Junior Fair Livestock Auction sets record

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

While the livestock competitions are over and the ribbons and trophies handed out, Junior Fair exhibitors received a financial reward Tuesday for the work of raising livestock for the 161st Van Wert County Fair.

The Junior Fair Livestock Auction also gives a large number of area businesses and organizations the chance to show their support and appreciation for the youngsters’ efforts.

Premium sale prices this year — the amount paid by buyers — were higher than last year, with a total of $129,965 paid for 264 sale units. While the sale total is not a record — a total of $146,210 was paid out in 2012 (for 359 animals) — buyers did pay a record per-animal average price of $492.29 this year.

With the meat value of the 264 animals sold this year set at $73,570.71, exhibitors received a total of $203,536.04, or an average of $770.97 per animal sold.

The largest premium sale total was the $36,159 paid for the 69 swine sold at the auction this year, although the per-animal price was fourth largest at $524.04. With the actual value of the meat set at $7,455.18, those who showed hogs received a total of $43,614.18, for a total per-animal average of $632.09.

Dairy feeder calves brought in a total of $18,546 for the 28 animals sold, a per-animal price of $662.36 — the second highest per-animal total of the sale. The actual value of the animals’ meat was $12,000.15 for a total sale price of $30,546.15, and a total per-animal average of $1,090.93.

Steers were again the most expensive animals in the sale, bringing in a total of $18,221 for the 19 animals sold. Adding in the total meat value of $24,865.19, steer exhibitors received a total of $43,096.19 — an average total price of $2,267.69 per animal.

The 62 rabbits sold at this year’s fair brought in a total of $17,960, or an average of $289.68 per animal. The total value of the meat was $337.84 for a total sale price of $18,297.84, giving rabbit exhibitors an average of $295.13 per animal.

The 15 goats sold at this year’s auction netted a total premium of $9,426.33 from buyers, giving exhibitors an average of $628.42 per animal. However, goat meat’s value is higher even than steers, bringing in the same amount — $24,865.19 — for 15 animals as was paid for the 19 steers, for an even higher $1,657.68 per-animal meat value. That brings the average total sale price of the 15 goats to a whopping $2,286.10 per animal — the highest average price in the sale.

The 18 sheep sold at this year’s auction brought in a total premium price of $9,424, an average price of $523.56 per animal. The value of the meat was a total of $3,696.48, an average of $205.36 per animal, giving sheep exhibitors a total sale price of $13,120.48, or an average of $728.92 per animal.

Turkeys and poultry were back at the fair for the second year after an avian flu scare in 2015 that banned the birds from exhibiting and the auction. Buyers paid a total of $7,904 for the 20 turkeys in the auction, for an average of $395.20 per bird. The meat was valued at $166 for a total sale price of $8,070, an average of $403.50 per bird.

Poultry netted a total of $10,025 from buyers for a total of 32 birds, an average of $313.28 per bird. The value of the meat was set at $184.68 for a total sale price of $10,209.68, for a total sale average of $319.05 per bird.

Buyers also paid a total of $2,300 for the symbolic gallon of milk. The money provides a financial reward to Junior Fair dairy exhibitors, whose animals are not sold at the fair. The money, the second highest total after 2015’s price of $2,400, provided $287.50 per dairy exhibitor.