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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
  
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I think it is everywhere anymore. We are wanting to get our boys in 4-H next year. We are hard working folks. We ranch with my husband's dad and my husband drives truck some to try and get ahead. We started to ask around what a market lamb and show steer cost. OMG!!! Some are paying $2000+ for a lamb. $8k+ for a steer. We don't have stock show intentions here, just want to do well at our county fair level, maybe have some luck at state fair. But it sounds like you have to have some deep pockets to even have a chance at state fair anymore. When I was a kid, it sure wasn't that way. I showed in the 90's. I never showed livestock, just horses, but my friends that had the steers/sheep worked hard and did decent without spending their college savings on their project animals.
So anyways, we'll find something we can afford and work extra hard to see how they can do. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
 
Location: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere | wyoming barrel racer - 2016-08-31 8:48 AM
I think it is everywhere anymore. We are wanting to get our boys in 4-H next year. We are hard working folks. We ranch with my husband's dad and my husband drives truck some to try and get ahead. We started to ask around what a market lamb and show steer cost. OMG!!! Some are paying $2000+ for a lamb. $8k+ for a steer. We don't have stock show intentions here, just want to do well at our county fair level, maybe have some luck at state fair. But it sounds like you have to have some deep pockets to even have a chance at state fair anymore. When I was a kid, it sure wasn't that way. I showed in the 90's. I never showed livestock, just horses, but my friends that had the steers/sheep worked hard and did decent without spending their college savings on their project animals.
So anyways, we'll find something we can afford and work extra hard to see how they can do.
There are good quality breeders out there that actually breed for the 4-h projects. Look around at some of your neighbors and get the word out for what you are looking at.....also try cwcattlesales.com
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7550
Location: In The Land of Cotton | wyoming barrel racer - 2016-08-31 10:48 AM I think it is everywhere anymore. We are wanting to get our boys in 4-H next year. We are hard working folks. We ranch with my husband's dad and my husband drives truck some to try and get ahead. We started to ask around what a market lamb and show steer cost. OMG!!! Some are paying $2000+ for a lamb. $8k+ for a steer. We don't have stock show intentions here, just want to do well at our county fair level, maybe have some luck at state fair. But it sounds like you have to have some deep pockets to even have a chance at state fair anymore. When I was a kid, it sure wasn't that way. I showed in the 90's. I never showed livestock, just horses, but my friends that had the steers/sheep worked hard and did decent without spending their college savings on their project animals.
So anyways, we'll find something we can afford and work extra hard to see how they can do.
There are also a lot of beeders who will "sell" the animal to the kids for $1. And then you sell it back to them at the end of the showing season. We did this with heifers. There was no way we could afford 2 $35K heifers. And, it helps the breeders get their animals out there.
On the steers maybe they might do the same and when the animal sales at the end, the kids split the money with the original owner.
We found good hog breeders and for market animals only paid around $175 and did really, really well. Breeding gilts we paid in the thousands. But were able to resale them. Good luck. No matter what you end up paying, just the experience for the kids is worth it. | |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | 3canstorun - 2016-08-31 9:34 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2016-08-31 10:48 AM I think it is everywhere anymore. We are wanting to get our boys in 4-H next year. We are hard working folks. We ranch with my husband's dad and my husband drives truck some to try and get ahead. We started to ask around what a market lamb and show steer cost. OMG!!! Some are paying $2000+ for a lamb. $8k+ for a steer. We don't have stock show intentions here, just want to do well at our county fair level, maybe have some luck at state fair. But it sounds like you have to have some deep pockets to even have a chance at state fair anymore. When I was a kid, it sure wasn't that way. I showed in the 90's. I never showed livestock, just horses, but my friends that had the steers/sheep worked hard and did decent without spending their college savings on their project animals.
So anyways, we'll find something we can afford and work extra hard to see how they can do. There are also a lot of beeders who will "sell" the animal to the kids for $1. And then you sell it back to them at the end of the showing season. We did this with heifers. There was no way we could afford 2 $35K heifers. And, it helps the breeders get their animals out there.
On the steers maybe they might do the same and when the animal sales at the end, the kids split the money with the original owner.
We found good hog breeders and for market animals only paid around $175 and did really, really well. Breeding gilts we paid in the thousands. But were able to resale them. Good luck. No matter what you end up paying, just the experience for the kids is worth it.
That's great to know. We have a few friends that have kids that show pigs. Sounds like a good project to start with. Fairly easy and I think the boys would have fun. My husband is just not convinced about having them around yet lol. | |
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Hugs to You
Posts: 7550
Location: In The Land of Cotton | wyoming barrel racer - 2016-08-31 11:40 AM 3canstorun - 2016-08-31 9:34 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2016-08-31 10:48 AM I think it is everywhere anymore. We are wanting to get our boys in 4-H next year. We are hard working folks. We ranch with my husband's dad and my husband drives truck some to try and get ahead. We started to ask around what a market lamb and show steer cost. OMG!!! Some are paying $2000+ for a lamb. $8k+ for a steer. We don't have stock show intentions here, just want to do well at our county fair level, maybe have some luck at state fair. But it sounds like you have to have some deep pockets to even have a chance at state fair anymore. When I was a kid, it sure wasn't that way. I showed in the 90's. I never showed livestock, just horses, but my friends that had the steers/sheep worked hard and did decent without spending their college savings on their project animals.
So anyways, we'll find something we can afford and work extra hard to see how they can do. There are also a lot of beeders who will "sell" the animal to the kids for $1. And then you sell it back to them at the end of the showing season. We did this with heifers. There was no way we could afford 2 $35K heifers. And, it helps the breeders get their animals out there.
On the steers maybe they might do the same and when the animal sales at the end, the kids split the money with the original owner.
We found good hog breeders and for market animals only paid around $175 and did really, really well. Breeding gilts we paid in the thousands. But were able to resale them. Good luck. No matter what you end up paying, just the experience for the kids is worth it.
My kids loved showing hogs, more then the steers and heifers. They are super smart. The hogs put them through college too with scholarships and money saved when they sold them. And, money they earned when they showed.
We wouldn't have changed a thing - great family time too | |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| 3canstorun - 2016-08-31 10:34 AM
wyoming barrel racer - 2016-08-31 10:48 AM I think it is everywhere anymore. We are wanting to get our boys in 4-H next year. We are hard working folks. We ranch with my husband's dad and my husband drives truck some to try and get ahead. We started to ask around what a market lamb and show steer cost. OMG!!! Some are paying $2000+ for a lamb. $8k+ for a steer. We don't have stock show intentions here, just want to do well at our county fair level, maybe have some luck at state fair. But it sounds like you have to have some deep pockets to even have a chance at state fair anymore. When I was a kid, it sure wasn't that way. I showed in the 90's. I never showed livestock, just horses, but my friends that had the steers/sheep worked hard and did decent without spending their college savings on their project animals.
So anyways, we'll find something we can afford and work extra hard to see how they can do.
There are also a lot of beeders who will "sell" the animal to the kids for $1. And then you sell it back to them at the end of the showing season. We did this with heifers. There was no way we could afford 2 $35K heifers. And, it helps the breeders get their animals out there.
On the steers maybe they might do the same and when the animal sales at the end, the kids split the money with the original owner.
We found good hog breeders and for market animals only paid around $175 and did really, really well. Breeding gilts we paid in the thousands. But were able to resale them. Good luck. No matter what you end up paying, just the experience for the kids is worth it.
We do this with show lambs.
We keep the phone and text lines open, follow up on the ewe lambs and kids, make sure the kids are going to do well, that the ewe lambs are fed well, etc. It works well; the kids get mentors they can ask lots of questions of, and we get good exposure for our breeding program.
So far, it has been a win - win for us and the kids/ show parents.  | |
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