Warning for Poultry Hollow Hatchery Buyers

[GratefulDayFarm]

Hello,

I am new to your site but I use it all the time for info. I was looking up the breeds of ducks we bought from Poultry Hollow and I came across this thread and I feel I need to speak up. We bought 4 ducks and 50 chickens. We got a large mix of all the breeds they had, 4 or 5 of each. Our experience is as follows:
We drove up from Gallatin TN. It was a long drive but a very nice drive. Yes it gets a bit far out and the roads are not perfect towards the end (maybe the last 2 or 3 miles) but its not like your risking your life. Our GPS found the place fine for us. As far as the mobile homes along the way, who complains about something like that? People live in different kinds of homes and for some, a mobile home is the only way they can have land. Maybe they plan to build a beautiful house on the land one day and then burn the mobile home down. Who am I or you to judge that?
Anyway, we arrive and the place is a farm. The farm consists of their nice home, barns and cages with animals mainly birds. Wow that's a big surprise. No animals were being mistreated or abused in any way whatsoever. Okay the place does smell bad but most farms with lots of animals do smell. The longer you are there the more noticeable it is and you probably will be there for a while because this is not Tractor Supply its a family farm. So don't expect to rush in and out. You deal directly with the owners and they are busy. They are a bit disorganized as well. This I think is the biggest issue we had there. The overall system to purchase and select chicks is not so great. They could use some help in that respect. I own a farm and a business and it is always a work in progress. So I tend to empathize with them instead of blast them for the little imperfections. It is an issue though so I do need to point that out. While looking in the brooders we saw one or two dead chicks. I think this is hard for buyers to see. Dead chicks need to be removed fast. I believe that they are so busy it just takes a bit longer for them to keep up with this chore perfectly. On the other side, we got a VIP tour by Judy for no reason. She didn't know us but was glad to answer our questions and she was very friendly. She also hand picked each of our chicks right in front of us. Yes it took longer but it was great service.
We got our chickens home and within 24 hours one of the chicks did not make it. It was a very little bird and was on its way out from the second it hatched. I don't think it was sick or diseased, it was just one of those that didn't make it. This was the only problem we had with our chickens. Today, over 4 months later they are all very strong and very beautiful birds. Each chicken (and our ducks) is great with their own personality. They have thrived with our original flock of 20 and are a great addition to our farm. I would recommend PH to anyone who wants to make a day of buying chicks and who isn't judging everyone they pass because of the home they live in or the way their farm smells.

 

[lookoutmtchix]

I bought 12 pullets from Poultry Hollow Hatchery 1 year ago, as of today I lost 7 to Marek's disease and this disease was diagnosed through a lab in Georgia that all the big farms use. I have talked to others that have gotten sick birds from them and just last week a friend told me he got pullets from Poultry Hollow and 1 started limping and became paralyzed, I expect more will get sick and will post the count of sick birds that do not recover from this disease. I do not know why some people have problems while others do not but I do know mine died and other people have had problems too.

 

[Nashville Hens]

I am discouraged at some of the comments and judgement placed here by fellow chicken owners. My wife and I started our first flock in Nashville on Nov. 2013 with 8 (two each of four different breeds) pullets from Poultry Hollow ranging from 12-18 weeks. I lost one to a hawk and two to illness. The first sick bird, was a speckled sussex that Judy warned were not the hardiest breed and did not do well in mixed flocks because of there passive nature. As warned, she was constantly bullied by the other pullets and 4 months later she showed visible signs of illness, slowing down, not feeding, etc. and passed away. The second, a barred rock, showed lethargy shortly after completing her molt in January 2015. We moved her inside and she simply refused to eat or drink anything we offered and passed after a few days. Our birds are from the same time period as some of the others stated in this thread and none suffered from Marek's. My losses were over a year apart and both birds were healthy layers up to that point.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our hens and they have been egg laying machines!

Judy operates her hatchery almost completely on her own, with her son helping with the deliveries and supplies. I thoroughly enjoy my visits to Poultry Hollow and find it quite charming. This is a REAL, operating farm with a real person whom I can meet, ask questions and hand select my birds with. I had many choices when looking for backyard chickens, and it is too easy for anyone to put up a website with stock images and claim their birds are free range, with natural feed, foraging on bugs and grass. One of these prominent online hatcheries is in state that has snow on the ground 4 months a year, so the foraging claim is a little rose tinted at best. Now, I am sure all of these hatcheries do their best, and have to in order to stay in business, but my point is simply this: I want locally raised livestock where I can visit the farm and meet the producer. I respect the amount of work Judy does managing raising hundreds of fowl, managing her business and, most importantly, spending time with her customers. She went out of her way, spending 30min to help me select the right birds, catching them respectfully and efficiently, giving helpful advice and making sure I had the right equipment for a successful flock.

I hope others are not so quick to criticize an independent farmer, providing a service and products that are needed. I plan on having chickens for a long time, teaching my children what I learned growing up with animals... joy, hard work, miracles and mortality. A relationship with a farmer like Judy, is much more valuable than a nice website and ordering chickens through the mail!

 

[TN_BIRD]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I'm having a hard time getting prices from Poultry Hollow (phone, text, email, website, etc.) Can any of you share with me approximately what they charge for 5 week old chicks and 6 month old pullets?
Thanks.

 

[MetalFarm]

We bought our original flock from Poultry Hollow. We've since gone back twice not knowing where else to get pullets. In two years we've got about half of them left. Most of them became Ill quickly. Tails down. Stopped eating. Couldn't walk. And died within 1 to 4 days of becoming ill. We liked our trips to the farm and visits with the crazy old chicken lady but now consider it too risky. If we need more hens we hatch our own or mail order. We've had much better luck with Co-Op chicks and a rescue rooster. I believe Poultry Hollow mail orders from Cackle. So why pay them to raise your chicks for a week or two and also make them sick. Also their prices are very high.

 

[TN_BIRD]

One of the two chicks that we bought from them developed paralysis and had to be put down. It happens.

 

[bobbeccashens]

Poulty Hollow sell birds positive for Merek's Disease. I know from experience, bought from them and less than 24 hrs one by one of ne chicks started looking sick. Took to Kord Animal Diagnostic Lab in Nashville, Tn. Poulty Hollow refuses to believe they have diseased birds because they would have to shut down.
Diagnosis
Upper Respiratory Disease Marek's Disease
Final Diagnosis Comment
Histopathological findings were consistent with Marek's disease. Mycoplasma was negative, and Avibacterium (former Haemophilus) was not isolated.
Gross Examination
Presented alive is a 6-7 week-old Americana chicken in fair body condition. The animal is humanely euthanized. On general examination, the nasal cavity oozes small amounts of clear fluid. The right eye is slightly swollen but significant exudate is not noted. Upon opening the body, the internal organs are generally very pale. No other significant gross findings are observed in the body.
Gross Examination Diagnosis
Cause of Upper Respiratory Signs Rhinitis

 

[poultryhollow]

OK, I want to say this again.

**First, Mareks disease can NOT be diagnosed by vets. Vets will tell you it is mareks just to give you an answer since they are charging a lot of money to look at a chicken.

**Secondly, there are many strains of mareks that can affect poultry.

**Thirdly and MOST important, our birds ARE vaccinated for mareks.

**Lastly, the state vet with the TN Dept of Agriculture was here last month February 2016 and we are disease free

So please before trying to hurt someone's business for a lack of YOUR knowledge, try to educate yourselves.

This is no better than Bullying or Bashing! Admins should close and delete this thread...

 

[bobbeccashens]

A vet seeking money did not diagnose Merek's, the State of Tennessee diagnostic lab (Kord Animal Diagnostic Lab) did a necropsy and determined the disease. Oh, and they test diseases for free

 

[kdb7033]

Back in 2011, and new to the chicken-raising hobby, I purchased four pullet chicks (2 BOs, 2 Dominiques) from Poultry Hollow. Five years later, I have one Dominique left. Peep STILL lays a couple of eggs a week. They were all bright, friendly birds that experienced no health problems. The others were lost over the years to predators. When I replenished my little flock I went with another hatchery just for variety. While those birds (2 Americaunas, 1 SLW, 1 Lt. Brahma, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Cuckoo Marans pullets plus one BSL Cockerel) were pretty birds, they were nothing like the ones from Poultry Hollow, neither in terms of productivity or personality.

This year, I went back to Poultry Hollow. I purchased 2 Dominiques, 1 Production Red, 1 Black Australorp, and 1 Welsummer chicks (1-2 days old at time of purchase). All are healthy, active, and friendly birds. I couldn't be happier, either with the birds OR service received from Miss Judy. People have complained about all kinds of crap--dirty, smelly, etc. but it was not...it was a FARM with large numbers of animals, all well-cared for and content. Raise animals long enough, and eventually there might be the occasional outbreak of illness or run of bad luck. It comes with the territory, you are going to lose some birds/animals/livestock. The times I've been there, staff were busy doing chores (cleaning pens, feeding etc.). It takes considerable effort to maintain such a large operation with the variety of birds and other animals present, and I have always been pleased.

I am very happy with Poultry Hollow, and if you live close enough to drive on out, you really ought to make the trip. Where else can you pick out your birds and see where they actually come from? My chicks are busy little bees and enjoy interaction--the ones from the other hatchery never were as curious and friendly as these and the others I have gotten from Poultry Hollow. Just thought I'd relate my experiences...