|
|
|
Rabbits, chickens and pigs.
Those were just three types of animals represented at the annual Newton County Fair Thursday.
Rabbits
Mandy Griffith, 11, with East Newton 4-H, showed a chocolate mini rex named Blake.
“They are easy to raise, you just have to keep them in a cage and feed and water them,” she said. “And make sure dogs don’t get to them. You have to clip their toenails, brush them about three times a month, so they don’t get mats.”
Griffith enjoys raising the rabbits with her brother. She has 14 rabbits in a shed at home.
Thursday was also the day judges were judging rabbits and other animals.
“For mini rabbits, they look for the fur, the line that goes up the rabbit,” she said. “They look for the tattoo, the clipped toenails, and they basically see if they are sick or not. They hold it and flip it over, make sure if it is a girl or a boy.”
Carissa Jordan, with Neosho’s FFA club, was showing a four-month-old Flemish rabbit named Jumper. It was her first time showing rabbits.
“I have always liked rabbits,” she said. “He is my first rabbit. It will get the size of a small dog.”
Asked if it is hard to take care of rabbits, Jordan said, “You have to keep their feet clean.”
Chickens
Matthew Funderburgh decided to show a bantam hen.
“I chose this chicken because of the color, it just looks pretty,” he said. “It is pretty easy to take care of because it doesn’t eat much. Usually the roosters eat more.”
Pigs
John Paul Littlefield, 17, a member of Diamond FFA, opted to show swine during Thursday’s fair. He has shown pigs since he was 4.
“Dad was a big pig shower when he was a kid. He grew up, and he really enjoyed it,” Littlefield said. “He worked at a hog farm when I was in kindergarten.”
There is a lot of work to do to show pigs for the show.
“If you are doing a normal show, you want to clean them, just like any other time,” he said. “After you get done washing, you bring them back to the pens, let them chill out until it’s time to show, get them up, brush them off, squirt them with some water, make them nice and sparkly. Then you take them to the showroom.”
Rabbits, chickens and pigs.
Those were just three types of animals represented at the annual Newton County Fair Thursday.
Rabbits
Mandy Griffith, 11, with East Newton 4-H, showed a chocolate mini rex named Blake.
“They are easy to raise, you just have to keep them in a cage and feed and water them,” she said. “And make sure dogs don’t get to them. You have to clip their toenails, brush them about three times a month, so they don’t get mats.”
Griffith enjoys raising the rabbits with her brother. She has 14 rabbits in a shed at home.
Thursday was also the day judges were judging rabbits and other animals.
“For mini rabbits, they look for the fur, the line that goes up the rabbit,” she said. “They look for the tattoo, the clipped toenails, and they basically see if they are sick or not. They hold it and flip it over, make sure if it is a girl or a boy.”
Carissa Jordan, with Neosho’s FFA club, was showing a four-month-old Flemish rabbit named Jumper. It was her first time showing rabbits.
“I have always liked rabbits,” she said. “He is my first rabbit. It will get the size of a small dog.”
Asked if it is hard to take care of rabbits, Jordan said, “You have to keep their feet clean.”
Chickens
Matthew Funderburgh decided to show a bantam hen.
“I chose this chicken because of the color, it just looks pretty,” he said. “It is pretty easy to take care of because it doesn’t eat much. Usually the roosters eat more.”
Pigs
John Paul Littlefield, 17, a member of Diamond FFA, opted to show swine during Thursday’s fair. He has shown pigs since he was 4.
“Dad was a big pig shower when he was a kid. He grew up, and he really enjoyed it,” Littlefield said. “He worked at a hog farm when I was in kindergarten.”
There is a lot of work to do to show pigs for the show.
“If you are doing a normal show, you want to clean them, just like any other time,” he said. “After you get done washing, you bring them back to the pens, let them chill out until it’s time to show, get them up, brush them off, squirt them with some water, make them nice and sparkly. Then you take them to the showroom.”
The pig he brought to the fair weighed in at 220 pounds.
“When you usually buy them for show, April is about when the big show pig buying season starts, so you can shape them in time for the way that you want them to be,” he said.
One of the questions people ask is, “are pigs an easy animal to show and raise?”
“People usually associate them as the easiest animal to show. But it actually is not as easy as it looks,” Littlefield said. “You have to work with them every night.”
Fair schedule
Friday—July 15
5:30 p.m. Show-De-O
6 p.m. best of show awards
7 p.m. goat costume contest
7 p.m. Tractor pull at Ozark Saddle Club Arena
7:30 p.m. lead line sheep
8 p.m. entertainment, Sarah Dunn and Sundown
8:30 p.m. greased pigs
Midnight, fair closes
Saturday—July 16
8:30 a.m. open horse show
9 a.m. livestock judging
9 a.m. horseshoe pitching
10:30 a.m. Round Robin
12:30 p.m. dog obedience
2 p.m. award recognition (Pee Wee Showmanship following award recognition)
3 p.m. Neosho FFA livestock bingo
3:30 p.m. market sale participant meeting
7 p.m. livestock auction
7 p.m. Tractor Pull at Ozark Saddle Club Arena
8 p.m. entertainment
10:30 p.m. Release of all exhibits (including indoor items) uniform release by superintendent (all animals will remain in stalls Saturday night -no tie outs).
