Late summer means one thing for many livestock families: state fair season has arrived. Months of early mornings, careful feeding, daily exercise and endless practice all lead to a few exciting days in the show ring. While ribbons and banners may be the ultimate goal, the biggest challenge often begins long before the judge steps into the ring. For […]
Tag: show pigs
Summer Show Livestock Care: Keeping Livestock Comfortable and Performing Their Best
Summer Show Livestock Care Livestock shows are the highlight of summer for many youth exhibitors. They provide the opportunity to showcase months of hard work, travel to new destinations, see old friends, make new friends, and receive recognition for their efforts. However, along with the excitement of summer shows comes summer temperatures, travel stress, new environments, changing routines, and busy […]
Show Day Checklist for Livestock: Everything You Need for a Successful Day at the Show
There’s nothing quite like show day – it doesn’t matter if it is your very first time at the county fair or your 10th jackpot of the season. The hum of blowers, the anticipation of entering the show ring, and the quiet focus before stepping into the ring all lead to excitement mixed with nervous energy. Success doesn’t happen in the show ring. It is recognized there; […]
Hydration and Supplementation for Show Livestock During Travel
Travel is a regular part of the show livestock experience. From jackpot shows to county fairs and state and national events, exhibitors and their animals often spend hours on the road traveling from one destination to the next. While preparing feed, equipment, and paperwork is routine, one area that deserves just as much attention is hydration and supplementation for show livestock while on the […]
Where Does Thanks Live in the Barn?
Thank you. Those two little words pack a lot of punch. Think about it. Even wee little ones are taught sign language for thank you or the abbreviated “ta-ta” to express gratitude. In a culture where young people seem increasingly entitled, words like “please” and “thank you” seem to be foreign to many young people. […]
A Letter of Gratitude to our Animals
Thank You Most of us still remember our first livestock showing experience. I know I do. I was just a little mop-headed girl with my Hereford calf. It was the Hooker County Fair in the Nebraska Sandhills, and I loved Herfy more than anything in the world. We’d spent all spring and summer together, and […]