The annual 4-H Fair Livestock Auction is scheduled for June 15 in the Show Arena Barn.
Registration is set to open at 9 a.m. with the auction starting at 9:30 a.m.
Livestock Auction Committee Member Andy Bond told the Democrat that kids have entered goats, sheep, rabbits, meat birds, cattle and swine in the auction.
“People can come and bid on 4-H animals,” Bond said. “We have appointments made to get them butchered. If people choose to go that route, they will pay for the whole animal the day of. There are only so many spots available (hog- 10, beef- 2, sheep and goat- 4).”
Bond said that there is another option for people unable to purchase an entire animal. There will be a pool where people can donate. “The pool is made up of donations from $1 to as much as they want to give,” Bond said. “All of the money goes into the pool and If no one buys the animal, the pool will buy it. If someone would like to give to the auction but can’t afford to buy the whole animal, they can give to the pool. We are encouraging buyers to come out and buy animals, but we are also looking for people that can donate.”
Bond said that all animals bought by the pool will go to the market buyer, RNR Livestock. Pool donors will also have their names on a banner, in the souvenir book and will receive a letter of thanks from 4-H.
People can also pay for the market value listed on the sale bill if they would like to donate the animal. The market buyer will pay for the final bid amount after the market value is taken away.
“For example, and I’m just throwing out numbers,” Bond said. “If the highest bid for a kid’s hog was at $400, and the market value is $100, the market buyer will have to provide the $300 left over after the market value was already paid.” Bond said that anything left over in the pool after the auction gets divided up and used to bump kids so their animals sold for as much as others in the same species. Leftovers also get used to pay tenure, grand champions and extra money for the kids. The kids are required to pay $10 per animal for their seller fees and any check-offs out of their checks. They receive their final checks after sending out handwritten thank you letters to their buyers. For questions about the auction people are encouraged to reach out to Andy Bond through the Purdue Extension Office at 988-5495.
