Auburn Youth Breaks 4-H Sale Record
Published: Friday, October 11, 2024
A 10-year 4-H member from Auburn received a record premium for her grand champion market hog at the DeKalb County 4-H Auction on Sept. 27. The barrow weighed in at 263 pounds, earning exhibitor Baylee Doster $11,000 ($41.83 per pound). The previous record, set in 2018, was $5,000.
Doster smiled as she explained the amount was completely unexpected and thanked her supporters.
Supporters include: the friends and family of Baylee Doster, Noble County Disposal, Daniel and Mikayla Days, Wilson and McComb Homes, Joe and Kay Wilson, Complete Finish Inc., Ag
Plus—Churubusco, Krafft Water Solutions LLC, Pranger Enterprises, The McComb Inc., Charleston Metal Products, United Producers Inc., Rinehold Tack and Western Wear, Milan Genter Feed and Grain, Jackson/Union townships and Garrett State Bank.
The DeKalb County 4-H Auction was a premium-only sale, and 4-H members had the option to keep their animals. All sales are of the premium amounts only, with the floor price included if applicable.
The auction raised a total of $308,932.49 (as of press time) with add-ons still being counted. In all, 264 lots were sold. The swine club sold 54 hogs, totaling $57,500.
The reserve champion market hog was exhibited by Charlotte Albaugh of Waterloo. The premium was purchased by Complete Maintenance for $2,000.
Another high-selling animal was the grand champion dairy goat, which brought in $4,800 for Abbie Harris of Auburn.
For Harris, the record price was completely unexpected.
Friends and family, along with Milan Center Feed and Grain, paid the high premium bid, and Harris received an additional $105 for the floor price, bringing her total to $4,950. The previous record was $2,550, set in 2018.
In cattle, 14 beef animals brought in $30,600; nine dairy steers/dairy cross steers were sold for $10,200 8,650; 11 dairy feeders/dairy cross feeders raked in $6,093.60; and 13 dairy products brought in $9,950.
A total of $5,000 was awarded to Bowen Clifford of Waterloo for his grand champion beef animal, which weighed in at 1,420 pounds ($3.52 a pound). The high bidder was Complete Maintenance. Evan Policinski of Butler earned a premium of $2,700 and floor price of $2,284.16 for his reserve champion beef steer. The 1,328-pounder brought in $3.75 a pound from friends and family, Moughler Show Cattle, Edon Farms Co-op, and Rinehold Tack and Western Gear.
The top dairy steer was exhibited by Kendall Kreischer of Saint Joe. She received $4,000 ($2.51 per pound) from friends and family, Renee Kreischer, FM Bank, Rinehold Tack and Western Wear, Milan Center Feed and Grain, Concord/Spencer/Newville townships, DeKalb Farm Mutual Insurance, Ag One Agency and Nitty Gritty Arm Service.
The third-year 4-H'er was elated to get her first grand champion, and winning against her older siblings made this first win even sweeter, she said,
The steer weighed 1,590 pounds.
The reserve champion dairy steer did not sell.
Logan Brand of Waterloo earned $2,000 with the sale of dairy products from his grand champion Holstein cow to Squier Pallets. Della Payne of Ashley took home $1,800 after the sale of products from her reserve champion. Dal's Big Hands Big Heart Foundation paid the premium.
The grand and reserve champion dairy feeder steers were not sold. Cameron Stout of Waterloo showed the grand champion dairy cross feeder, while Kiersten Haynes of Butler, the grand champion showman, exhibited the grand champion dairy feeder.
In sheep, 16 market lambs were sold for a total of $16,150. Lily Kreischer and Paige Kreischer of Saint Joe showed the grand and reserve champion market lambs, respectively. Neither sold their animal at auction.
In addition to Harris' grand champion, 53 other goats were sold, totaling $38,400. The reserve champion goat was shown by Weston Nester of Corunna, who sold his premium for $550 to Fairfield Twp.
Ainslee Pepple, of Waterloo, showed the grand champion roaster rabbit and received a premium of $1,650 from friends and family. The reserve champion earned $550 for exhibitor Addie Brown of Auburn. Dal's Big Hands Big Heart Foundation paid the premium. The grand and reserve champion stewers were shown by Addison Pepple, of Waterloo, and Stella Dickerhoff, of Saint Joe, respectively. The grand champion was purchased for $1,300 by friends and family of Addison Pepple, and Milan Center Feed and Grain paid a $500 premium for the reserve champion.
Fifty-three rabbits were sold for a total of $22,700.
Trevin Carpenter of Hudson went home $1,000 richer after presenting his grand champion poultry animals, a pair of pullets, at the auction. Supporting him were Carpenter Renovations and Maldeney Farms. The reserve champion did not sell.
A total of 33 poultry animals earned $13,550. Other lots include a pink panther, $3,400; a horse and pony club item, $4,100; a summer judging item, $1,300; and a cushion chair, $250.
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