Chick Chat

While pecking away at a story I was reading a 1910 issue of the American Poultry Journal and noticed that they have a regular column called "Chick Chats," devoted to readers' "poultry news items."

That is all.

Amid a Confetti of Fluffy White Chicken-Feathers

...the lives of three Ypsi chicken-men, in the Ypsi Citizen.

AnnArbor.com is LIVE and Has New Stories of Mine For Your Perusal

Yessirree, she's live! All my stuff over there is different from blog content, so you can enjoy (I hope) new stories over yonder. Here are some links you might find useful:

Link to my bio describing when I'll be publishing what 3 times a week.

When I post new stories, they pop up here in this list.

Link to my story "Locavores in 1930s Ypsilanti"

Link to my story "Tidbits: A History of Ypsi Chickenry."

You are free to leave comments over there. For every AnnArbor.com story, there's a "comment" link at the top right side. As you look through the rest of AnnArbor.com, you can also vote for your favorite stories.

(cough).

Enjoy!

Salute to Ypsilanti Backyard Chickens, 1823-1950

View Ypsilanti Chickens Through History in a larger map

Dusty Diary applauds the City Council for taking the time to consider the historically accurate revival of a custom that lasted for almost all of the city's history: backyard chickens. Let's take a quick tour through time of chickens in the Ypsi papers. You can also click on the pointers in the map, above, to see chickeny nuggets of Ypsi history.

In the 1898 city charter, rampant chickens were strongly discouraged. Let your flock run wild, and they'd end up in the city animal pound, not to be returned to you till you pay a fine.

In 1907, Black Minorca cockerels were for sale on South Huron.





1910 saw the formation of the Ypsilanti Poultry Fanciers' Association, down in the Masonic Hall (now Riverside Arts Center).














Poultry expert Mr. Ferguson gave a talk on culling your flock at Fred Simon's home on Emerick in 1922.















In 1923 you could buy your Rhode Island Reds at the Prospect Park Poultry Farm.

If you'd rather raise the chicks yourself, you could instead choose fresh-laid 1923 eggs from the Ypsilanti Field Hatchery on N. Hamilton.



The Depression saw a rash of chicken thefts, as desperate and hungry men stole poultry from backyard coops in 1930.















The Ypsilanti Field Hatchery is still in business in 1930.


Finally, in 1950, you could buy your birds over on Bagley, just east of downtown.

Dusty Diary does not have any tidbits of "hen-story" newer then 1950, because I don't look at papers after the 50s or so, preferring the older ones. But I'm sure there were chickens well into the...well, into the the new millenium, now! Hurray! Our 3rd century of chickenry!