>> NEXT, WE ARE MEET A MAN IN WEARE WHO HAS HATCHED A WINNING FORMULA FOR RAISING CHICKENS.
>> WHO GETS UP EARLIER, YOU OR THE CHICKENS?
>> THE CHICKENS.
AT DAYLIGHT, THEY ARE GOING.
>> BRIAN KNOX HAS A PASSION SOME MIGHT SAY IS PECULIAR >> MY NORMAL DAY IS I GET UP FIRST THING, USUALLY SPEND ABOUT AN HOUR WITH THE CHICKENS, JUST CHECK THEM ALL.
>> ARE THEY LIKE YOUR FAMILY?
>> I DON'T GET ATTACHED TO ANY ONE CERTAIN BIRD BUT I LIKE THEM ALL.
>> IF YOU THINK THIS IS A STORY ABOUT YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL HEN HOUSE -- [CHICKEN CROWING] >> THERE IS NO HARM OR FOUL IN THAT MISCONCEPTION [LOUD CROWING]
>> INSTEAD, THIS IS ABOUT A COMPETITIVE SPORT OR A FALLEN FEATHER, CRUMBLED CREST OR TATTERED TAIL COULD LEAVE YOU OPEN TO SOBERING CRITICISM BY YOUR CONTEMPORARIES.
IN SHORT, THIS IS A SPORT NOT MEANT FOR THE CHICKEN HEART.
[CROWING] >> THIS IS THE WORLD OF SHOW KICKENS, AND FOR MUCH OF THE LAST 40 YEARS, HIS FREE TIME HAS EVOLVED AROUND HIS FEATHERY FRIENDS.
>> WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD, I WENT TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND THEY HAD CHICKENS.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE COOL AND I ASKED MY MOTHER IF I COULD GET THEM AND I GOT THEM.
>> BRIAN, THOUGH, WAS ANYTHING BUT A NATURAL.
CASE IN POINT, HIS FIRST CHICKEN SHED.
>> IT COST A 10-YEAR-OLD KID WITH HEAT LAMP AND BABY CHICKS AND NEWSPAPERS, NOT A GOOD PROGRAM UNSUPERVISED SO I BURNED MY CHICKEN COUP DOWN.
>> SINCE THEN HE'S WRAPPED UP WINNING RIBBON AFTER RIBBON AFTER RIBBON, THAT LINE MULTIPLE WALLS IN HIS GARAGE.
HIS TROPHIES, THERE IS AN ENTIRE ROOM DEDICATED TO THAT AS WELL.
>> IT WAS 1978, BEST JUNIOR LARGE FOWL.
>> ONE OF BRIAN'S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS CAME IN 1998, WHERE MORE THAN 12,000 BIRDS WERE SHOWN IN OHIO.
THE LARGEST SHOW OF ITS KIND TO DATE.
>> THERE WAS 406 BIRDS IN JUST MY CLASS AND I TOOK ALL FIRST PLACES AND HAD BEST RESERVE BREED AND THIS IS THE TROPHY THAT I GOT FOR CHAMPION.
>> NONE OF THIS HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT.
EVERY STEP IS METICULOUSLY TAKEN.
AIDED BY A STATE-OF-THE-ART COUP STOCKED WITH TIME LIGHTING FOR THE WINTER.
>> WE MAKE SURE THEY HAVE FRESH AIR ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE ANOTHER AIR SYSTEM THAT'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING THE AIR.
AIR QUALITY IS A BIG THING FOR CHICKEN HEALTH.
>> -- HELPS BRIAN RAISE HUNDREDS OF CHICKENS AT THE FARM.
SHE'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
>> IN ONE WORD, AMAZING.
TWO WORD, THE BEST.
YEAH.
IT'S A REALLY NICE PLACE.
>> IT'S A FARM THAT'S HOUSED GENERATIONS, BUT NOT JUST IN BRIAN'S FAMILY BUT GENERATIONS OF BIRDS AND BRIAN HAS KEPT A FAMILY TREE CHART OF EVERY ONE.
[CHUCKING] >> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CHICKENS.
>> IT HAS THE BIRD'S NUMBER, DATE IT WAS HATCHED.
THE PEN NUMBER IT WAS FROM.
THIS IS HIS FATHER.
>> RYAN JUST DOESN'T KNOW HIS CHICKENS.
HE KNOWS ABOUT ALL CHICKENS BECAUSE FOR THE LAST DAKOTA AID, HE'S NOT JUST BEEN A COMPETITOR, HE'S ALSO JUDGED DOZENS OF SHOWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> THE COLOR OF -- ON A MALE IS CHOCOLATE BACK UPPER PORTION AND SLIGHTLY LACED WITH GOLDEN BAY.
>> DID YOU GET ALL OF THAT AND WHEN IT COMES TO A BIRD'S CHARACTERISTICS THAT'S JUST ONE OF MORE THAN 500 TYPES OF BREEDS JUDGES FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH.
>> WE'RE GOING CONSTANTLY BACK TO THIS BOOK LOOKING UP THINGS.
>> YOU CAN'T REMEMBER AN EYE COLOR OF A LEMON BLUE MODERN GAME OR SOMETHING SO YOU HAVE TO GO LOOK.
>> WHAT COLOR IS IT?
>> I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK.
I THINK IT'S DARK.
>> BUT WHAT GOOD IS ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT SOMEONE TO SHARE IT WITH?
INTE ENTER SYDNEY FISHER.
HE BROUGHT HER UPPED HIS WING.
>> IT WAS KIND OF COOL.
THERE WERE ALL OF THESE CHICKENS EVERYWHERE.
>> SHE'S A NATURAL.
SHE NOTICES THINGS.
SHE'S JUST REALLY GOOD AT IT AND I THINK IT COMES FROM HER FAMILY.
FAMILY IS TOPS IN SHOW CALCULATE SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM.
>> SYDNEY AND COWS DID NOT CONNECT SO MOM DECIDED SYDNEY NEEDED SOMETHING TO BRING HER OUT OF HER SHELL.
>> SHE ACTUALLY WANTED A GUINEA PIG, AND I SAID NO RODENTS, SO I ACTUALLY SUGGESTED THE CHICKENS BECAUSE WE EAT A LOT OF EGGS.
>> WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT COMING HERE?
>> I LIKE JUST MESSING AROUND WITH THE CHICKENS.
FEEDING AND WATERING THEM.
JUST LOOKING AT THEM MOSTLY.
>> IN SPRINGFIELD -- ♪♪ >> THERE ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH BIRDS FOR SYDNEY AND REALLY ANY ENTHUSIAST COULD HOPE TO SEE.
MORE THAN 3,000 TURKEYS, GEESE, AND, OF COURSE, CHICKENS, HAVE BEEN PLUCKED, WASHED, AND PREPPED IN ORDER TO STRUT THEIR BEST BEAK FORWARD AT THE NORTHEASTERN POULTRY CONGRESS.
>> THIS IS A REALLY BIG, ONE OF OUR REALLY BIG SHOWS IN THE COUNTRY AN EVEN IF YOU WIN YOUR CLASS HERE IT'S A BIG DEAL.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A SUPER GRAND CHAMPION.
THAT'S A BIG PRIZE.
>> TODAY BRIAN HAS MORE THAN A DOZEN BIRDS COMPETING.
>> I REALLY HAVE A LOT OF HIGH HOPES FOR THIS LITTLE FEMALE.
SHE'S BEEN SHOWING GOOD ALL DAY.
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU BRING THEM FROM HOME THEY DON'T WANT TO STAND AND HOLD THEIR TAIL RIGHT AND THEY JUST DON'T DO WELL THAT DAY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
EVEN CHICKENS HAVE A BAD HAIR DAY.
IT LEFT SYDNEY WONDERING WHETHER HER PRIZE BIRD COULD FLAP IT OFF ON COMPETITION DAY.
>> SHE WAS REALLY DIRTY BEFORE SO THAT WAS A STRUGGLE.
>> OH, REALLY?
>> HER CREST GOT WET AND GOT INTO FOOD AND I HAD TO CLEAN HER UP.
>> SHE LOOKS CLEAN NOW?
>> WE DID THE BEST WE COULD.
>> TURNS OUT SYDNEY'S BEST WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH.
ON THIS DAY, SHE WON GRAND CHAMPION IN THE JUNIOR DIVISION.
HER FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP RIBBON IN A SHOW THIS LARGE.
>> IT'S A PRETTY BIG RIBBON.
S IN PROBABLY THE BIGGEST RIBBON THAT I.
>> THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME.
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
>> PRETTY COOL.
>> WHILE SHE CONTINUES TO BLAZE A TRAIL IN THIS SPORT WITH FOUR DECADE OF COMPETITION BEHIND HIM IT'S WORTH ASKING IF BRIAN STILL FEELS LIKE A SPRING CHICKEN?
>> HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO THIS AT THE LEVEL THAT YOU HAVE AND HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SUSTAIN THIS?
>> I'M GOING TO KEEP DOING IT AS LONG AS I CAN.
I HAVE NO INTENTION OF QUITTING AND I LOVE IT, AND IT'S JUST GOING -- AS LONG AS I'M HEALTHY AND I CAN KEEP DOING IT, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN THEIR 80s STILL DOING IT.
[CHIRPS]