Something to Crow About: Amy’s Coop
By Donald-Brian Johnson
Minnesota. Maybe you’ve heard it called the “Land of 10,000 lakes.” Ah, but how about the “Land of 10,000 chickens?”
The lakes are scattered across the state. The chickens? Well, they’re actually chicken collectibles, and they’re comfortably nestled in “Amy’s Coop,” an outbuilding specifically dedicated to them, on a farm in southeastern MN.
Guarding the treats: rooster cookie jar.
10,000 items inside “Amy’s Coop.”
The “Amy” behind “Amy’s Coop” was Amy Donahoe, Sr., of Chatfield, MN. Amy and her husband, Vincent I, operated the Chatfield Hatchery, a Hy-Line Chicks affiliate. As with any family business, the couple’s six children were called upon to help out, or, in poultry terms, to “pull hatch.” Among their memories:
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Pat Donahoe (son): “Dad sent out thousands of advertising pieces, including Hy-Line bags, pocket knives, and nail clippers. We all helped stuff the envelopes.”
Peggy Blommer (daughter): “My involvement included candling eggs with Dad on Saturday mornings. That was a fascinating process.”
Vince Donahoe II (son): “My brothers and I would go to various locations to do debeaking of the flocks on Saturdays. Not a fun job, but something that had to be done. And I still have my Hy-Line Chicks fingernail clippers from the 1960s!”
But what about all those denizens of “Amy’s Coop?” The collection’s beginnings are recalled by Amy Donahoe-Anshus, another of the couple’s children:
“Dad brought home the first chicken figurine from a business trip, as a gift for Mom. He continued to bring home a chicken from each trip, giving birth to the collection. The chickens came in many forms—figurines, dishes, textiles, jewelry, and so on. Over time, friends and family (including all of us kids) contributed to the collection as we found unique chickens and gifted them to Mom for any occasion or ‘just because.’ Chickens graced every room in our home. Eventually, Mom had the idea to convert the original chicken house into a home for displaying her collection. She enjoyed caring for her Coop and sharing it with friends.”
cross the road yet:
a bevy of ceramic chickens.
colorful rooster and hen pair.
Donahoe daughter Mary Jorgensen offers more details on the Coop’s creation:
“Originally, the chickens were displayed on glass shelves in the entrance to the Hatchery. Mom discontinued the business after Dad died, and the chickens migrated to her home.
Many years later, in the mid-’80s, I spent a college summer helping her move the entire collection to one of the original (and then renovated) chicken coops on her property north of town. ‘Amy’s Coop’ was born! Mom furnished her Coop with display cases, furniture to showcase items, and an extensive shelving addition with hundreds of feet of space. Her organizational skill produced groupings of similar items from the floor to the ceiling, as well as a large Christmas tree with all-chicken ornaments. The collection includes roosters, hens, chicks, and eggs. As long as it was poultry-related, it had a special place in the Coop. Every adventure we went on, chickens were always at the forefront, whether we were
shopping, at an auction, or at thrift sales.”
salad servers.
There are an estimated 1,600-plus recognized chicken breeds in the world. Baby chicks are tiny enough to hold in your hand. Some adult chickens can grow as large as a small child. Chicken feathers come in all shapes, colors, and textures. Eggs offer a veritable rainbow. In other words, there’s a vast variety of chicken collectibles for the dedicated collector to choose from—and most of those collectibles can be found in “Amy’s Coop.”
A five-foot metal rooster welcomes visitors to “Amy’s Coop,” near Chatfield, MN.
Outside the Coop, a 5-foot metal rooster sets the mood for what awaits inside. There, the variety and sheer quantity of the collection, displayed with museum-like care, is almost mind-boggling. There are dish towels. Cookie jars. Casserole and butter dishes. Teapots, coffee pots, jugs, pillows, lamps, clothing, figurines, and even an oversize chicken-themed chess set. And the chickens just kept multiplying. As daughter Peggy Blommer notes, “Mom always managed to find a new mug to add to her collection—even though she didn’t need another mug!”
Duplicates? No problem. As Mary Jorgensen recalls, “even if one was given, Mom always acted as if she had never received a more precious gift.”
subject: rooster lamp.
rooster motif on a display plate.
poultry chess set, with the farmer and his wife ruling the roost.
According to a variety of studies, chickens are able to feel emotions. So, while the chicken collectibles in “Amy’s Coop” no doubt love their current home, times change. Since Amy Sr.’s passing in 2012, the “Coop” and its inhabitants have been maintained just as she left them.
Today, it’s the family’s hope that an individual, business, or poultry association might wish to acquire Amy’s collection and carry on this unique (and spectacular) project, which has now spanned six decades. (Of course, it will take egg-zactly the right person.)
For more information on the “Amy’s Coop” collection, please contact marydonahoejorgensen@gmail.com or 507-273-0629.
All photos courtesy of the Donahoe family.
Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann
Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous books on design and collectibles, including Postwar Pop, a collection of his columns. Please address inquiries to: donaldbrian@msn.com
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