Chicken Math & Show Secrets with The Gypsy Hen – Behind the Scenes of Poultry Exhibition

In this episode of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, we're joined by Jessica from The Gypsy Hen, a passionate poultry breeder with over 300 birds, including Americanas, Silkies, Morans, Cochins, and more! We dive into what it’s like managing over 30 breeding pens, navigating poultry shows, using incubators like the GQF Sportsman 1502, and preparing for exhibition season. Jessica shares real talk about chicken math, double mating for patterned varieties like Silver Duckwing Americanas, and tips for first-time poultry exhibitors. Whether you're showing backyard birds or raising serious breeders, this episode is packed with practical insights and laughs.

• Transcript

  Jennifer: 0:23

  Poultry nerds. We're here today with Jessica from the Gypsy Hen. Welcome, Jessica. How are you today? Not too bad. Thank you.

  Jessica: 0:31

  Yeah,

  Jennifer: 0:32

  I see you're in Kansas,

  Jessica: 0:34

  Tornado alley? It used to be, but tornadoes are spreading further and further.

  Jennifer: 0:40

  Yeah, they're coming here now in Tennessee. tell us about your farm. What all do you have going on your farm?

  0:48

  chickens.

  Jessica: 0:49

  I have Americana, large, Fallon Bantam. Coachin. Bantams. Morans.

  Jennifer: 0:54

  And Silkies. So just so we can picture this, how many pens does it take to do all those breeds?

  Jessica: 1:01

  I have the farm.

  Jennifer: 1:03

  Yeah.

  Jessica: 1:03

  That is,

  Jennifer: 1:04

  I have I think 31 pens. How many do you think you have?

  Jessica: 1:09

  I haven't counted for NPIP. They make me count the birds.

  Jennifer: 1:15

  I would say Americana, large foul, and then Americana. Banum. That really counts as two because you gotta keep'em separate.

  Carey: 1:24

  lord.

  Jennifer: 1:27

  So you've got seven that you're working with, right?

  Jessica: 1:31

  I have every variety of Americana except for buff.

  Jennifer: 1:36

  Oh, so now we're even talking about different colors. Yes. So you have 150 pens or so, right?

  Jessica: 1:42

  wow. okay, I'm gonna take a minute to do just that.

  Carey: 1:45

  Jennifer with all of those different birds, she's gotta have a really good hatcher.

  Jennifer: 1:53

  Oh yeah. what do you incubate in?

  Jessica: 1:56

  I incubate in A GQF.

  Carey: 1:58

  gotta be the Silkies

  Jessica: 2:00

  Sportsman 1502 is my main hacker incubator. I have six Sprint sea tabletop incubators and four NR 360 that I use on occasion.

  Jennifer: 2:11

  Gotcha.

  Jessica: 2:14

  I used the GQF Hova Baer 1588.

  Jennifer: 2:19

  Yep, I can see that. So let's go down our first rabbit hole. I forewarned you, we were gonna hit rabbit holes. I got an email yesterday from somebody who was shopping for a new incubator, but didn't wanna commit. Price wise to a cabinet, and I directed them towards Brensia. Do you like Brensia?

  Jessica: 2:40

  Theia are probably my favorite tabletop model. they're more accurate than any of the others.

  Jennifer: 2:46

  gotcha.

  Jessica: 2:47

  Okay.

  Jennifer: 2:49

  I used one.

  Carey: 2:49

  get what you pay for.

  Jennifer: 2:51

  Yeah.

  Carey: 2:53

  Yep.

  Jennifer: 2:54

  how many eggs are you incubating and hatching in a week's time?

  Jessica: 2:58

  Sometimes I only set a few and sometimes I fill'em all up.

  Jennifer: 3:03

  You have 1 15 0 2,

  Jessica: 3:05

  correct.

  Jennifer: 3:05

  So what is that, like 700 eggs?

  Jessica: 3:09

  It's supposed to be 288 eggs advertised. But if you're using, phantom racks, You can put two extra trays and pools of eggs in the hatching tray. Oh my gosh. You were an enabler on the chicken map, aren't you? It gets bad.

  Carey: 3:29

  And I mean with the 15 oh twos, there's a lot you can do with those, especially like going to the bantams for ban birds or gang birds. But for quail, there's people on Etsy that make these little stands, so you can double stack even when you have jumbo quail. Now this is all alleged, but I think you can get about 1200 in there.

  Jessica: 4:01

  It's a good thing I don't have quail.

  Jennifer: 4:04

  quail multiply really quickly.

  Jessica: 4:06

  Quail math would be bad.

  Jennifer: 4:08

  So you show all of these birds that you have? I do, yeah. Are you like a show person like I am that doesn't wanna go very far and stay close to home? Or are you one of those that travel across the country?

  Jessica: 4:21

  Since I travel for work, traveling isn't as appealing. I try to stick to shows within about four to 12 hour drive.

  Jennifer: 4:33

  12 hours is a commitment. That's a distance right there. I stick to two to three hours away. I'd run out. All right. So do you haul all seven different types with you to shows or do you maybe pick and choose here and there?

  Jessica: 4:52

  all of the brief, and then other times I will pick we can't call'em favorites,

  Jennifer: 4:57

  All right. So you wanted to talk about introducing people to shows today and take any unknowns out of the picture and encourage people to try to show. Yes. So we thought we would start from the beginning. And the beginning is the show packet, right? The show packet

  Jessica: 5:20

  It's just filling in how many birds you have if they're cox cock rolls, hens, or pull. And then the hardest part is really. Mailing it off and putting that big fat check in there,

  Jennifer: 5:33

  mailing it off on time. I'm always the last minute person.

  Jessica: 5:37

  There are a lot

  Jennifer: 5:38

  You just don't know who's gonna molt, who's gonna, I don't know, go Brody, who's gonna do whatever. So I wait till the last minute. And a lot of people don't realize that when they're looking at those entry forms, that K stands for cock role. That is correct. Yeah. If you don't know, you don't know. And pull it is a female under a year. The point of lay does not matter between bullet and hen. It does not. Yep. And then Cockrell to Cock, bird is a year old also. Correct. All right, so now you got your entry form done. You've paid, which typically runs what, three to$7 per bird per show? They're getting upwards of four to nine now. Yep. Okay. So explain to everybody what the difference is between a single show and a double show.

  Jessica: 6:33

  show is just one panel of judges that goes through the birds once. A double show is two panels of judges that go through the birds. Each panel goes through once. So it's two shows the same spot on the same day.

  Jennifer: 6:49

  So why would you want to go to a double show over a single show?

  Jessica: 6:54

  More bang for your butt.

  Jennifer: 6:55

  Exactly. Points. But be warned, it's a long day.

  Jessica: 7:01

  It is a long day. Usually gets out around five

  Jennifer: 7:03

  So now you've entered, you know what you're doing and. You're on your way to the show. What time do you need to be there?

  Jessica: 7:14

  I always try to be there about a half hour before they allow us to coop in.

  Jennifer: 7:19

  All right. So Coop in just means taking your birds and putting them in the coop?

  Jessica: 7:23

  Yes. In the showcase

  Jennifer: 7:24

  when you go into the show hall, there'll be a table. And you check in. Correct. Get your exhibitor number correct. Pay. If you haven't

  Jessica: 7:37

  of them, once they know you will allow you.

  Jennifer: 7:40

  red light. It's not blinking. So hush.

  Carey: 7:46

  I don't understand why when you've got people that, show up early, which to me is being respectful of other people's time. And then you got these others that, judging starts at 9, 8 55. They're running through the hall with a bird trying to find their coup. And I'm like, where are you being?

  Jennifer: 8:13

  Don't be that person.

  Carey: 8:15

  don't do that.

  Jennifer: 8:17

  The club people don't appreciate that either.

  Carey: 8:21

  about you.

  Jennifer: 8:50

  All right, so we're checked in. We have our exhibitor number. We're off to find our coops. in your case, you're gonna be scattered all over to Kingdom come and the bans, the large fouls and all over the place, right? Most shows, yes. Yep. Lot of walking. Wear your comfortable shoes.

  Jessica: 9:09

  My Fitbit gets excited.

  Carey: 9:13

  I was gonna say, if you go to a show as a spectator, you should wear comfortable shoes. But if you got different birds there in categories, then you almost need like a segue.

  Jennifer: 9:32

  It's a big enough show. Have you ever been to Ohio Nationals? Not yet. That's a big one. I do small shows.

  Carey: 9:40

  Yeah. I get a lot of steps in every year at the Ohio Nationals.

  Jennifer: 9:44

  now you've got your birds you're cooping in. What would be things that you would put in your bag to take to the show?

  Jessica: 9:52

  See, that's the interesting part. At first, I started over grooming every bird. And then I got lazy and had too many birds, so I just put the bird in the cage and gave it food and water. And the odd thing is they started winning. And I'm all about doing as little as possible to achieve the results I'm looking for.

  Jennifer: 10:14

  That's nice. Comes with hauling cows. So food and water and you don't take anything

  Jessica: 10:22

  I have it in the pickup, but that doesn't mean I'm going to bring it in. Being a girl, I pack, like I'm about to leave forever. So I have everything with me in case I do need something. Towels, diaper wipes. Spray a comb. My Americana. Do you need their beards, combed. A little first aid kit because it never fails. You always get your fingers pinched somewhere. Trying to think of what's in that box. Zip ties. Yes. Zip ties. There's a bag of candy in there as well.

  Jennifer: 11:00

  I do carry hard candy in mine too. the dip ties would be not for the birds, but for the cages in case you need to move them just ever so slightly

  Jessica: 11:13

  Sometimes they don't stay where they're supposed to be. So you have to zip tie the cage itself.

  Jennifer: 11:18

  Exactly. Cage cups. I have cage cups. I carry a empty jug to go fill up with water so I don't have to walk back and forth.

  Jessica: 11:29

  The birds are used to our crummy wall water here, and the change in water actually upsets their systems.

  Jennifer: 11:36

  Smart.

  Jessica: 11:37

  And I have seen other people that have vitamin mixtures in their water, so they always bring their own

  Jennifer: 11:43

  You could bring some treats if you wanted to give'em like a boost'cause they get tired in the middle of the day. I use bread, little wall bread.

  Jessica: 11:52

  I have eaten a chicken nugget at Shawnee last year while admiring my chickens.

  Jennifer: 11:58

  That gets him excited, huh? It really did. I was at a show a couple weeks ago and one thing I think I'm going to invest in would be some kind of. Clear plexiglass that may could slide down between the cages because wasn't my bird, it was the bird behind mine. Kept reaching through and picking a fight with one of my cock rolls and we, I couldn't find any cardboard to put down in there. So I think I would invest in some thin plexiglass to go down in there.

  Jessica: 12:33

  A lot of the game fell people have plexiglass or plastic sheeting that they put in between.

  Jennifer: 12:39

  Yeah, that was a Shammo rooster that was picking at my orpington and I would walk over there and the orpington was like, mama, I never had anybody pick at me before. What is he doing? So the Orpingtons are so docile, he didn't know what to think about it. I carry a little brush because I have fluffy butts. Yes. Instead of a comb, one of those with the teeth that's wide set, like from the seventies, that kind of brush. I resemble that remark. I'm right there with you Chick. I can't think of anything else in my. Coop bag, other than what you mentioned, a folding chair. Yep. Water for yourself. And snacks. Snacks, yep. Sometimes they have food trucks.

  Jessica: 13:31

  They

  Jennifer: 13:31

  But you probably want your own snacks in a lot of cases. Okay, so now you've got, you're all cooped in your birds are groomed. If you're gonna groom'em, you don't have to. So you take your chair. do you have cage boxes? The transport boxes? Yes.

  Jessica: 13:52

  Yes.

  Jennifer: 13:53

  Where do you put yours?

  Jessica: 13:54

  I put mine.

  Carey: 13:57

  I forgot hair dryers.

  Jessica: 14:00

  Many people have those.

  Jennifer: 14:04

  Those are just for silkies, right? Mostly. Okay. So where do you put your boxes at? Normally back in my pickup. Gotcha.

  Jessica: 14:16

  aisles clutter free and I don't have to worry if they're gonna disappear or not.

  Jennifer: 14:20

  And then you take your chair and sit against the walls as the exhibitors,

  Jessica: 14:28

  or we

  Jennifer: 14:28

  wander around talking to friends. Exactly. We do that too. But if you're new and you are going to basically park yourself against a wall or out of the way.'cause you can't be in the aisles when they're judging. Correct. And so if you're just there visiting, you've never been to a show before. The people that are parked in chairs along the walls, those are the exhibitors, and we are more than happy to talk chicken the entire time we are sitting there. Absolutely. Yeah. So talk away if you're interested in something. And we're not usually parked too far from our chickens, most of us,

  Carey: 15:07

  don't be that person. while the judges are judging, don't be that person that goes out and tries to have a conversation with them.

  Jennifer: 15:15

  you can talk to him afterwards.

  Carey: 15:18

  I've been to shows and seen that before and I'm like, oh gosh, how is this fixing to go?

  Jennifer: 15:25

  I've seen some blowups at shows before where people were not happy about something. it happens, people get their feelings hurt.

  Jessica: 15:36

  It does.

  Jennifer: 15:37

  Yep.

  Jessica: 15:37

  When I go to a show, I don't plan for my birds to win the breeds and varieties I have don't always win. So for my rare and pattern varieties, the best thing I can ever get besides best or reserve a variety is Oh wow. That's pretty. that to me is almost just as good as winning a show.

  Jennifer: 15:57

  I can relate to that because there's a lot of people that are there because they're after the points, the awards. That's the competitiveness of people. But then there's people like me and it sounds like you that just go, because we enjoy it. We enjoy talking chicken to people all day and just something to do on a Saturday. Exactly. All right, so let's talk about one more thing before we talk about cooping out so people understand the terminology for winning. So start at the bottom and work your way up the

  Jessica: 16:33

  They have number placements. Usually one through five on the individual sexes of the bird, and then best in reserve variety. From there, you have best in reserve of breed. From there, you have best in reserve of class. For me, that would be continental, A-O-C-C-L for my bantams feather leg, A OSB for the large fowl. Americana. And American for the cler. And then from there, the best of each class go on Champion Row, and then the judges select for the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand champion

  Jennifer: 17:18

  for each show. if it's a double show, you do it twice. Correct. So when is an

  Carey: 17:23

  bragging rights come in?

  Jennifer: 17:25

  Yeah. when is the best time

  Jessica: 17:28

  They're supposed to coop out after the award ceremony, which is usually written in the rules. However, there's a few people that sneak out early. If you're on Champion Row or if you have a winning bird, then you forfeit your awards for Cooping

  Carey: 17:43

  That makes sense

  Jennifer: 17:43

  Can't win if you're not there.

  Carey: 17:45

  That's right.

  Jennifer: 17:48

  So now let's talk about your patterned birds. Which birds do you have that are patterned?

  Jessica: 17:56

  Silver, Americana, Wheaton, the Ermine, and then the coach in Bantams. I have a whole bunch of different ones.

  Jennifer: 18:04

  You just got me tickled with how many varieties you've got.

  Jessica: 18:08

  So how do you keep track of your breeding program? A spreadsheet. Thank goodness for Excel.

  Jennifer: 18:14

  Wow. So do you do leg bands or wing bands?

  Jessica: 18:18

  I have colored zip ties that mean different things. I have leg bands that mean different things. Some birds have wing bands and some birds have toe punches.

  Jennifer: 18:29

  Okay toe punches is one thing we haven't talked about on the show before. So can you explain toe punching? It's like an ear piercing. But on a chicken toe. In the webbing.

  Jessica: 18:42

  In the webbing, it's just a little hole.

  Jennifer: 18:45

  How do you keep it from growing back together?

  Jessica: 18:48

  When they're small, you pick it apart and eventually it doesn't grow back together.

  Jennifer: 18:54

  Okay. And so there's different combinations that tell you.

  Jessica: 18:59

  There's actually a sheet that you can look at to tell you what number, or you can just say any left foot outer web is this or right foot outer web.

  Jennifer: 19:10

  So how many different combinations is it? 16. I thought there was upwards of 20. Okay. So I use wing bands. And then some leg bands, but mostly wing bands. so the pattern varieties, do you double mate those or do you have those just set up in single Co?

  Jessica: 19:34

  It would be great if they would all be single coop, but some of them are double mated. Which ones? Colombian Penciled Brown Reds. And those silvers.

  Jennifer: 19:47

  So which one is the hardest one to work with?

  Jessica: 19:51

  Probably the silver duck wing on any breed, but for me it's the silver Americana. And why is that? The shafting on the hens feathering.

  Jennifer: 20:02

  Okay. Let me google this picture because I'm just not gonna pretend that I know what this looks like.

  Jessica: 20:10

  It's when the shaft inside the feather, the middle part is a different color than the outer part. Usually it's a lighter color.

  Jennifer: 20:19

  But I need to know what a silver, oh, ooh. He's black and silver. He's pretty. so the males look pretty different from the females, huh? Correct. So do you're double mating them No. I am. Okay. And so the shafting. Do you want to see the shafting

  Jessica: 20:37

  No, it should be smooth.

  Jennifer: 20:39

  Gotcha. Then she's not good. Let me look at a different one here. I'm just on Google images.

  Jessica: 20:45

  you. Rabbit hole.

  Jennifer: 20:47

  We're down a rabbit hole. I'm gonna tell you these silver Americana cock burns, they're really nice looking. I can see why you like'em.

  Jessica: 20:56

  They're almost like a bird chip, without the chest lacing.

  Jennifer: 21:01

  Okay. I was gonna say Darth Vader, but we can go with urchin.

  Jessica: 21:06

  Dar Vader does sound pretty good. I like that. All right, so how long have you been reading those? The Americana? When I purchased Gypsy Hen in August of 2023, they were part of Gypsy Hen.

  Jennifer: 21:21

  Oh, so you're not the original owner of Gypsy Hen? I am not.

  Jessica: 21:26

  Years prior I purchased some eggs and they were great and I bought some more and they were great. And then one day my friend says, Hey, check this out. Gypsy Hens for sale.

  Jennifer: 21:36

  So when you say gypsy hand, do you mean the name or the farm,

  Jessica: 21:40

  the name, some enclosures for the birds and the birds themselves. So you just picked those up and took'em to your property? I did. So I know how to move 300 plus birds.

  Jennifer: 21:53

  You need to farm out those skills comes from 20 years of hauling cattle. Do you have cattle too? Or you just haul'em?

  Jessica: 22:04

  finally sold them last year.

  Jennifer: 22:06

  Cattle prices are up. how long was Gypsy Hen a working farm before you bought it?

  Jessica: 22:16

  I believe Gypsy Hen started around 2017, but I'm not sure.

  Jennifer: 22:21

  So did you get all those breeding records and everything? I didn't, I just got the birds. Oh, okay. Gotcha. You still got, what, six years worth of breeding work, right? Even though you didn't get the records. Maybe I figured it out. You figured? Yeah. it doesn't really matter where you start. You still gotta figure it out. Your eye is always gonna look different than somebody else's eye.

  Jessica: 22:48

  That's correct. It was a learning experience.

  Jennifer: 22:51

  That's taking on a whole lot of birds and trying to sort it out.

  Jessica: 22:55

  Oh, that was the easy part. I already had a bunch of birds before the gypsy hen birds.

  Jennifer: 23:01

  Oh wow. I can't imagine 300 birds coming over, I'm sure I easily have 300 birds out there.

  Jessica: 23:07

  It was just a gooseneck in a stock trailer.

  Jennifer: 23:10

  We had another guest on recently, and he's moving cross country, he's gonna throw'em all in a stock trailer and take off, do it at night. So they're all quiet in there.

  Jessica: 23:22

  They're quiet, and when they wake up, they're in their new houses just looking for food. less stress moving'em in the dark.

  Jennifer: 23:31

  Yeah. I can see that. They can't see. And they're sleepy. And they're just bumping along, going to sleep, right?

  Jessica: 23:38

  That's correct. That's why a lot of cattle move at night,

  Jennifer: 23:42

  Never thought about it.

  Carey: 23:44

  They do that with cattle. Poultry works with poultry too,

  Jessica: 23:49

  One,

  Carey: 23:51

  there's no places open when you cross the state line.

  Jennifer: 23:55

  Listen, we're not supposed to say all that kind of stuff now. That's a different rabbit hole. And so if people wanted to find you and get ahold of you and buy some of this stuff you sell. You sell hatching eggs or birds or both?

  Jessica: 24:11

  Mostly hatching eggs.

  Jennifer: 24:12

  Okay.

  Jessica: 24:13

  hatching eggs? Yes. Okay. Live virtual so much, but I do take'em to the shows. to meet up with people, correct.

  Jennifer: 24:21

  So do you have a website? I do.

  Jessica: 24:24

  www gypsy hen.com. That was easy. do you know where the name came from? It came from a black Americana hen named.

  Jennifer: 24:37

  Oh,

  Jessica: 24:37

  okay.

  Carey: 24:38

  See, I wondered when you were gonna ask that because I've been like, where does the name come from?

  Jennifer: 24:46

  You're speaking here. You can speak up anytime you want to.

  Carey: 24:49

  with the name Gypsies, is that from, transporting them across country or what,

  Jessica: 24:56

  20

  Jennifer: 24:56

  years over the road? It does fit. All right. I have one last question. The lady who sold you all those birds, is she completely out of chickens? I heard. Yes. imagine on one hand just sleeping in and not having to worry about breeding season. But then on the other hand, I was like, what would I do with my days

  Jessica: 25:19

  she had just started her family and the little ones took priority.

  Jennifer: 25:23

  Oh, I can understand that. I'm into grandkids now.

  Jessica: 25:27

  I've into chickens.

  Jennifer: 25:30

  They're like kids. Sometimes I have two Orpingtons that run around the yard and follow me I can reach down and pet'em like a dog.

  Jessica: 25:38

  they're almost the size of a dog.

  Carey: 25:40

  Chickens can be a form of relaxation when you have all those kids,

  Jennifer: 25:47

  Oh, yeah. Carrie has 47 kids and four chickens. And only four chickens.

  Jessica: 25:54

  Yeah,

  Jennifer: 25:56

  Do you ship year round or just in the spring and early summer.

  Jessica: 25:59

  I ship year round, although I try to avoid the extreme hot of summer and cold of winter.

  Jennifer: 26:05

  Yeah, same.

  Jessica: 26:06

  There's always somebody that absolutely has to have it available. I don't mind sending it.

  Jennifer: 26:12

  Jessica, it has been a pleasure meeting you and having you on the show. Thank you. Is there anything else you would like to tell anybody?

  Jessica: 26:21

  For the people that have never shown before but are afraid to, just enter it and bring it. Some of the shows have a backyard class where it doesn't matter what breed a bird it is, they judge it differently. the best way to learn is to do.

  Jennifer: 26:38

  That's exactly right. I agree. And I would like to say that she was hesitant Little bit introverted. So y'all go to her page and give her some love on Facebook.

  Carey: 26:49

  no, we're not.

  Jennifer: 26:50

  She was scared of the red blinking light. So we have no red blinking light. There's red light. It doesn't blink. Thank you again for being here. Thank you.