Junior Fair Livestock Auction total down

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Although the 160th edition of the Van Wert County Fair was over by Tuesday, that was the day Junior Fair livestock exhibitors received a paycheck for the hard work of raising animals for this year’s fair.

Totals for this year’s Junior Fair Livestock Auction were down a bit overall from the past two years, but was still good overall, compared to years past. Junior Fair advisors who tabulated the auction results said they felt the lower total was likely more the result of lower meat prices, than a lack of interest by buyers.

Total sale premium for 2016 was $135,355 for a total of 274 animals, with an average price for animal of $457.50. That compares with 2015’s sale total of $126,100 for 266 animals, a record average of $474.06 per animal.

Although sale figures were down a bit this year, they still compare favorably with sale totals from the past 15 years. In 2001, the sale brought in a total premium of $213.71 per animal (total $97,450), while this year’s per-animal average is higher than every year except 2015 and 2014.

Moreover, even though the overall total was down, most animal species sale figures were higher than last year’s.

The symbolic auction for a gallon of milk, used to provide a premium for dairy exhibitors, who do not sell their animals, was down $400, from $2,400 in 2015 to $2,000 this year. The per-person average was also lower: $250 this year, versus $400 last year.

Steers again brought in the largest sale total, but that total and per-animal average were both lower than 2015. The 19 steers auctioned off Tuesday sold for a total of $17,377, an average of $914.58. That compares to 2015’s $20,545 total for 24 animals and a per-animal average of $978.33.

Goats were also down from last year, bringing in a total of $7,067 for 17 animals, versus $6,015 for just 10 animals last year. The per-animal average was also down, from $601.50 in 2015 to $415.71 this year.

Turkeys and poultry totals were harder to evaluate, since chickens and turkeys were not at the auction last year because of Avian Flu fears. Buyers donated $10,970 for turkeys last year, an average of $342.81 per bird raised, versus $8,750 in actual sale totals this year. The per-bird average was up this year for turkeys at $380.43.

Poultry didn’t fare as well in 2016. The donation from last year’s auction was $6,677.25, an average of $303.51, while actual sales totals this year were $6,575 for 24 birds, an average of $273.96.

The remaining animal species all saw higher averages than last year.

The 72 swine sold for a total of $36,209, an average of $502.90 per animal. That compares with a total of $36,420 for 73 swine in 2015, and an average per-animal price of $498.

The 64 rabbits sold this year brought in $17,381, or an average of $271.58 per animal, versus a total of $16,888 and an average of $248.35 per animal in 2015.

Dairy feeder sales were substantially higher than last year, with the 30 animals sold bringing in a total of $16,163, an average of $538.77. That compares to a total of $16,135 for 34 animals last year an average of $474.56 per animal.