Huntington 4-H Sells 643 Animals
Published: Friday, August 3, 2018
The 88th Huntington County 4-H Fair capped a nearly three-week run of activities with the livestock auctions last Thursday. Seven livestock species took their turn in the ring inside the show arena at Hier's Park on the south side of Huntington.
According to Huntington County Extension 4-H educator Rae Ann O'Neill, livestock exhibits are still popular at the Huntington County Fair. The largest number of 4-H members were entered in the rabbit project (236), followed by poultry with 216 members enrolled, and then swine with 195 members taking that project. Goats had the fourth-biggest enrollment with 173 and the beef cattle project was next down the list with 121. Thirty-five members exhibited sheep at the fair this year and 15 members participated in the dairy project. In many cases, a member brings more than one animal to the fair, so the chickens, rabbits, pigs and goats at the 2018 Huntington County Fair numbered over 300 head for each species.
A total number of 643 lots sold at auction at the fair this year, bringing in $289,380.12, including $222,860 in premium money offered by 4-H auction supporters, with the balance being the total appraised value of all the livestock sold.
In comparison, the 2017 Huntington County 4-H livestock auction saw 21 more animals (664) go through the sale for a total of $353,885.20 ($252,810 premium).
"Note that appraised values of beef, sheep, swine and goats decreased from 2017 to 2018, and the total premiums were $29,950 less in 2018 as compared to 2017," said Huntington County Ag Extension educator Ed Farris, who oversaw the auctions.
Though last to go in the order, the swine auction headlined a positive aspect of the 2018 Huntington County 4-H Fair auctions, a record-setting premium price of $7,300 paid for the grand champion barrow shown by Evan Rice. Rice's pig weighed 280 pounds and sold for $26.07 per pound to a large buyer's group, Friends and Family of Evan Rice (see list below). Rice, 13, is the son of Andy and Jennifer Rice, Huntington. The prior record was set in 2010, when the grand champion barrow sold for $6,900.
Delaney Vickrey's reserve champion barrow weighed 257 pounds and brought $1,500 ($5.84 per pound). Intermediate swine showmanship champion Owen Vickrey exhibited a barrow that weighed 236 pounds and was also sold for $1,500 total ($6.36 per pound). Each of these pigs was purchased by a group of supporters (see list).
The total number of pigs sold this year was 154, bringing a total of $80,861.56 ($66,065 premium).
The three dairy project showmanship winners each auctioned a gallon of milk to start off 4-H auction day. The senior dairy, and overall dairy master showmanship winner, Conner West, sold milk for $375 to Strauss Veal Feed, and the intermediate showmanship champion, Phoebe Landrum, sold a gallon for $300 to the Paul Jacobs family, Mike and Kathleen Jacobs, and Mary Jacobs. Junior dairy showmanship winner Braylon Beekman sold the gallon for $1,615 to a large buyer's group (see list).
A total of three lots sold in 2018 dairy auction for $2,290.
The beef auction was second to take a turn in the auction ring. The grand champion steer shown by Kaitlyn Stephan did not sell in the auction, but Ethan Stephan's reserve champion steer, weighing in at 1,374 pounds, sold to Ceres Solutions for $350 (25 cents per pound).
The champion dairy steer, which weighed 1,318 pounds, was sold by Mason Sell for $300 (23 cents per pound) to Cindy and Jim Paul.
Total number of lots in the beef auction was 29 this year and the total sale proceeds were $57,787.96 ($21,600 premium).
Next to sell after the beef cattle were the lambs. The grand champion market lamb owned by Nevaeh Tolin did not sell in the auction, but the reserve champion market lamb exhibited by Delaney Vickrey did sell for $2,300. It weighed 147 pounds and sold for $15.65 per pound to Helena Chemical-Markle, Salamonie Mills, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance/Adam Stroup, and Day Never Done Farm.
Total lots of sheep sold this year was 21, bringing a total of $13,222.20 ($9,375 premium).
A large contingent of goats was next on the docket to be sold. Caden Brubaker's 92-pound champion meat market goat was the top-selling champion, bringing a total of $1,425 ($15.49 per pound) from a group of his supporters (see list below). Other goat champions sold as follows: Emma Haupert's grand champion pygmy/champion county-bred wether, weighing 50 pounds, sold for $400 to Beacon Credit Union, and Preston Teusch's champion dairy market goat, weighing 73 pounds, sold for $275 to Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance/Adam Stroup.
One hundred and nine goats sold this year for a total of $45,007.40 ($34,400 premium).
After the goats were auctioned, the poultry project 4-H'ers took over the auction ring. The champion broiler exhibited by Cory Little sold for $2,150 to a large group of supporters (see list), and the reserve broiler shown by Jersey Hacker sold for $200 to the Mettler Agency.
On the laying hen side of the poultry project, the champion white-egg hen showman, Reece Boxell, sold a basket of eggs for $600 to Rooney Farms, Ryan Rooney and Carissa Carpenter, and the champion non-white-egg hen exhibitor Lily Clanin sold the dozen eggs for $600.
Poultry had 180 total lots this year, which sold for a total of $ 51,050.
Sold next to last in the auction order, rabbits were carried through the ring by their owners as buyers waived their hands in lively bidding. The top 4-H'er in the market rabbit project, Marisa Walter, had a very successful 2018 show, taking home champion honors in the meat pen, roaster, stewer and single fryer categories, but she chose not to sell her rabbits in the auction. The reserve champion roaster exhibited by Lucas Trickle sold for $225 to Salamonie Mills of Warren. The reserve champion stewer shown by Lauren Trickle sold for $250 to Joann Dolby.
The total pens of rabbits auctioned this year were 147. They sold for a $39,161 ($38,080 premium).
Buyer's Groups
Grand champion barrow (Evan Rice): Friends and family of Evan Rice, Redline Equipment, Dairyland Seed, State Farm/Becky Curless, JD Hoch Farms, The Assure Group, Ag Plus Inc., Shepherd's Chevrolet, Lake City Bank, Beck's Seed/Brian Rice, Kline CPA Group, Wetzel Insurance, Ryder Electric, Manchester Farm Center, and Bill Auer
Reserve champ barrow (Delaney Vickrey): First Merchants Bank, Apache Propane, Shepherd's Chevrolet, Dennis and Janell Brubaker family, Matt and Jenny Wilson family, Elite Ag Solutions, Crossroads Pantry-Markle, Troxel Equipment, Day Never Done Farm, Bill Preston, and National Oil
Intermediate showmanship champion swine (Owen Vickrey): Shepherd's Chevrolet, Helena Chemical-Markle, Salamonie Mills, First Merchants Bank, Crossroads Pantry-Markle, Troxel Equipment, Day Never Done Farm, Bill Preston, and National Oil
Dairy junior showmanship champion (Braylon Beekman): Mark Devitt/St Genetics, Daniel Scher and family, Frick Lumber, Michele Heaston, Stacy Campbell, Jim Heaston, Pringler Inc., Manchester Vet Clinic, Elliott Insurance, Topeka Livestock, Shipshewana Livestock, Bob and Wiladene Heaston, Troxel Equipment, Harvest Land Co-op, Bippus State Bank, Roger and Joan Warner, Rupley Farm Equipment, Blessings Milk Transport, Beacon Credit Union, Les and Ruthann Ackley, and Bonnie Boxell
Champion meat market goat (Caden Brubaker): Day Never Done Farm, Lucas and Anna Jones, Rob and Kim Raab family, First Merchants Bank, First Farmers Bank & Trust, Tom and Rosie Wall, East of Chicago Pizza Co.-Warren, Kevin and Shelbia Deakyne, Dennis and Janell Brubaker family, Clounie Landscaping, and Elite Ag Solutions
Poultry champion broiler (Cory Little): First Federal Savings Bank, Ceres Solutions, Zahm Trailer Sales Inc., Dennis Grain & Fertilizer Co., Johnson Petroleum Inc., Marci Roller, Mettler Agency, Millers Merry Manor, E & B Paving and IMI, Betty and Richard Little, TJ'S Heritage, Joe and Elaine Carroll family, Joe and Teresa Updike family, Tony and Annette Little, Salamonie Mills, Cory and Carrie Boxell family, Zahm Excavating/Jim Zahm, and T. W. Excavating
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