September 18, 2025 • 28 mins
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Join us on the Poultry Nerds Podcast as we sit down with Craig Hansen, one of the most respected names in the Cochin world. From his start in 4-H projects to breeding award-winning varieties like Silver Laced and Buff Columbians, Craig shares his journey, breeding strategies, and passion for preserving poultry genetics. We dive into show preparation, artificial insemination for fertility, predator challenges, and what it really takes to raise high-quality exhibition chickens.
Whether you’re a seasoned breeder or backyard poultry keeper, this episode is packed with insights on chicken breeding, poultry shows, and the dedication behind raising top-quality flocks.
Keywords: bantam Cochin chickens, poultry breeding, chicken shows, exhibition poultry, artificial insemination in chickens, poultry genetics, raising bantam chickens, Craig Hansen
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jennifer (00:00):
welcome poultry nerds.
(00:01):
We have a special guest for youguys today.
If you don't already follow him,you'll want to after this, the
infamous, the most popular Mr.
Craig Hansen.
I have been following you foryears and you actually helped me
get started with coachings.
You probably don't remember, butyou did.
Craig (00:24):
Wow.
Jennifer (00:25):
A long time ago.
So how are you doing?
Craig (00:30):
I'm doing good.
It's sunny and humid, so I'mstaying inside.
I cleaned all the waters todayand birds are fine with fans
running so.
Jennifer (00:41):
Yeah,
Craig (00:41):
I'm available for your whatever time you need.
Jennifer (00:44):
Alright, sounds good.
Why don't you just telleverybody and just in case they
don't know who you are, tell usa bit about yourself.
Craig (00:52):
Okay.
My name's Craig Hansen.
I have Banham Shins.
I breed and exhibit them.
And all of this started becausethey were my daughter's four H
project.
Her, I got three daughters andthe oldest one showed cattle and
hogs and the next one hadhedgehogs and the last one had
(01:13):
rabbits.
And I had a pair of bras and itwas time to decide what to show
one year and.
Can I show those at the fair?
Yeah.
And a stray dog came through andkilled them.
Next thing you know, we're atthe state fair looking at
Champion Row, and my daughtersaw a black hin that was
(01:37):
stunning.
Later that year I bought twopairs of, black ions from Mark
Peterson.
That is almost every bird I'vegot out there in black still
carries that bloodline.
I've made out crosses, but it'sit started there back about
(01:59):
2010.
And every kid in four H, theyage out.
And when she was done with fourH I decided that I was gonna
keep the birds and they becamemy retirement project.
I can thank my daughter and Ican thank Mark Peterson getting
(02:19):
me started.
I've got.
Ians in black.
Colombian Buff Colombian, silverlaced, gold laced, silver
penciled and partridge.
I got a couple blues, butthey're going away.
They mess up my genetics.
It's just a, it's a hobby.
(02:39):
The way I do it, it's a hobby.
It can't be anything more.
And every morning I wake up waybefore my wife, so I sit down
and, write my thoughts on mycoaching page called Craig's
Chens, and it's just it's ahobby.
It keeps me busy and met some ofthe nicest people in the world
(03:02):
that through this as well.
Couple of jerks, but most ofthem are pretty darn nice.
Jennifer (03:08):
I know that you go to several shows during the year,
but you're willing to travel farto go to shows?
Craig (03:15):
Once a year I try to make an last year I went to the Kohan
National out and, new York JamieMatt's club show and it was a
Kohan national.
The farthest west I've traveledis Utah a couple times.
First time during COVID, and thesecond time they were hosting a
(03:35):
Kohan National out there.
Yeah, I've put a few miles onand, probably a hundred
thousand.
Oh, yes.
And I don't travel quite as faras I used to because my travel
partner moved to Indiana.
It's all by myself now, most ofthe time.
This year, the farthest I'vegone was Oklahoma City.
I'm hoping to.
(03:57):
Make red stick or Shawnee inDecember, but after, before
that, the farthest one Iprobably will attend is Ohio
National, which is 10 hourdrive.
Jennifer (04:09):
You're in Iowa, right?
Craig (04:11):
Yes.
Okay.
I'm in Iowa.
Jennifer (04:14):
Of your varieties, which one is your favorite?
Craig (04:18):
Silver laced.
Jennifer (04:20):
Okay.
Why?
Craig (04:24):
Partly the person that gave me my first one anime
Carlson met me in 2011 atcrossroads.
She and John were there and,that fall, I wasn't a member of
any club back then.
Eastern Iowa Alt TreeAssociation had the Kohan
National 25 miles from my house.
(04:46):
I didn't.
Wow.
I had Colombians and I'd broughta Colombian to a black and it
turned out to be.
The best burin of the show andthere were other exhibitors.
Nana May had a pretty nice cockbird in the sail area that
didn't sell.
(05:07):
When the show was over, she gaveme that burin mail, which I used
for a while, and the next yearshe gave me a.
A silver laced pull that kindalooked like a feather legged
w.it was, it was beautiful.
(05:30):
Ah I've got pictures of itsomeplace.
And something about that bird.
The contrast, black and whiteand great personality.
I've been working with themsince 2012 and they've gotten a
little better.
And I've, I, I keep learning alittle something every year.
(05:50):
I don't know.
Jennifer (05:52):
And then your, the ones that give you the most
trouble are which variety?
Craig (05:59):
Define trouble because one of my favorite varieties is
buff Colombian, but I've hadfertility issues with those.
The silver pencil laid twomonths later than everything
else this year.
It is hard to compare them withthe other birds for type and
other things as we're watchingthem grow.
(06:20):
It's just I don't know.
It, there's no real trouble'cause I don't keep the real
trouble.
At least not for long.
There's always somebody lookingfor a good bird, even with a bad
personality.
And I try to describe all mybirds as grandkids safe.
Because I got a 4-year-oldgrandson that likes to go
(06:42):
through the chicken house withme and yeah, just it's no fun
bleeding just to walk throughthe chicken house.
And that's, those birds don'tstay.
Jennifer (06:52):
No.
And there's no reason to keep amean B bird?
No.
No.
So one of the things that peopleprobably ask you the most is U
ai, all of your birds, right?
Craig (07:05):
Almost all of them.
Yes.
Jennifer (07:08):
So can you explain to us why you chose to do that?
Craig (07:11):
Because I can.
I can make individual matingsand still have a pen of six hens
together instead of single cagedor flock mating and it also
keeps the feathers in goodcondition.
I can breed and show the birdsat the same time.
Where with koshin being a softfeather, bird and fertility's
(07:36):
awful.
If you don't on, on a.
High quality show bird.
If you don't either pluck ortrim your fertility can be as
low as zero.
I remember the first year wehatched 30 some birds and we
thought we knew how to breedwell.
(07:58):
Little did I realize one wasgoing into malt and one was
coming outta malt, and we got.
Lots of chicks.
The next year I was probably 5050 eggs in with non fertile, and
it opened my eyes to either youwant fertility and it is, it's
the only way I can do raisequality birds and show the same
(08:21):
birds at the same time.
Jennifer (08:24):
And you're pretty open on how to do the ai, so if
somebody is interested in that,they can just search your name
and the AI on your page and findvideos.
Sure.
You've done it several times.
I know.
Craig (08:38):
I've done it at shows.
People ask me and it's sure.
And I just go over and grab oneof my boys and they can't
believe it's 15, 20 seconds.
And.
It's done.
Jennifer (08:52):
So you keep all of your girls in pens.
Do you keep your boys like up incages?
Is that how you separate
Craig (09:00):
often?
Yes.
Okay.
But I don't do anything all thetime.
Flexible and I'm reading thecurrent conditions and adjusting
seasonally because I only had 49breeders.
That's all I needed and allthose varieties'cause two males,
(09:24):
three, four females, and I'm,I'm in pretty good shape.
Jennifer (09:28):
And it's a hobby.
Craig (09:29):
You're enjoying it.
Absolutely.
But I still buy 1200 pounds offeed at a time.
Because while I only had 49breeders, I probably had 300
chicks.
And I donated four dozen eggs toPolk County, four H and all
those were hashed in scienceclassrooms and school system.
(09:51):
And then they went to the countyfour H.
And I donated over four dozenchicks this year to four H kids
in the area.
Actually some came up fromMissouri, but four H is how I
got started, even though Iwasn't in four H.
Jennifer (10:09):
Yeah.
And
Craig (10:10):
our Eastern Iowa Poultry Association.
Puts on a a seminar each yearjust trying to teach the parents
and the kids the same stuff.
About breeding, about how towash a bird.
We've modified it a little andwe do it every year.
Jennifer (10:31):
Hi Carrie.
Craig (10:34):
Good afternoon.
How are y'all?
Jennifer (10:37):
We're good.
We're talking about the birds.
Have background noise.
Carey (10:43):
Couldn't imagine.
Jennifer (10:45):
Yeah.
All right.
We'll have to mute it tillyou're ready to say something.
All right.
So Mr.
Hanson, tell us when you'repicking out a bird, like what
are you looking at as far astype is concerned?
Craig (11:01):
First thing I do is I'm looking for disqualifications
before I even.
Get how do I say this?
I'm picky, but with some ofthese varieties, they're project
varieties.
I might keep some for type andsome for pattern though I'm
getting closer on pattern onsome, but, because Fox pretty
(11:25):
much wiped me out and Colombiansa few years back.
Mike Sayer, Brian Hel gave mesome birds and Deb, Don down in
Georgia sent me some eggs andI've been trying to rebuild my
Colombians back to where theyused to be.
They were pretty nice once upona time.
So with those, I'm keeping theiest females and I kept an over
(11:49):
marked male because he had thebest type and I got a few
females, but all of them wereover marked.
And I'm gonna keep a few of'emanyway'cause it's easier to have
too little pattern than too muchon those, I really don't know
how to answer that.
I look at type black's taught metype because you can look at a
(12:12):
burden, it's got a shape.
It's and heads are the firstthing I look at, but they're
possibly much less importantthan making sure they've got a
good keel or.
Foot color or short, strongwings instead of a C.
That makes it almost look like asplit wing, even though it's
(12:33):
not.
Jennifer (12:34):
So maybe it's a better question to ask.
What won't you tolerate in yourflock?
What's the first things to go o
Craig (12:41):
side?
Sprigs.
Jennifer (12:44):
Okay.
Craig (12:45):
And of course they don't show up till you've fed'em for
five or six months.
That's about the time the combstarts turning red is when, and
they're really developing.
We found a couple of them nottoo long ago in my golden laced
Frizzles.
Not proud of that, but.
It's something breeding awayfrom, and I am looking at the
(13:08):
females anymore because we'renot breeding males with side
sprigs.
It makes me think that it, we'repassing it on with the females
and I'm looking at the back endof the comb.
Ands.
I'm trying to eliminate thebirds with the fat, back end of
the comb where, and it's not aside sprig, but it's not, it
(13:32):
flares out a little.
And it's, we're talking minimal,but it's when I've got enough to
go through, I I set those asideand.
I've had'em win, but I don'tlike'em.
Jennifer (13:46):
Okay.
I can see that.
So we've got bad attitudes onthe list and side spray.
So those are dqs anyway do youhave any trouble with skin
color?
Craig (13:58):
With what?
Jennifer (13:59):
Skin color?
Foot color.
Craig (14:02):
I really.
No, because they probably onhens because once they start
laying foot, color goes away.
The males, if they got crackedcorn, they'll either have yellow
feet or they're geneticallywrong.
And, it's not what you have,it's what you keep.
(14:23):
That's, I don't know howsometimes you
Carey (14:25):
keep too many,
Jennifer (14:26):
keep too many.
Carey (14:29):
Sometimes,
Jennifer (14:30):
so it, that was interesting.
I didn't know that the henscould lose their color when they
start to lay.
Craig (14:36):
Yes, absolutely.
Is it from like a plate
Jennifer (14:38):
color?
That's
Craig (14:40):
it.
Like the yoke color.
The more they lay the it can gofrom a bright yellow down to,
you might just see a little onthe shanks or something.
They're not.
And.
Too much lime on the grounddoesn't help either.
Jennifer (14:59):
Does it change during the molt?
Does it come I honestly
Craig (15:03):
don't know because during mold I leave'em alone.
That's, I.
I get, I've got enough of'em.
I just, when they're in malt,they just get to be natural.
And I don't know what, I don'thave an answer.
Jennifer (15:24):
So during the malt, you leave your birds alone, you
don't handle them.
Craig (15:29):
Say that again.
I've got poor hearing.
Jennifer (15:31):
During the molt, you leave them alone.
You don't handle them.
Not
Craig (15:36):
much.
Just to check condition, butkoshin are so calm anyway.
I think people are surprisedwhen they see me walk in and
just pick up a bird.
Jennifer (15:45):
They are very calm.
Craig (15:48):
Some.
Some I chase at night too.
Jennifer (15:52):
Okay.
The girls are calm.
We'll go with that one.
Oh
Craig (15:55):
yeah.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
That's a fact.
Jennifer (16:01):
So you, just to be clear, she don't get inundated
with messages.
You don't sell or ship eggs andbirds
Craig (16:09):
ne Almost never.
I've, sent eggs to otherbreeders, but that's not, and
they've shipped them to meduring COVID.
And during ai, when we wereconcerned that one flock if AI
(16:30):
hit somebody's flock we'd loseall the genetics.
So we'd, I sent some eggs toMontana.
They sent some to me.
Only one egg hatched out of thatthe best silver lace ro I've
ever had in the place till maybethis year.
We've networked a little withtrying to keep some of these
(16:50):
rare varieties of quality and inthe public eye.
If that makes.
Because while I show sixdifferent varieties or seven,
only one's got a chance ofwinning.
And that's my blacks.
I've had when I had blues seven,eight years ago, I could win a
(17:16):
show with those and I did.
I won the Iowa State Fair withthose, but I didn't enjoy'em.
And winning.
I don't even know what to dowith trophies and plaques
anymore.
It's just they're piled up.
Jennifer (17:32):
Must be a good problem to have.
Yeah.
Craig (17:35):
Yeah.
And, I don't know, and I'm nevergonna get to any of the grant.
Lifetime achievement things.
I didn't start this youngenough.
I was in my upper fifties when Idid that.
So it's I don't know, justenjoying it.
And some of the people thatI've.
Started, or they were seniors inhigh school this year.
(17:58):
They've done well in their ownstates and I dunno, I'm not, as,
I'm protective of try to makesure stuff goes to breeders,
breeder exhibitors as much aspossible.
And, no, I never sell eggs.
I think I had an auction onetime and it went way beyond what
(18:22):
I thought was reasonable and Idecided I wouldn't do that
again.
And especially when post officein California pretty well
screwed him up.
I don't know.
Okay.
Because I packed them as well asyou could possibly pack'em, and
it was iffy.
Jennifer (18:39):
It happens.
Craig (18:41):
When AI hit some of the state's borders closed to people
who didn't have AI in certifiedflocks, and I just chose to not
deal with any of that.
It's wasn't wasn't something Iwanted to deal with.
Jennifer (19:01):
The varieties you're passionate about because you
don't want'em to die out, butyour blacks are your favorite.
Am I getting that correct?
Craig (19:11):
Oh, blacks are my best.
They're not my favorites.
Jennifer (19:14):
They're okay.
The silver penciled are yourfavorite?
Craig (19:18):
No silver laced are my favorites.
Okay.
And golden laced.
It seemed to catch more people'seyes, and I am like, but they
don't have as much type.
And it's all, and once again,there's a variety that friends
have helped me rebuild becauseit was either a mink or weasel
(19:40):
wiped out the stuff about fouryears ago.
And that was the last thingkilled in that building because
I A four H family over in thenext county over came and got it
and I had the Amish build me anew shed and it's weather tight
and I haven't lost the burdeneither one of my outbuildings
yet.
(20:01):
My main building is a littlethat's insulated so I can keep
the water thaw in the winterand.
I care for'em.
Jennifer (20:12):
Yeah, it's practicality.
Makes stuff more enjoyable too.
Oh gosh.
Craig (20:18):
I've gone to auto feeders auto waterers just where a
neighbor can come in and in 10minutes the birds get their
basic.
Okay.
Stuff to keep'em healthy until Icome back.
Yeah, it's all,
Jennifer (20:35):
so when you're selecting, when you're selecting
birds, are you pulling the onesyou don't like out and getting
rid of them?
Or are you pulling yourfavorites out to
Craig (20:47):
really look
Jennifer (20:48):
at
Craig (20:48):
them?
Both.
Because there's some of thosetweeners that are only three
weeks behind, and it's amazinghow much, if you give'em another
three weeks they can bloomwidth, or it, when I had from
January and I was done beforethe end of March.
(21:09):
This year.
And while that tight window thebirds vary a lot in size and
condition, finish throughoutthat, those groups.
So yeah, the most I can do iskeep two weeks of hatch
together.
Jennifer (21:30):
That is a hard thing for me to do.
I have Orpingtons now and Ihatch.
Probably for four monthsdifferent matings this year.
And it is frustrating to go outthere and you've got little ones
and then you've got thesebigger, more mature ones and
(21:53):
you, it's really hard to notforce yourself not to compare
the two sizes, age groups.
Craig (22:00):
The only thing that happens with most of those is I
keep feeding them until theyprove there.
Not going to make it.
Whether it's failure to thriveor split wing or something that
will make them.
Not something you ever want tobe known for letting somebody
else have.
(22:21):
I just keep feeding them.
That's why I buy so much feed.
Jennifer (22:27):
We're not gonna talk about feed, how much feed we go
through.
Craig (22:31):
Not
Carey (22:32):
doing it.
Craig (22:34):
I've got a mill about 65 miles from me that lets me cut
the middlemen out so it, ittakes a little time, but it
saves me some money.
Jennifer (22:43):
Yeah.
You're not gonna get rich doingthis and it is a hobby.
Craig (22:47):
Oh, it, I could maybe make money, but then I'd have to
do it in a way that I wouldn'tenjoy.
Jennifer (22:54):
Is there anything else you would like people to know to
keep them interested in Bantamcoachings?
Craig (23:00):
Or shows.
I've got my page, Craigs and Itry to answer questions and
that's on Facebook.
I don't have a website.
I'm not trying to be commercial.
I can sell everything that Ithink's worth selling without.
Advertising just some of the petstuff, but I dunno.
(23:23):
People don't understand how muchmoney we have invested in our
flocks.
I know people think what we askis a lot, sometimes, and I think
I have close to$15 in everychick that I hatch.
Whether it's we talk, feed, billif we split the three buildings
(23:47):
over that I built just forpoultry over the number of birds
I'm too small to, it puts awhole lot of money on each bird
that we hatch.
I'm not, anytime I see a birdthat I think could help my
flock.
I'll offer to buy it.
And if it, they say yes I paywhat it costs.
(24:10):
And if they say no I'm okay withthat too.
I just hope they're gonna breedit if I can't.
And yeah, it's just my bigbiggest problems over the years
have been predators.
And the building in 2012 becauseof predators building in 2000.
(24:32):
22 or 21 because of predators.
The one last year because theone I built before was half the
size of the previous one.
And so I needed another one forgrow outs that as I cut back on
varieties over the years as Iwas getting closer to this
winding down of my hobby.
(24:53):
I I've been working with some ofthis stuff again that I enjoy,
but it's takes a lot of space.
Jennifer (25:02):
Yes.
This is a space hogging hobby.
Craig (25:06):
Oh, yes.
It takes a while just to moveall the compost over the, that I
take, takes a good size tractorto move it all.
Jennifer (25:17):
Yep.
We have mount more here.
I've never thought of it thatway, but yes, that's,
Craig (25:24):
You till it into the garden.
You spread it on the pasture,you spread it on the hay ground,
you do little of everything.
Carey (25:31):
And
Craig (25:31):
and it's not a big pasture and it's not a whole lot
of hay ground, but.
Jennifer (25:35):
And you're constantly cleaning.
It's always dirty.
Everything in the poultry house.
Craig (25:40):
Correct.
And I do run a filter in thewinter trying to keep the
suspended particles out of theair because of asthma.
Which not the best hobby for aman, but with asthma.
But I love it.
It's, it gets me out of thechair multiple times a day.
And we haven't bought an egg inyears.
(26:03):
Even ban'em, ko and eggs,they're not prolific, they'll
lay for four or five years.
A really good one.
You keep'em and freedom.
But anyway,
Jennifer (26:12):
They are cute little things.
Craig (26:14):
I like'em.
So anyway thank you for havingme.
Jennifer (26:18):
Oh, thank you for coming on and talking about'em.
We enjoyed it.
Craig (26:22):
Yeah, I've enjoyed hearing about'em.
There's all sorts of pictures onmy pages too people can ask.
Just you guys have a great day.
Jennifer (26:32):
All right, you too.
Bye.
welcome poultry nerds.
(00:01):
We have a special guest for youguys today.
If you don't already follow him,you'll want to after this, the
infamous, the most popular Mr.
Craig Hansen.
I have been following you foryears and you actually helped me
get started with coachings.
You probably don't remember, butyou did.
Craig (00:24):
Wow.
Jennifer (00:25):
A long time ago.
So how are you doing?
Craig (00:30):
I'm doing good.
It's sunny and humid, so I'mstaying inside.
I cleaned all the waters todayand birds are fine with fans
running so.
Jennifer (00:41):
Yeah,
Craig (00:41):
I'm available for your whatever time you need.
Jennifer (00:44):
Alright, sounds good.
Why don't you just telleverybody and just in case they
don't know who you are, tell usa bit about yourself.
Craig (00:52):
Okay.
My name's Craig Hansen.
I have Banham Shins.
I breed and exhibit them.
And all of this started becausethey were my daughter's four H
project.
Her, I got three daughters andthe oldest one showed cattle and
hogs and the next one hadhedgehogs and the last one had
(01:13):
rabbits.
And I had a pair of bras and itwas time to decide what to show
one year and.
Can I show those at the fair?
Yeah.
And a stray dog came through andkilled them.
Next thing you know, we're atthe state fair looking at
Champion Row, and my daughtersaw a black hin that was
(01:37):
stunning.
Later that year I bought twopairs of, black ions from Mark
Peterson.
That is almost every bird I'vegot out there in black still
carries that bloodline.
I've made out crosses, but it'sit started there back about
(01:59):
2010.
And every kid in four H, theyage out.
And when she was done with fourH I decided that I was gonna
keep the birds and they becamemy retirement project.
I can thank my daughter and Ican thank Mark Peterson getting
(02:19):
me started.
I've got.
Ians in black.
Colombian Buff Colombian, silverlaced, gold laced, silver
penciled and partridge.
I got a couple blues, butthey're going away.
They mess up my genetics.
It's just a, it's a hobby.
(02:39):
The way I do it, it's a hobby.
It can't be anything more.
And every morning I wake up waybefore my wife, so I sit down
and, write my thoughts on mycoaching page called Craig's
Chens, and it's just it's ahobby.
It keeps me busy and met some ofthe nicest people in the world
(03:02):
that through this as well.
Couple of jerks, but most ofthem are pretty darn nice.
Jennifer (03:08):
I know that you go to several shows during the year,
but you're willing to travel farto go to shows?
Craig (03:15):
Once a year I try to make an last year I went to the Kohan
National out and, new York JamieMatt's club show and it was a
Kohan national.
The farthest west I've traveledis Utah a couple times.
First time during COVID, and thesecond time they were hosting a
(03:35):
Kohan National out there.
Yeah, I've put a few miles onand, probably a hundred
thousand.
Oh, yes.
And I don't travel quite as faras I used to because my travel
partner moved to Indiana.
It's all by myself now, most ofthe time.
This year, the farthest I'vegone was Oklahoma City.
I'm hoping to.
(03:57):
Make red stick or Shawnee inDecember, but after, before
that, the farthest one Iprobably will attend is Ohio
National, which is 10 hourdrive.
Jennifer (04:09):
You're in Iowa, right?
Craig (04:11):
Yes.
Okay.
I'm in Iowa.
Jennifer (04:14):
Of your varieties, which one is your favorite?
Craig (04:18):
Silver laced.
Jennifer (04:20):
Okay.
Why?
Craig (04:24):
Partly the person that gave me my first one anime
Carlson met me in 2011 atcrossroads.
She and John were there and,that fall, I wasn't a member of
any club back then.
Eastern Iowa Alt TreeAssociation had the Kohan
National 25 miles from my house.
(04:46):
I didn't.
Wow.
I had Colombians and I'd broughta Colombian to a black and it
turned out to be.
The best burin of the show andthere were other exhibitors.
Nana May had a pretty nice cockbird in the sail area that
didn't sell.
(05:07):
When the show was over, she gaveme that burin mail, which I used
for a while, and the next yearshe gave me a.
A silver laced pull that kindalooked like a feather legged
w.it was, it was beautiful.
(05:30):
Ah I've got pictures of itsomeplace.
And something about that bird.
The contrast, black and whiteand great personality.
I've been working with themsince 2012 and they've gotten a
little better.
And I've, I, I keep learning alittle something every year.
(05:50):
I don't know.
Jennifer (05:52):
And then your, the ones that give you the most
trouble are which variety?
Craig (05:59):
Define trouble because one of my favorite varieties is
buff Colombian, but I've hadfertility issues with those.
The silver pencil laid twomonths later than everything
else this year.
It is hard to compare them withthe other birds for type and
other things as we're watchingthem grow.
(06:20):
It's just I don't know.
It, there's no real trouble'cause I don't keep the real
trouble.
At least not for long.
There's always somebody lookingfor a good bird, even with a bad
personality.
And I try to describe all mybirds as grandkids safe.
Because I got a 4-year-oldgrandson that likes to go
(06:42):
through the chicken house withme and yeah, just it's no fun
bleeding just to walk throughthe chicken house.
And that's, those birds don'tstay.
Jennifer (06:52):
No.
And there's no reason to keep amean B bird?
No.
No.
So one of the things that peopleprobably ask you the most is U
ai, all of your birds, right?
Craig (07:05):
Almost all of them.
Yes.
Jennifer (07:08):
So can you explain to us why you chose to do that?
Craig (07:11):
Because I can.
I can make individual matingsand still have a pen of six hens
together instead of single cagedor flock mating and it also
keeps the feathers in goodcondition.
I can breed and show the birdsat the same time.
Where with koshin being a softfeather, bird and fertility's
(07:36):
awful.
If you don't on, on a.
High quality show bird.
If you don't either pluck ortrim your fertility can be as
low as zero.
I remember the first year wehatched 30 some birds and we
thought we knew how to breedwell.
(07:58):
Little did I realize one wasgoing into malt and one was
coming outta malt, and we got.
Lots of chicks.
The next year I was probably 5050 eggs in with non fertile, and
it opened my eyes to either youwant fertility and it is, it's
the only way I can do raisequality birds and show the same
(08:21):
birds at the same time.
Jennifer (08:24):
And you're pretty open on how to do the ai, so if
somebody is interested in that,they can just search your name
and the AI on your page and findvideos.
Sure.
You've done it several times.
I know.
Craig (08:38):
I've done it at shows.
People ask me and it's sure.
And I just go over and grab oneof my boys and they can't
believe it's 15, 20 seconds.
And.
It's done.
Jennifer (08:52):
So you keep all of your girls in pens.
Do you keep your boys like up incages?
Is that how you separate
Craig (09:00):
often?
Yes.
Okay.
But I don't do anything all thetime.
Flexible and I'm reading thecurrent conditions and adjusting
seasonally because I only had 49breeders.
That's all I needed and allthose varieties'cause two males,
(09:24):
three, four females, and I'm,I'm in pretty good shape.
Jennifer (09:28):
And it's a hobby.
Craig (09:29):
You're enjoying it.
Absolutely.
But I still buy 1200 pounds offeed at a time.
Because while I only had 49breeders, I probably had 300
chicks.
And I donated four dozen eggs toPolk County, four H and all
those were hashed in scienceclassrooms and school system.
(09:51):
And then they went to the countyfour H.
And I donated over four dozenchicks this year to four H kids
in the area.
Actually some came up fromMissouri, but four H is how I
got started, even though Iwasn't in four H.
Jennifer (10:09):
Yeah.
And
Craig (10:10):
our Eastern Iowa Poultry Association.
Puts on a a seminar each yearjust trying to teach the parents
and the kids the same stuff.
About breeding, about how towash a bird.
We've modified it a little andwe do it every year.
Jennifer (10:31):
Hi Carrie.
Craig (10:34):
Good afternoon.
How are y'all?
Jennifer (10:37):
We're good.
We're talking about the birds.
Have background noise.
Carey (10:43):
Couldn't imagine.
Jennifer (10:45):
Yeah.
All right.
We'll have to mute it tillyou're ready to say something.
All right.
So Mr.
Hanson, tell us when you'repicking out a bird, like what
are you looking at as far astype is concerned?
Craig (11:01):
First thing I do is I'm looking for disqualifications
before I even.
Get how do I say this?
I'm picky, but with some ofthese varieties, they're project
varieties.
I might keep some for type andsome for pattern though I'm
getting closer on pattern onsome, but, because Fox pretty
(11:25):
much wiped me out and Colombiansa few years back.
Mike Sayer, Brian Hel gave mesome birds and Deb, Don down in
Georgia sent me some eggs andI've been trying to rebuild my
Colombians back to where theyused to be.
They were pretty nice once upona time.
So with those, I'm keeping theiest females and I kept an over
(11:49):
marked male because he had thebest type and I got a few
females, but all of them wereover marked.
And I'm gonna keep a few of'emanyway'cause it's easier to have
too little pattern than too muchon those, I really don't know
how to answer that.
I look at type black's taught metype because you can look at a
(12:12):
burden, it's got a shape.
It's and heads are the firstthing I look at, but they're
possibly much less importantthan making sure they've got a
good keel or.
Foot color or short, strongwings instead of a C.
That makes it almost look like asplit wing, even though it's
(12:33):
not.
Jennifer (12:34):
So maybe it's a better question to ask.
What won't you tolerate in yourflock?
What's the first things to go o
Craig (12:41):
side?
Sprigs.
Jennifer (12:44):
Okay.
Craig (12:45):
And of course they don't show up till you've fed'em for
five or six months.
That's about the time the combstarts turning red is when, and
they're really developing.
We found a couple of them nottoo long ago in my golden laced
Frizzles.
Not proud of that, but.
It's something breeding awayfrom, and I am looking at the
(13:08):
females anymore because we'renot breeding males with side
sprigs.
It makes me think that it, we'repassing it on with the females
and I'm looking at the back endof the comb.
Ands.
I'm trying to eliminate thebirds with the fat, back end of
the comb where, and it's not aside sprig, but it's not, it
(13:32):
flares out a little.
And it's, we're talking minimal,but it's when I've got enough to
go through, I I set those asideand.
I've had'em win, but I don'tlike'em.
Jennifer (13:46):
Okay.
I can see that.
So we've got bad attitudes onthe list and side spray.
So those are dqs anyway do youhave any trouble with skin
color?
Craig (13:58):
With what?
Jennifer (13:59):
Skin color?
Foot color.
Craig (14:02):
I really.
No, because they probably onhens because once they start
laying foot, color goes away.
The males, if they got crackedcorn, they'll either have yellow
feet or they're geneticallywrong.
And, it's not what you have,it's what you keep.
(14:23):
That's, I don't know howsometimes you
Carey (14:25):
keep too many,
Jennifer (14:26):
keep too many.
Carey (14:29):
Sometimes,
Jennifer (14:30):
so it, that was interesting.
I didn't know that the henscould lose their color when they
start to lay.
Craig (14:36):
Yes, absolutely.
Is it from like a plate
Jennifer (14:38):
color?
That's
Craig (14:40):
it.
Like the yoke color.
The more they lay the it can gofrom a bright yellow down to,
you might just see a little onthe shanks or something.
They're not.
And.
Too much lime on the grounddoesn't help either.
Jennifer (14:59):
Does it change during the molt?
Does it come I honestly
Craig (15:03):
don't know because during mold I leave'em alone.
That's, I.
I get, I've got enough of'em.
I just, when they're in malt,they just get to be natural.
And I don't know what, I don'thave an answer.
Jennifer (15:24):
So during the malt, you leave your birds alone, you
don't handle them.
Craig (15:29):
Say that again.
I've got poor hearing.
Jennifer (15:31):
During the molt, you leave them alone.
You don't handle them.
Not
Craig (15:36):
much.
Just to check condition, butkoshin are so calm anyway.
I think people are surprisedwhen they see me walk in and
just pick up a bird.
Jennifer (15:45):
They are very calm.
Craig (15:48):
Some.
Some I chase at night too.
Jennifer (15:52):
Okay.
The girls are calm.
We'll go with that one.
Oh
Craig (15:55):
yeah.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
That's a fact.
Jennifer (16:01):
So you, just to be clear, she don't get inundated
with messages.
You don't sell or ship eggs andbirds
Craig (16:09):
ne Almost never.
I've, sent eggs to otherbreeders, but that's not, and
they've shipped them to meduring COVID.
And during ai, when we wereconcerned that one flock if AI
(16:30):
hit somebody's flock we'd loseall the genetics.
So we'd, I sent some eggs toMontana.
They sent some to me.
Only one egg hatched out of thatthe best silver lace ro I've
ever had in the place till maybethis year.
We've networked a little withtrying to keep some of these
(16:50):
rare varieties of quality and inthe public eye.
If that makes.
Because while I show sixdifferent varieties or seven,
only one's got a chance ofwinning.
And that's my blacks.
I've had when I had blues seven,eight years ago, I could win a
(17:16):
show with those and I did.
I won the Iowa State Fair withthose, but I didn't enjoy'em.
And winning.
I don't even know what to dowith trophies and plaques
anymore.
It's just they're piled up.
Jennifer (17:32):
Must be a good problem to have.
Yeah.
Craig (17:35):
Yeah.
And, I don't know, and I'm nevergonna get to any of the grant.
Lifetime achievement things.
I didn't start this youngenough.
I was in my upper fifties when Idid that.
So it's I don't know, justenjoying it.
And some of the people thatI've.
Started, or they were seniors inhigh school this year.
(17:58):
They've done well in their ownstates and I dunno, I'm not, as,
I'm protective of try to makesure stuff goes to breeders,
breeder exhibitors as much aspossible.
And, no, I never sell eggs.
I think I had an auction onetime and it went way beyond what
(18:22):
I thought was reasonable and Idecided I wouldn't do that
again.
And especially when post officein California pretty well
screwed him up.
I don't know.
Okay.
Because I packed them as well asyou could possibly pack'em, and
it was iffy.
Jennifer (18:39):
It happens.
Craig (18:41):
When AI hit some of the state's borders closed to people
who didn't have AI in certifiedflocks, and I just chose to not
deal with any of that.
It's wasn't wasn't something Iwanted to deal with.
Jennifer (19:01):
The varieties you're passionate about because you
don't want'em to die out, butyour blacks are your favorite.
Am I getting that correct?
Craig (19:11):
Oh, blacks are my best.
They're not my favorites.
Jennifer (19:14):
They're okay.
The silver penciled are yourfavorite?
Craig (19:18):
No silver laced are my favorites.
Okay.
And golden laced.
It seemed to catch more people'seyes, and I am like, but they
don't have as much type.
And it's all, and once again,there's a variety that friends
have helped me rebuild becauseit was either a mink or weasel
(19:40):
wiped out the stuff about fouryears ago.
And that was the last thingkilled in that building because
I A four H family over in thenext county over came and got it
and I had the Amish build me anew shed and it's weather tight
and I haven't lost the burdeneither one of my outbuildings
yet.
(20:01):
My main building is a littlethat's insulated so I can keep
the water thaw in the winterand.
I care for'em.
Jennifer (20:12):
Yeah, it's practicality.
Makes stuff more enjoyable too.
Oh gosh.
Craig (20:18):
I've gone to auto feeders auto waterers just where a
neighbor can come in and in 10minutes the birds get their
basic.
Okay.
Stuff to keep'em healthy until Icome back.
Yeah, it's all,
Jennifer (20:35):
so when you're selecting, when you're selecting
birds, are you pulling the onesyou don't like out and getting
rid of them?
Or are you pulling yourfavorites out to
Craig (20:47):
really look
Jennifer (20:48):
at
Craig (20:48):
them?
Both.
Because there's some of thosetweeners that are only three
weeks behind, and it's amazinghow much, if you give'em another
three weeks they can bloomwidth, or it, when I had from
January and I was done beforethe end of March.
(21:09):
This year.
And while that tight window thebirds vary a lot in size and
condition, finish throughoutthat, those groups.
So yeah, the most I can do iskeep two weeks of hatch
together.
Jennifer (21:30):
That is a hard thing for me to do.
I have Orpingtons now and Ihatch.
Probably for four monthsdifferent matings this year.
And it is frustrating to go outthere and you've got little ones
and then you've got thesebigger, more mature ones and
(21:53):
you, it's really hard to notforce yourself not to compare
the two sizes, age groups.
Craig (22:00):
The only thing that happens with most of those is I
keep feeding them until theyprove there.
Not going to make it.
Whether it's failure to thriveor split wing or something that
will make them.
Not something you ever want tobe known for letting somebody
else have.
(22:21):
I just keep feeding them.
That's why I buy so much feed.
Jennifer (22:27):
We're not gonna talk about feed, how much feed we go
through.
Craig (22:31):
Not
Carey (22:32):
doing it.
Craig (22:34):
I've got a mill about 65 miles from me that lets me cut
the middlemen out so it, ittakes a little time, but it
saves me some money.
Jennifer (22:43):
Yeah.
You're not gonna get rich doingthis and it is a hobby.
Craig (22:47):
Oh, it, I could maybe make money, but then I'd have to
do it in a way that I wouldn'tenjoy.
Jennifer (22:54):
Is there anything else you would like people to know to
keep them interested in Bantamcoachings?
Craig (23:00):
Or shows.
I've got my page, Craigs and Itry to answer questions and
that's on Facebook.
I don't have a website.
I'm not trying to be commercial.
I can sell everything that Ithink's worth selling without.
Advertising just some of the petstuff, but I dunno.
(23:23):
People don't understand how muchmoney we have invested in our
flocks.
I know people think what we askis a lot, sometimes, and I think
I have close to$15 in everychick that I hatch.
Whether it's we talk, feed, billif we split the three buildings
(23:47):
over that I built just forpoultry over the number of birds
I'm too small to, it puts awhole lot of money on each bird
that we hatch.
I'm not, anytime I see a birdthat I think could help my
flock.
I'll offer to buy it.
And if it, they say yes I paywhat it costs.
(24:10):
And if they say no I'm okay withthat too.
I just hope they're gonna breedit if I can't.
And yeah, it's just my bigbiggest problems over the years
have been predators.
And the building in 2012 becauseof predators building in 2000.
(24:32):
22 or 21 because of predators.
The one last year because theone I built before was half the
size of the previous one.
And so I needed another one forgrow outs that as I cut back on
varieties over the years as Iwas getting closer to this
winding down of my hobby.
(24:53):
I I've been working with some ofthis stuff again that I enjoy,
but it's takes a lot of space.
Jennifer (25:02):
Yes.
This is a space hogging hobby.
Craig (25:06):
Oh, yes.
It takes a while just to moveall the compost over the, that I
take, takes a good size tractorto move it all.
Jennifer (25:17):
Yep.
We have mount more here.
I've never thought of it thatway, but yes, that's,
Craig (25:24):
You till it into the garden.
You spread it on the pasture,you spread it on the hay ground,
you do little of everything.
Carey (25:31):
And
Craig (25:31):
and it's not a big pasture and it's not a whole lot
of hay ground, but.
Jennifer (25:35):
And you're constantly cleaning.
It's always dirty.
Everything in the poultry house.
Craig (25:40):
Correct.
And I do run a filter in thewinter trying to keep the
suspended particles out of theair because of asthma.
Which not the best hobby for aman, but with asthma.
But I love it.
It's, it gets me out of thechair multiple times a day.
And we haven't bought an egg inyears.
(26:03):
Even ban'em, ko and eggs,they're not prolific, they'll
lay for four or five years.
A really good one.
You keep'em and freedom.
But anyway,
Jennifer (26:12):
They are cute little things.
Craig (26:14):
I like'em.
So anyway thank you for havingme.
Jennifer (26:18):
Oh, thank you for coming on and talking about'em.
We enjoyed it.
Craig (26:22):
Yeah, I've enjoyed hearing about'em.
There's all sorts of pictures onmy pages too people can ask.
Just you guys have a great day.
Jennifer (26:32):
All right, you too.
Bye.
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