Junior Fair Livestock Auction sets record

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

After three years where prices languished because of the economic downturn, Junior Fair livestock prices have set records the past two years, according to figures released following Tuesday’s auction held at the Farm Focus Arena.

Following 2011’s record-setting auction, a large number of area businesses and individuals again showed their support of Junior Fair livestock exhibitors, offering premium prices for steers, dairy feeder calves, swine, sheep, goats, poultry and rabbits during this year’s edition of the sale (a special livestock auction publication will be included in Friday’s independent).

This year’s sale brought in $146,210, nearly $10,000 more than the 2011 total of $137,187, and, while there were 11 more animals sold this year than in 2011, the per-animal average price topped last year’s average by more than $25.

The 359 animals sold this year brought in an average of $420.14 per animal, compared to $394.22. To provide a comparison, last year’s per-animal average was nearly $40 more than the previous record of $354.57 set in 2008 before the full effects of the recession were felt.

The sale of two animals also went for charitable purposes, as the grand champion dairy steer owned by Kyle Keber was sold for $3,800, and will be donated to food banks at First United Methodist Church, The Salvation Army and Trinity Friends Church. Those contributing to the purchase were Ace Hardware, Ag Credit, Alexander & Bebout, Arend Laukhuf Stoller, Citizens National Bank, Craig Staley, Dr. Roger Okuley, Dealey Chemical, Stoller Wealth Management, F&S Floor Covering, Farm Bureau, First Bank of Berne, Keber Farms, Kenn-Feld Group, Laudick’s Jewelry, Lee Kinstle GM Sales & Service, Leland Smith Insurance, Mike Poling-Stine Seed, Miller Precision Manufacturing, Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy, Pick ‘N’ Save, StateWide Ford, Tom and Bonnie Evans, Van Wert County Hospital, Van Wert Federal Savings Bank, Van Wert Propane, Williamson Crop Insurance and Rager Home Improvement. Pond Seed also paid for the processing of the steer.

Leslie Marbaugh also donated the proceeds from her grand champion rabbit meat pen, which fetched $1,200, to help pay for construction of a new rabbit barn.

As in past years, the highest total came from the 111 swine sold during the auction. Those animals netted a total of $45,580, or an average of $410.63 per hog. That compares to 2011, when the same number of hogs were sold for $43,955, or $395.99 apiece.

The next highest total was paid in the dairy feeder calf category, where 45 dairy feeders were sold for a total of $24,775, or $550.56 per animal. That compares to $23,200 for 43 animals last year — an average of $539.53 per animal.

A total of 28 steers were sold for $20,400, an average of $728.57, the highest per-animal price of any livestock category. Last year, $17,250 was paid for 28 steers, for an average of $616.07.

Rabbits were next, with 74 animals sold for a total of $19,858.34, or an average of $268.36 per rabbit. The 2012 total was a little bit less than in 2011, when 67 rabbits sold for a total of $18,300 — an average of $273.13 an animal.

Turkeys also decreased somewhat in price, with 36 birds sold for a total of $9,750 — $270.83 apiece. In 2011, 38 turkeys were told for a total of $13,225, $277.60 per bird.

Poultry brought in a total of $8,580, with 34 birds sold, for an average of $252.35 apiece. That compares to 21 chickens sold in 2011 for a total of $5,457, or $259.86 apiece.

A total of 13 sheep were purchased this year for a total price of $7,591.66, or $583.97 apiece. The same number of sheep sold in 2011 for a total of $6,175, or $475 per animal.

The last livestock category, goats, included 17 animals sold for a total of $6,350, or $373.53 average per goat. Last year, 16 goats were sold for a total of $6,800, an average of $425 apiece.

Dairy cows exhibited at the fair are not sold, but a traditional gallon of milk is auctioned off to provide money for dairy exhibitors. This year, the milk sold for $3,325 — $600 more than in 2011 — which provided $332.50 to each of the 10 dairy exhibitors.

Since 2001, livestock auction prices have nearly doubled, from $213.71 per animal in 2001 to the $420.14 paid this year. While the 2001 auction brought in $97,450, compared to $146,210 this year, nearly 100 more animals were sold back then: 456 to 359.