The Free Chickens of Ybor City

Ybor City is a part of Tampa, Florida. Once a booming cigar town with workers from Cuba, Spain and Italy, Ybor now is less hispanic and more bar culture. It is like a small French Quarters of New Orleans, but not quite with enough attitude. Ybor is now home to serval galleries and some artists. Tommy has been living in Ybor for years and watching after the chickens. It started with a few, he didn't think much of it being a country boy from North Florida. Then people started dropping off pet chickens when they got to big. So now the Chickens and Roosters of Ybor run wild protected by the police because they are a historic part of the city.

I ask Tommy where they lay their eggs and he said everywhere! They are all so unique and beautiful.
This Mother hen was been so dutiful in teaching he chicks how to scratch for food. She would pretend she was doing it for herself, scratch, put her head down, and then back off as soon as a chick showed interest. Now, I know if you are from the country side you are scratching you head and wondering why this is so different. Well in the cities here we don't usually allow chickens, much less to roam free. Ybor is a city whose history revolves around freedom and protest

with workers coming from Cuba and protesting the political issues there.