Animals fetch record sums at Farm Show livestock auction
As Kylie Burke led her pig around the show arena, tears filled her eyes when the bids started coming in well over market value.
In the end, her 275-pound swine sold for $42 per pound, breaking the record of $41 per pound. Two bidders combined their offers of $21 per pound to help Burke attain this feat.
However, the 19-year-old would not see a dime of that money, because she plans to donate it all to a fellow 4-H family to help cover medical expenses brought about by one family member's illness.
"It's my last year here and I just wanted to give back," Burke said. "I usually use (the money) on buying feed but this year I sold it for them. It feels really good."
Burke's record-breaking swine was not even the only one in her category. Earlier in the night, Josh Fry, who is also in his final year of 4-H, set a new high by selling his grand champion 263-pound swine for $42 per pound.
He, too, said it was a good note to go out on.
"I have been showing since I was 9 years old, and I have always been working hard at it," said Fry, a 19-year-old from Herman. "To finally be able to raise a grand champion hog feels really nice, really worth it."
The grand champion and reserve grand champion steers were a close-knit duo, siblings Mason and Ryleigh Henry, 13 and 16, respectively, from Kennerdell.
Mason sold his steer for $6.25 per pound and Ryleigh sold her steer for $5.20 per pound.
The steers were both born on their family farm, and they had been preparing them for the auction since October.
“It's about their finishing, bone structure, how they walk,” said Ryleigh, whose reserve champion steer was 1,225 pounds. “It takes a good nutrition plan, good vaccination plan, a daily hair plan.”
All that prior work made the two confident going into the showing.
“I'm not really nervous,” said Mason, whose champion steer was 1,377 pounds. “I'm really happy with how it all played out.”
The junior livestock auction is always a packed event at the annual Butler County Farm Show. This year, there were nearly 180 entries that consisted of pigs, chickens, goats, lambs, rabbits and steers.
Amy Metrick, Butler County 4-H educator, said this was a good year for 4-H, even though the poultry entries had to be shown through photographs because of avian flu.
"Our numbers keep growing every year," Metrick said. "They always make more than the market price."
Hundreds of bidders took part in the auction, and the sound of yelling auctioneers could be heard over the animals' calls from outside the barn.
Metrick said the money going to the children through the auction was healthy as well.
"They always hope to make a little more than they spent," Metrick said. "These businesses always spend a lot because they are here to support the kids."
Many of the buyers opted to donate the animals, even after some paid hundreds of dollars in the auction. Metrick said the donated animals may end up at a community food bank or organization, back with the 4-H family who raised it or given to 4-H for a scholarship fund or its educational programs.
"A lot of people are really generous," Metrick said.
Reflecting on his last year in 4-H, Fry said he hopes his journey in the group is not over.
"It takes a lot of work, passion, you've got to love it," Fry said. "I want to continue to raise show hogs, keep teaching the younger kids how to do it and helping them out."
