 of Bred to Perfection, Kenny and Nancy Troiano take an in-depth look at one of the most overlooked yet critical aspects of breeding: identifying, understanding, and managing defects. Many breeders fail to recognize the flaws in their own birds, whether due to being "yard blind" or simply not knowing what to look for. But overlooking these defects can have serious consequences for the quality, consistency, and future of an entire strain.
From duck toe, wry tail, and squirrel tail to eye abnormalities, head and beak deformities, crooked breastbones, wing faults, and leg and toe problems, this episode explores the many defects breeders need to recognize. Kenny and Nancy explain how to evaluate a bird's type, balance, structure, vigor, and overall conformation, and why careful observation and proper selection are essential to a successful breeding program.
Not all defects have the same causes or require the same approach. Some result from environmental conditions, poor nutrition, or management issues, while others are genetic and can be passed from one generation to the next. Recessive defects can remain hidden for generations before appearing in offspring, making them especially important to understand. Other defects involve multiple genes and may be improved over time through informed selection and a well-planned breeding strategy.
You'll also learn why recognizing defects early matters, when culling is necessary to protect your strain, and how to approach the improvement of a line affected by certain inherited faults. In the after-show discussion, Kenny explores another important consideration for serious breeders: gene flow, and how introducing outside birds can affect the consistency and long-term development of an established strain.
Whether you're an experienced breeder or just beginning your journey, this episode will help sharpen your eye, strengthen your selection practices, and give you a better understanding of the challenges standing between your current flock and your breeding goals.
#BredToPerfection #PoultryBreeding #BreedingProgram #GeneticSelection #SelectiveBreeding #LineBreeding #Crossbreeding #Outcrossing #Backcrossing #Inbreeding #ClanMating #PoultryGenetics #StrainDevelopment
Make sure to follow and watch our future shows. We plan to dive deep into the world of breeding and genetics, nutrition and health management, and provide essential tips, so you too can create high quality strains.  Whether you're breeding domestic chickens, gamefowl, or various types of livestock, this show is for you. 
Watch Bred to Perfection Live - Friday's at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST on YouTube - Join Kenny Troiano and guests as they explore advanced breeding techniques, poultry nutrition, health management, and genetic sustainability-all with one goal: helping you create high-quality, long-lasting strains.
See ya there!
Kenny Troiano
Founder of "The Breeders Academy" 
We specialize in breeding, and breeding related topics. This includes proper selection practices and the use of proven breeding programs. It is our mission to provide our followers and members a greater understanding of poultry breeding, poultry genetics, poultry health care and disease prevention, and how to improve the production and performance ability of your fowl. 
If you are interested in creating a strain, or improving your established strain, you are in the right place. 
We also want to encourage you to join us at the Breeders Academy, where we will not only help you increase your knowledge of breeding and advance your skills as a breeder, but improve the quality and performance of your fowl.
If you would like to learn more, go to: https://www.breedersacademy.com

Understanding why, when, and how to use the right breeding method.
In this episode of Bred to Perfection, Kenny Troiano and Nancy take an in-depth look at the major breeding methods used by serious poultry and gamefowl breeders, and explain why no single method should be relied upon indefinitely. Each method has a specific purpose, and each must be applied at the right stage, for the right length of time, within a structured breeding program.
The discussion begins with crossbreeding, including the advantages of hybrid vigor and the challenges of producing predictable offspring when crosses are bred forward. From there, Kenny and Nancy examine outcrossing, explaining why introducing genetics from another strain of the same breed can be useful but also carries significant risks if not carefully controlled.
They then explore backcrossing as a short-term strategy for gathering specific traits from an exceptional parent, followed by inbreeding, not simply as a breeding system, but as a powerful tool for intensifying genetics and exposing both strengths and weaknesses. The episode also takes a detailed look at line-breeding, including its ability to concentrate the influence of a superior ancestor and the dangers of continuing too long until a family reaches the genetic "dead-end zone."
The conversation continues into clan mating and rotational systems, showing how breeders can maintain genetic diversity and preserve an established family without continually introducing unrelated blood. Kenny explains record keeping, and the importance of retaining superior replacements.
For more advanced breeders, the episode covers double mating, a specialized approach for sexually dimorphic birds, as well as recombinant reciprocal selection, a commercial strategy that allows breeders to produce valuable hybrids while protecting their pure breeding lines.
Finally, Kenny and Nancy discuss grading and how disciplined selection can progressively transform a mongrel or crossbred population toward a more uniform family or strain.
Throughout the episode, one principle remains consistent: Breeding methods are tools. A breeding program is the strategy that tells you which tool to use, when to use it, and when to stop.
In This Episode
Why breeding methods must be part of a structured breeding program
Crossbreeding and the benefits and limitations of hybrid vigor
The risks and proper use of outcrossing
Backcrossing to capture traits from superior parents
Inbreeding as a tool for intensifying genetics and exposing faults
Line-breeding and the dangers of reaching the "dead-end zone"
Clan mating and rotational systems for long-term preservation
When and how to rotate cocks
Selecting and retaining superior replacement birds
Double mating and sexually dimorphic characteristics
Recombinant reciprocal selection and commercial hybrid production
Grading mongrel or crossbred populations toward a uniform strain
Why planning several generations ahead matters
The Founders Program and its role in creating, improving, and maintaining a strain
Whether you are establishing a new family, improving an existing strain, or developing a long-term preservation strategy, this episode provides a framework for thinking about breeding at a much deeper level.
Listen now and learn why the real advantage isn't knowing one breeding method, it's knowing which method to use, when to use it, and how to make every method work together as part of a deliberate breeding program.
#PoultryBreeding #BreedingProgram #GeneticSelection #SelectiveBreeding #LineBreeding #Crossbreeding #Outcrossing #Backcrossing #Inbreeding #ClanMating #PoultryGenetics #StrainDevelopment
Make sure to follow and watch our future shows. We plan to dive deep into the world of breeding and genetics, nutrition and health management, and provide essential tips, so you too can create high quality strains.  Whether you're breeding domestic chickens, gamefowl, or various types of livestock, this show is for you. 
Watch Bred to Perfection Live - Friday's at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST on YouTube - Join Kenny Troiano and guests as they explore advanced breeding techniques, poultry nutrition, health management, and genetic sustainability-all with one goal: helping you create high-quality, long-lasting strains.
See ya there!
Kenny Troiano
Founder of "The Breeders Academy" 
We specialize in breeding, and breeding related topics. This includes proper selection practices and the use of proven breeding programs. It is our mission to provide our followers and members a greater understanding of poultry breeding, poultry genetics, poultry health care and disease prevention, and how to improve the production and performance ability of your fowl. 
If you are interested in creating a strain, or improving your established strain, you are in the right place. 
We also want to encourage you to join us at the Breeders Academy, where we will not only help you increase your knowledge of breeding and advance your skills as a breeder, but improve the quality and performance of your fowl.
If you would like to learn more, go to: https://www.breedersacademy.com

What does it take to turn a lifetime of breeding experience into a library of respected reference books?
Unlocking fertility, hatchability, immunity, and Making of Great Bloodlines through smart vitamin supplementation.
This is not about supplements, it's about providing the proper nutrition for your Brood Fowl and their growing and developing offspring.
In this episode, we will talk about one of the most overlooked, but most powerful tools in poultry and gamefowl breeding: vitamins. Building on the work of Peter Brown, "The Chicken Doctor," we explore how water and fat-soluble vitamins influence everything from fertility to hatchability, growth, immunity, and long-term strain performance.
You'll learn why many modern feeds fall short, how stress dramatically increases vitamin requirements, and which vitamins directly impact brood cock fertility, hen hatchability, chick vigor, and embryo development. We also connect the dots between nutrition and genetics, revealing how proper vitamins helps breeders unlock the full potential of their bloodlines.
Whether you are developing a family of gamefowl, improving your show birds, or strengthening the productivity of your backyard breeding flock, this episode offers practical, science-based guidance to help you produce stronger, healthier, more consistent birds, generation after generation.
#PoultryNutrition #VitaminSupplementation #PoultryBreeding #BroodFowl #FertilityAndHatchability #ChickVigor #PoultryImmunity #EmbryoDevelopment #BloodlineDevelopment #GamefowlBreeding #ShowBirds #BackyardPoultry
Make sure to follow and watch our future shows. We plan to dive deep into the world of breeding and genetics, nutrition and health management, and provide essential tips, so you too can create high quality strains.  Whether you're breeding domestic chickens, gamefowl, or various types of livestock, this show is for you. 
Watch Bred to Perfection Live - Friday's at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST on YouTube - Join Kenny Troiano and guests as they explore advanced breeding techniques, poultry nutrition, health management, and genetic sustainability-all with one goal: helping you create high-quality, long-lasting strains.
See ya there!
Kenny Troiano
Founder of "The Breeders Academy" 
We specialize in breeding, and breeding related topics. This includes proper selection practices and the use of proven breeding programs. It is our mission to provide our followers and members a greater understanding of poultry breeding, poultry genetics, poultry health care and disease prevention, and how to improve the production and performance ability of your fowl. 
If you are interested in creating a strain, or improving your established strain, you are in the right place. 
We also want to encourage you to join us at the Breeders Academy, where we will not only help you increase your knowledge of breeding and advance your skills as a breeder, but improve the quality and performance of your fowl.
If you would like to learn more, go to: https://www.breedersacademy.com