Poultry Hollow - Brush Creek, TN

[RoosterGeek]

fleur_d'lis :

OK, folks. I went to Poultry Hollow and was shocked at the condition of his birds, the smell, the piles of dead birds, the feather losses, the lack of working waterers, and the overall condition. I questioned him and he said his "workers" hadn't been there yet and kept saying he was NPIP certified. Clearly the dead birds had been accumulating for more than a day and biosecurity was not enforced. NPIP, if not the humane society, needs to revisit this place. I am not a gentrified city girl, by the way, and am used to barnyard smells and litter, but this was beyond the pale. Sorry.

I call bull on the "piles of dead birds." I have been to Poultry hollow numerous times and not once have I witnessed this. I have seen dead birds, but only when they were being taken care of.

What specifically, concerning the condition of Poultry Hollow's birds, are you referring to? They looked happy and healthy to me!

The feather loss is from molting. I showed up last month to buy poultry drinker cups and some guineas and saw bare backs and thought, "This heat is affecting his birds too." My hens have molted from the stress of the heat at that time. Look up molting in the forums. It isn't pretty and all birds go through it some time or another.

fleur_d'lis, how many birds do you have at your home? I'm sure your coop smells like roses. Imagine having the volume that Poultry Hollow has. It's not going to smell like roses, more earthy than anything else. I haven't encountered any obnoxious odors.

I've gotten guineas, ducks, and chickens from them and all have been very hardy. Heck, one of my silkies managed to fend off predation (on my land) and obtained an injured leg in the process. That silkie hopped around on one leg like nothing had happened. He continued that until we processed him.

Perhaps the most attractive quality of Poultry Hollow is that openness they have on everything. When you go there, they don't make an effort to "gentrifiy" the place. What you see is what you get.

Is his farm gorgeous and immaculate? Nope, but it is functional and produces hardy birds that keeps me coming back. I don't raise birds to show, I raise them for their utility (meat and eggs).

I'll go a step further. When I don't process my own birds, I get them done at S and S Enterprises outside of Bowling Green, KY. I have seen Poultry Hollow's meat birds before, during, and after processing and they looked great.

It is sad that folks don't investigate for themselves. This thread is no better than grade school gossip. While some gossip may have merit, very little of it does. As he said, take a trip to the Hollow and make a decision for yourself.​

 

[poultryhollow]

Thank you RoosterGeek, it is unbiased insight like this that makes our job worthwhile. We don't raise show birds either (never been to a poultry show in my life), nor do we say we match prices. We do not cull our birds to sell the public trashy birds like hbueler insinuated.
It is great to hear from someone not trying to gain something!
Thanks for your support!!

 

[HBuehler]

Hatcheries which include you hatch large #'s with the goal to sell the majority to all of them...without much to any regard to the APA breed standard.Breeders only sell cull stock for the lack of a better word because we have so much invested in the breeder birds we wont sell them.Thank you for calling my birds trash I appreciate that.You said you have never been to a poultry show so breeder trash as you like to call them may have eye color a shade off,maybe the points are not perfect.It might be as much as its a breeder bird but just doesn't fit into a breeding plan at that time... tiny things most people don't even know exist with chickens.A judge knows and we know doesn't make them trash but thanks again.I NEVER called your birds trash..funny how you chose to read it that way.I called them Hatchery birds..isn't your business name Poultry Hollow Hatchery? I said I wasn't going to bash your birds and I didn't.


Rooster Geek the day I was there there were several dead laying there when I arrived as I said I get the how they died but when you know someone is coming take 5 minutes and remove them..the ones that died while I was there he couldn't help.I was not offended like some of the bleeding hearts would be but it just gives off a bad image.Do you disagree that if you know there may be dead birds for one reason or another taking a few minutes to walk around before someone arrives would be a good idea? That is all I was suggesting.I'm like you his operation works..it's not nasty it's real.I didn't see any unhappy birds... my show birds..they love to play in the mud and get filthy shame some don't get the chance to be that happy ever in their life.A happy chicken I strongly believe isn't coddled in a pen with shavings to their tail..it's outside digging in the dirt they are also healthier.I didn't see a sick bird at all at PH while I was there and never implied that in any way nor will I now. I will not partake in the gossip so I won't name names on what we are told only what I had happen first hand while I was there. I do have names and can get names if PH is interested I won't give them out to others.

He DID insist I was holding a bantam which I clearly knew it wasn't and when I called him on that he insisted anyway...that I will attest to because it was to me and not second hand.I don't understand why he would do that it made no sense to me then or now..other than he wanted to make a sale and a bantam was preferred for what I need although a lf would work.I gave him the opportunity to look and say oops my mistake but instead he insisted it was bantam..not a good way to keep credibility alive.We all make mistakes and if he had done that I would have been impressed in his business sense.I did buy it and a few others but it left me with a bad feeling that he wanted to make a sale more than step up to a mistake..and a bantam living with lf chicks the same age are never the same size so dead give away immediately even not taking in consideration body type is different between the 2 sizes.I asked specifically on the phone if he had a bantam in buff he said yes..Maybe he thought he did ok then tell me I made a mistake I thought we had a few but we don't but will this work?

What exactly do I gain? I can't seem to figure that one out..I can't in anyway gain your buyers nor do I care to want to or try to.. I don't think you even have my main focus breeds/colors.I'm pretty sure I said I have no issues with you personally.I have defended you on occasion. Why now I have to wonder after calling my birds trash since I sell my "cull" stock to people as layers and flock protectors. Next time I hear of a mistake being made I may not be so quick to defend just how easy it can be to mix some up by accident..

 

[RoosterGeek]

HBuehler,

I see your point on the dead birds. It does leave a bad image. It doesn't bother me as much as it might bother someone new to raising chickens.

I don't think he called your birds trash. At least that is not what I perceived when he wrote, "We do not cull our birds to sell the public trashy birds like hbueler insinuated. " I'm sure you raise excellent quality birds. I live outside of Lebanon myself and I am surprised that I haven't heard of you before.


The majority of my response was directed at fleur_d'lis, not you.

 

[poultryhollow]

You know hbuehler it is tiring going back and forth with you. I did in NO way trash your birds or you, but if you want to sit and bash me then we will have a problem! I don't remeber you ever being here or the instance with this so called bantam. I DO know if I said it was a bantam then it was in fact a bantam (I know that in my heart). I would NEVER try to tell somone a bird is what it is not! I as everyone make mistakes and if in fact it was a mistake I WOULD gladly admit to it and make it right! We do not cull our birds nor do we sell bad birds. We have customers that show our birds and have done very well. We keep our lines pure without inbreeding like some do. We have never said we sell show quaility and anyone that does cannot sell a chick and say it is show quality because it came out of show birds. I'm not sure of the % but chicks hatched from so called show birds that grow up to be show quality is VERY low. We produce great quality birds for what 95% of our customers are looking for, A backyard flock.

 

[katiek]

No, Absolutly not! I am the one that lives near the Mennonites-Poultry Hollow is near Knoxville or Nashville I believe, anyway it is not me! I run a very clean hatchery, no dead birds here, all of my birds are healthy, well cared for, and kept in clean conditions. I spend hours and hours each day caring for my birds and chicks. Anyone is welcome to walk around and look at my birds, I am happy to show my operation to anyone, my chicks are raised in a seperate brooder building, it is always clean! Come out and check it out!

I can vouch for PoultryLady. I have bought many chicks and turkeys from her. She has healthy babies, clean coops, and great breeds! She also basically has an open door and is very welcoming. I will continue to buy my chicks from her! Speaking of..... got any chicks?

 

[poultrylady]

I can vouch for PoultryLady. I have bought many chicks and turkeys from her. She has healthy babies, clean coops, and great breeds! She also basically has an open door and is very welcoming. I will continue to buy my chicks from her! Speaking of..... got any chicks?

Thank you Katiek, I appreciate the kinds words-I have started hatching now but I have sold most of the chicks already. I will have more hatching out this Thursday and then more in a few days after that. My hens have really started to pick up on their laying so I will be filling up more incubators!

 

[flux]

I bought a few birds from Poultry Hollow last week and didn't really see much, if anything, to take offense to. It was pretty much what I expected a hatchery to be. There were two dead chicks pulled out of a brooder while I was there, but I chalk it up to the norm when dealing with young birds in such numbers. It was my first time buying chickens and all my questions were answered, even went as far as giving advice on what to do if any came down with common problems, I.e. poopy butt, and signs to watch for if they were ill. Sure, there was an odor in the air, but it's a hatchery. Granted, I am new at this, but i thought it was a pretty ok place to find the more fancier breeds in state.. I'd love to find a more local breeder because the drive was a little long, but I would definitely consider Poultry Holliw in the future.

 

[nichag]

I love Poultry Hollow. We have out max # for now, but will be back when we are ready for more. Judy ROCKS! And the farm smells better than ANY bird farm I have EVER been to!

 

[stefan333]

The people who keep trashing Poultry Hollow remind me of the moms on "Toddlers and Tiaras". For those of you who don't know, it's the show about mothers who have their daughters in beauty pageants. I'm just curious as to why so many people on here assume that we all want the prettiest show birds from some royal stock? And I'm also curious how some can be so arrogant. You might as well be saying, "na, na, my bird's better than yours, she places 1st in every show." Do you guys want a ribbon for being the best super hen mothers? The snobby stuck upness is really making me want to puke. Poultry Hollow has healthy chickens. I like healthy chickens because I like eggs. I like to eat eggs. Chickens and their eggs are yummy. Enough said.