BUTLER, Pa. – It’s a good thing for Meghann Dunn that fall classes at Ohio State University don’t start until mid-September, otherwise her final days at home before heading off to college would have been even more hectic.
Dunn, who will be a freshman at Ohio State this fall, capped her summer 4-H experience with two championship honors at this year’s Butler Farm Show. Dunn showed the grand champion lamb and the reserve champion market hog at the farm show, which ran Aug. 5-10.
Dunn’s 120-pound grand champion lamb sold for $5 a pound to Lock 6 Landing, down slightly from last year’s bid of $5.70 a pound. The runner-up reserve champion lamb, raised by Kaci McKinnis, sold for $5.75 a pound to Butler County Ford. McKinnis also raised last year’s grand champion market lamb.
The 57 lambs averaged $2.16 a pound with the two champions; $2.03 a pound, without.
$10 hog. In what is becoming an annual purchase, John Altmeyer of Altmeyer Custom Fab Trailers and Altmeyer’s Western Wear kept the bidding going to buy the grand champion market hog. Altmeyer paid $10 a pound for the 263-pound grand champion hog raised by Jessica McKinnis.
Meghann Dunn’s 245-pound reserve champion sold for $3.75 a pound to C.W. Howard Insurance.
The 96 hogs averaged $1.52 a pound including champions; $1.39 a pound, without champions.
Sparkling steer. With enough glitter on her steer to fill fairy’s wand, Dayna Filges led out the grand champion steer at this year’s Butler Farm Show. The 1,323-pound steer sold for $4.50 a pound to Nixon Landscape Supply, which also bought the reserve champion steer last year from Dayna’s brother, Colt. Last year’s grand champion sold for a sale record $5.25 a pound
Amber Kennedy, last year’s grand champion steer exhibitor, returned to champions’ circle with the reserve champion steer this year. Her 1,195-pound steer sold for $2.95 a pound to Amerikohl Mining Co., down 55 cents from last year’s reserve champion record bid of $3.50.
The 28 market steers averaged $1.19 a pound with the champions; 97 cents a pound, without.
Small animals. No market chickens sold at this year’s farm show due to the statewide ban on poultry exhibitions due to an avian influenza outbreak.
Three rabbit meat pens sold, with the top spot going to Randi Kummer. Long-time sale supporter Knauf Feed paid $450 for the pen of three rabbits, well short of last year’s top bid of $650 and substantially under the sale record of $1,000 set in 1997.
AAA A to Z Services paid $425 for the reserve champion pen of rabbits raised by Jessi Kummer, also short of last year’s $550 bid.
Sara Mabold’s 74-pound meat goat topped the field of three market goats at this year’s farm show. Big Butler Fair paid $3.50 a pound for her grand champion entry. Amerikohl Mining Co. paid $3 a pound for the reserve champion goat raised by Zachary Schwartz.
The rabbits averaged $333.33 per pen; the goats averaged $2.61 a pound with the champions and $1.25 a pound, without champions.
Overall, the junior fair market livestock sale totaled $86,828.82.
During the sale, coordinator Donna Zang, Butler County extension agent, presented a plaque of appreciation to volunteer Bob Bleicher, who has worked with the county’s youth livestock program for more than 25 years. Bleicher continues to assist auctioneer John R. Huey as his announcer.
