SCOTTSVILLE — Auctioneers could barely be heard over the cackle and calls of the birds they were selling Saturday.

That was just in one of the sale rings running simultaneously at the 25th annual Southern Kentucky Horse Drawn Machinery Auction in Allen County.

Click here for more photos from the auction.

The auction features one of the largest selection of horse-drawn equipment in the region and draws thousands of people from as many as 23 states, according to auctioneer Michael Mast of Mast Auction in Bowling Green.

“I’m not sure what we’re up to this year, but we have groups who regularly come from Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arkansas,” said Mast, who is in charge of the auction for the first time. “It’s kind of overwhelming.”

Mast, whose been in the auction business for 20 years, enlisted the help of 11 auctioneers to run the multiple rings.

One of them was Steve Cherry of Bowling Green.

Cherry said he’s been to this particular auction before but never worked it.

“I expect the day will be organized chaos,” he said.

Throngs of people tromped over the hilly and muddy farm looking at the items up for auction and others that could be purchased on the spot.

Aiden Hoover, a Mennonite from Trenton, said he joked with organizers that they needed to find a flatter spot for the sale.

“It’s just gotten so big,” he said.

Hoover, family and friends were driven to Allen County as were other Mennonites who didn’t live within buggy distance.

Because of his beliefs, Hoover doesn’t drive a motorized vehicle nor does he use motorized farm equipment.

On Saturday, he was looking for a horse-drawn hay cutter.

He grows a variety of things, including tobacco, row crops and produce.

“We’ve got to keep Wal-Mart in business,” Hoover quipped.

He and about 15 other farmers nearby together provide tractor-trailers full of produce to such retail stores as Wal-Mart.

Amish and Mennonite women, some speaking German, ogled the birds of all colors – speckled, striped and white – and types including Tom turkeys, Rhode Island chickens, guineas, geese, pheasant and several others. There also were bunnies, goats and a few herding dogs to be auctioned as well.

The auction, however, wasn’t just for the Amish and Mennonite communities.

Bruce Crump of Hartford was eying the pen of goats, saying he didn’t come to buy anything in particular but got a number just in case.

“A guy told me about it at the flea market in Greenville,” he said. “Right now I’m just looking.”

Crump said he raises horse and chickens, so he might purchase some of the chickens. There were no horses for sale Saturday.

Debbie Hampton of Cave City bought a hen turkey for $30.

“We lost two females this week – both to fox,” Hampton explained about her purchase.

Hampton and her husband, Billy, raise turkeys for pleasure.

But their daughter, 12-year-old Danielle Carver, is trying to break into the poultry business.

“We can’t make any money in the cattle business, so we’re trying to get her started in this,” Billy Hampton said.

Danielle said she has four incubators growing more than 100 eggs of various varieties and has started selling some chicken eggs.

Driving more than three hours to the auction from Jackson County were friends Connie and Sammie Banks and Jennifer and Mike Truett.

They came with an empty trailer to take home whatever they purchased. Early in the day, that was just tomato plants and baked goods.

But Banks expected her husband would probably find something he needed for his team of mules.

“This is about our 15th time here,” she said. “It’s just a good day and we have fun.”