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It started with a college job at the pet store. Patrick brought home a cockatiel and from then on he was all birds all the time, going on to specialize in poultry nutrition.

And we’re glad. Because as passionate as backyard flock owners are, the modern chicken is not as easy to manage as the chickens our grandparents kept. Patrick helps people sort fact from fiction to keep their chickens happy, healthy and productive. He guides flock fanatics on oyster shells and chick treats, brown vs. white and caring for an older hen that’s become a pet.

Patrick Biggs holds a Masters and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, he looked at different ways to manage flocks without antibiotics. He has worked in the commercial poultry industry in various roles – technical sales to the poultry industry in California, laying hen nutrition consulting with producers in the Midwest, and research and development of enzymes for livestock with an international company in North Carolina. Since joining Land O’Lakes/Purina in 2015, he has worked to educate the public, sales team and the dealer network on how to best manage a flock of backyard chickens. He continues his work at Purina as their Senior Nutritionist within Companion Animal Technical Solutions, developing feeds with prebiotics and probiotics to keep birds healthy.

Listen in on a Facebook LIVE Poultry Q&A Grange Co-op hosted with guest speaker Dr. Patrick Biggs in the video above. If you have any other questions regarding poultry care, visit us in-store or online for more information.