Livestock Auction exceeds expectations

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

While winning trophies and ribbons is great for Junior Fair livestock exhibitors, receiving hard cash for those animals also validates a youngster’s hard work during the year.

As they have in past year’s local businesses, individuals and organizations again stepped up to the plate to provide financial support for Junior Fair livestock exhibitors.

While the total dollars were down from last year, $140,138 this year to $146,210 in 2012, that’s only because there were fewer animals to sell this year: 323 to 359 last year.

Per unit prices were up $13.72, with an average price paid out this year of $433.86, compared to $420.13 in 2012.

As is the case at every auction, a symbolic gallon of milk is auctioned off to provide support money for dairy exhibitors, who don’t sell their cows. This year’s milk sale brought in $4,085, up from $3,325 last year, an increase of $760 over last year.

Of the eight livestock categories – beef, swine, dairy feeder calves, goats, sheep, rabbits, poultry and turkeys – only dairy feeders and rabbits showed a decrease from last year’s average prices, and rabbits were down less than $2 from 2012.

In the beef category, typically the category with the highest prices, since steers are also usually the largest animals, purchasers paid out a total of $19,440 for 26 animals this year, an average of $747.69 per steer. That compares to a total payout of $20,400 in 2012 for 28 steers, an average of $728.57 per animal.

In the swine category, which sees the largest auction total payout because it includes the largest number of animals, buyers paid a total of $44,970 for 93 hogs, an average of $483.55 per animal. That compares with $45,580 for 111 animals last year, an average of $410.63 per hog.

Dairy feeder calves have been popular with livestock exhibitors and buyers in the past, but not so much this year, with just 32 calves sold this year for a total of $14,025, an average of $438.28 per animal. That compares with $24,775 paid out for 45 feeders in 2012, an average of $550.56 per calf.

The second highest number of animals sold, after swine, was in the rabbit category, where 64 rabbits were sold for a total of $17,050, an average of $266.41 per rabbit. Last year, $19,858.34 was paid for 74 rabbits, for a per-animal average of $268.36.

Other livestock categories are as follows:

Prices paid for 37 turkeys this year totaled $11,900, an average of $321.62 per bird. That compares with a total of $9,750 paid out in 2012 on 36 turkeys, an average of $270.83 per bird.

A total of $5,937 was paid for 13 goats this year, an average of $456.73 per animal. That compares to a total of $6,350 paid for 17 goats in 2012, an average of $373.53 per goat.

Buyers paid a total of $13,005 for 24 sheep this year, an average of $541.88 per animal. That compares to a total of $7,591.66 for 13 sheep in 2012, an average of $583.97 per animal.

In the poultry category, buyers paid out a total of $9,725 this year for 33 chickens, an average of $294.70 per bird. That compares to a total of $8,580 paid last year to purchase 34 chickens, an average of $252.35 per bird.

Paul Pohlman, a Junior Fair advisor, said buyers again provided much-appreciated support for Junior Fair livestock exhibitors. “The numbers speak for themselves,” he noted.

Also Tuesday, the results of the Senior Fair Board directors’ positions was announced.

In the two contested races, Ann Marshall defeated Craig Hoersten 166-106 for a position representing the city of Van Wert, while Clair W. Harting III won over Bill Dull, 169-101, for the director’s position that represents county villages.

Those unopposed are as follows: Gerald Gordon was elected to represent Ridge Township with 210 votes, Ryan Adam will represent Harrison Township with 193 votes and Brian Etzler will represent Willshire Township with 221 votes.