Heavy/Getty HGTV's Christina Hall has added new animals to her farm
As Christina Hall films a new season of HGTV‘s “Christina in the Country” near Nashville, she’s also clapping back at people criticizing photos she just posted from her family farm. On October 6, 2023, Hall was excited to share two “new additions” to the farm via social media — a miniature donkey and pony. But she wound up fielding lots of critiques and questions about everything from how she cares for her animals to how she dresses on the farm.
The mom of three — to 13-year-old daughter Taylor and seven-year-old Brayden, whom she shares with ex-husband and former “Flip or Flop” co-star Tarek El Moussa, and three-year-old son Hudson, whom she shares with ex-husband Ant Anstead — lives primarily in Newport Beach, California, with Josh Hall, whom she married in early 2022.
After the “Christina on the Coast” star purchased a Franklin, Tennessee, farmhouse on 23 acres in 2021 as a family getaway, per People, HGTV announced Christina would star in a second show in which she helps families renovate their rural Tennessee spaces, too. The show premiered in January 2023 and HGTV announced in July that “Christina in the Country” been renewed for a second season.
Hall has talked glowingly of their time on the farm and has fallen in love with raising chickens and hens there. But when Hall shared photos of their growing farm family on October 6, the comment section of her post was flooded with critical remarks. Hall, who turned 40 in July, took time to clap back at some of those throwing shade at her, while other fans jumped in to defend her, too.
Fans Have Mixed Reactions to How Christina Hall Cares for Farm Animals
Hall posted a series of photos in her Instagram feed from the last few days at the farm, beginning with one of her in a denim jumpsuit feeding carrots to her new white donkey. In the second photo, both the donkey and pony were eating carrots from her while she also held a white silkie chicken, which resembles her former “emotional support chicken” named Hennifer, who was killed by a predator on the farm in March. Hall also included a photo of her bathing one of her chickens in a luxury bathtub inside their house, and additional photos of her kids petting the animals.
In the caption of the post, Hall wrote, “I said it would happen… allll the animals! Newest additions to our farm- a mini donkey and pony. Love them all”
Many followers and friends celebrated the news, including someone who commented, “I love how you love your animals 😍”
Hall’s best friend Cassie Schienle, who periodically appears on her shows, wrote, “Jules wants to ride the horsey!!! 🐴🐴🐴” in reference to her little girl, Juliette.
But others were quick to critique Hall’s post, including multiple people who expressed concern over how she cares for and bonds with her farm animals.
One person wrote, “Strange how none of the photos you aren’t looking at and bonding with the animals. Love the new additions though”
Hall defended herself by writing, “they are photos aka I’m looking at the camera. I don’t just take photos and then bounce. 🙄”
Another person asked, “Who takes care of all the animals when you’re not there?”
Hall replied, “the pony, she’s a great animal sitter…. Jk, of course we have someone helping when we aren’t there.”
During an Instagram Live session featuring Christina and Josh at their California home in February, the couple said people ask them all the time about what happens to the animals when they’re back in California, often assuming they leave them alone.
“We’re not negligent parents,” Josh said during the live chat. “Our animals are not just sitting on the farm waiting for us to come back. We have caretakers on the farm that actually send us videos, pictures, updates. We love those animals.”
Fans also had mixed reactions to seeing Hall happily bathing a chicken in her bathtub as Josh gave her a perplexed look. It’s not the first time she’s bathed a chicken, though. In December 2022, Josh shared a photo of her bathing Hennifer in his Instagram Stories, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
One person wrote on her latest post, “Christina, you don’t bathe the chickens or hens. I am a country girl. We had chickens and hens. 🤣”
In a since deleted response, captured by Hello magazine, Hall wrote, “A bath once a month is perfectly fine. And… I blow dry them. They are clean, healthy, and happy.”
Others delighted in the bathtub scene, including some amused by Josh’s expression as he watched in the background, including someone who wrote, “Never seen a chicken get a bath until this. 😂😂”
Meanwhile, the Halls may not be done adopting animals for the farm. When someone commented that she has fainting goats for sale, the HGTV star replied, “oooohhh kids really want one!”
Fans Defend Christina Hall Amid Critiques of Her Appearance
In addition to receiving lots of comments about how she cares for her animals, Hall was met with pushback from many Instagram followers who criticized how she looked in the photos with her new donkey, pony and chickens. Comments covered everything from the designer’s weight to her style.
Hall is very open about the fact she gets her hair and makeup done for photo shoots and for filming her TV shows, even posting in her Instagram Stories over the weekend that she’d seen one of her favorite stylists, Erica Beukelman of 1011 Makeup & Hair, while filming in Tennessee.
On October 7, Beukelman shared Hall’s post in her Stories and wrote, “Spent this morning with this beauty for #christinainthecountry. I could spend hours chatting with @thechristinahall & @unbrokenjosh”
But some fans made it clear they didn’t care for her made-up look in her farm photos.
One person commented, “You look so out of place with your hair extensions, makeup and cute jumpsuit….city glam CA woman trying her best to look like a farm girl 😮 not working 😂” and someone else agreed, writing, “💯 Love her but this is wayyyyy awkward!”
“Time to get some overalls Christina,” another follower wrote. “You’re in the country now”
Someone else quipped, “Lets be honest you are not doing a lot of taking care of the animals looking like that 🤣🤣🤣🤣 but as long as they are cared for 😊”
However, others complimented Hall’s look, including her bell-bottomed jumpsuit, including comments like “that jumpsuit is everything” and another that said, “Beautiful photos Christina 😍love your outfit so looking forward to Christina in the country ❤️”
Some fans slammed those nitpicking Hall, urging people to choose kindness and hold back on their negative comments.
One of the people who stood up for Hall wrote, “This woman never gets a break, there’s always some keyboard warrior that thinks it’s ok to bash her for anything, and every little thing. Life is hard enough in this crazy world we live in . The love they have for animals, and how they are teaching their kids to love them too , is a great thing. Let them enjoy their little piece of heaven sheesh.”
In January, Hall told People that mean online comments do irk her sometimes, but she doesn’t let her annoyance last for long.
“I allow myself a little time to be upset and usually the things that upset me are when people make direct statements about things they have no idea about,” she said. “Sometimes that’ll really irritate me and then I’ll talk to Josh about it.”
Hall added, “I think the older I get, the less I care.”