University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 holds a masters and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, he looked at different ways to manage flocks without antibiotics. He continues the work at Purina by developing feeds with prebiotics and probiotics to keep birds healthy.