Livestock auction a highlight of the year for 4-H members
Registrations are up for the livestock auction at the Butler Farm Show next week, meaning bidders will have even more chances to get their preferred meat at the sale Aug. 8.
Amy Metrick, Butler County 4-H educator, said there are 312 youths in Butler County 4-H this year, and she expects all of them will be participating in the farm show in some way, shape or form.
Many of them have entries in the livestock auction — rabbits, beef, hogs, goats, lambs and this year, poultry — most of which will be available for viewing throughout the week in barns around the venue.
The auction will begin with the charity lots at 5:30 p.m., of which there are three. The beef breeding club is auctioning a lamb to raise proceeds for Brunton Dairy, which recently lost its barn in a fire; the Butler County Livestock Club is auctioning a hog with proceeds going to It's About the Warrior; and the Dairy Club is also auctioning a hog, and proceeds will be given to Randy Freehling; a Kittanning man connected to the club who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
The regular lots will begin selling at 6 p.m., Metrick said, with the auction order being rabbits first, then beef, followed by poultry, hogs, goats and lambs.
Metrick said people who have previously bid at the auction can preregister this year for the sale, and get all the information online prior to its start time. First-time bidders will have to register at the farm show, in a line separate from past bidders, according to Metrick.
“There is a link that has been emailed to previous buyers,” Metrick said. “They can preregister and they get an auction packet.”
Metrick said there will be more entries this year compared to the past few years because poultry are allowed to be at the farm show for a limited time. She said poultry will be shown Tuesday, but they will have to leave the grounds after the auction, so they are at the property less than 72 hours.
The auction will be preceded by the awarding of four scholarships, which are each given to a 4-H member going into continuing education in a field related to agriculture, Metrick said.
The auction typically lasts a few hours, and Metrick said people planning to bid should be prepared to pay that evening.
For more information on the farm show or the livestock auction, visit butlerfarmshow.com.
