Swine
Management yaa|
News' 4H|
lWMLm**
Dr. Richard Barczewski
Extension County
Agricultural Agent
University Of Delaware
Altered Champions
Cheat Everyone
Recently I read a newspaper
article and an editorial about a 4-H
livestock exhibitor who altered an
animal that eventually won grand
champion at a state fair. Why does
this incident spark such
controversy?
Over the years I’ve heard of
instances in which animals were
altered to gain an advantage in the
show ring. Why? Champions
bring big money at an auction. If
altering a project animal enables a
youngster to capture the champ
ionship, what’s the harm?
farmers Accredit
CORP. |pB|
9 EAST MAIN STREET, LITITZ, PA ILgll
717-626-4721
4-H and, for that matter, all
junior livestock shows should be
the epitome of fair play. The only
advantage anyone should have
over another entrant should be the
direct result of how much time the
exhibitor spends training, feeding,
and exercising the project animal.
I know of cases in which ani
mals have been altered surgically
to give them the advantage in a
junior show. One animal actually
was subjected to a surgical proce
dure to remove excess fatty tissue
from the neck and shoulder reg
ions of the body, resulting in a
cleaner front for the animal. What
the junior exhibitor learned is that
it’s OK to do anything and every
thing to win.
Given current animal rights
the industry can’t afford to have
happen. Anyone who stoops to
such low levels of show-ring eth
ics ,is saying that the animal
doesn’t matter. Winning matters.
Is this what we want to teach our
junior exhibitors?
Another incident I’m aware of
was the dyeing of a white steer’s
haircoat to make it appear black.
The exhibitor knew that the judge
was partial to black steers and felt
the only chance to win was to dye
the steer black. It worked, too. But
once again the wrong message
was sent to junior exhibitors; All’s
fair if it results in a win.
These altered champions are
not limited to cattle. Some of the
more blatant abuses of show-ring
ethics involve swine, sheep, and
cattle. This is confirmed by the
apparent influx of crossbred ani
mals in purebred classes. It hap
pens that many of the animals
exhibited as registered purebreds
come from mixed ancestry. I can’t
tell you how many spotted white
breed hogs I’ve seen in the past
several years, or how many erect
eared breeds with floppy ears.
Off-color and off-types are so pre
valent that it’s almost impossible
to determine which animals are
purebred.
The situation is so bad that an
honest breeder is hard-pressed to
LAND PRIDE
Reseeding, Interseeding, and Overseeding With
Accuracy And Durability... Only From Land Pride
equipment from Land Pride
GROOMING MOWER
PENNSYLVANIA
Streley Farm Supply, Inc.
1760 East Canal Road
Dover, PA 17315
717*292*2631
Batts Equipment
3 Miles S of Hope on 232
Rt 232, RD 3. Box 76
New Hope, PA 18938-9303
215-598-7501
Kaller Brothers
R 7 Box 405
Lebanon, PA 17042
717*949-6501
1950 Fruitvllle Pike
Lancaster, PA
717*569-2345
Marshall Machinery, Inc.
Rt 654
Honesdala, PA 16431
717*729-7117
Wm Hobansack’s A Sons
1060 Greeley Avenue
Ivyland. PA 18974
215*675*1510
ROTARY TILLER
Pikavllla Equipment Inc.
RD 2, Oysterdalo Road
Oley. PA 19547
215*967*6277
Tractor Parts Co.
335 Central Road
Bloormburg, PA 17615
717-764*0250
Swalgard Bros., Inc.
RD #3, Box 13
Halifax. PA 17032
717*896*3414
Stouffar Bros. Inc.
1066 Lincoln Way West
Chambarsburg. PA 17201
717*263-8424
Sloltxfus Farm Service
Cochran vile, PA
717*693*2407
Triple H Equipment
2366 Robert Fulton Hwy
Peach Bottom, PA 17563
717*546*3775
M.S.Yearsley 8 Suns
West Chester. PA
215*696*2990
In fact, I heard a leader of one of
the breed associations in the sheep
industry say they knew cross
breeding was going on and that
they accepted this as a way of
breed improvement! Needless to
say, this has come back to haunt
that particular breed; the result has
been the incorporation of bad
genes and a watering-down of
positive traits.
I know of a few purebred swine
breeders who make it a habit to
inbreed some of their newer boars
to see if any off-types show up!
These breeders are trying to assure
their buyers that no genetic sur
prises will show up in the next
generation.
As an industry, where are we
HYDRAULIC RETRACTABLE BOX SCRAPER
Finch Sorvicea-Hanover Inc.
SIS Frederick St
Hanover, PA
717-632-2345
Norman D. Clerk ft Son, tnc.
Honey Grove. PA
717-734-3682
Loyavllle, PA
717-789-3117
Nlcatry Equipment Co.
RD 2. Rt. 61. 3 Mile* S. of Leetport
Reading. PA
215-926-2441
I.CL Salee ft Service
Box 200. Silverdale, PA 18962
215-257-6135
[new JERSEY I
Omn Supply Co.
East Avonuo & Broad SI
Wood.town, N J 08090
600-7*9-030*
exhibitors that cheating is OK? Do
registration papers mean anything
anymore? How can we encourage
honesty at the junior level if it is
not fundamental to the adult level
of competition?
Most cattle, sheep, and swine
exhibitors are honest and ethical,
and it’s up to us to make sure we
are sending the right message to
our youth. As an industry, we can
not and will not tolerate cheaters.
No championship is worth giving
up self-respect.
People who bend the rules ulti
mately lose out. Fair play has been
and always will be the primary
objective of junior livestock prog
rams. It has to be.
|j^
Adjustable tickler
tines help promote
soil to seed contact
A smooth steel roller
or solid cast iron
packer wheels firmly
pack the seed for
proper germination
For a high output,
user accessible
see the Land Pnde Solid
id Pnde dealer
REAR BLADE
Warren County Sorvioo Cantor
228 Roula 84
Columbia. N J 07832
201-3*2*8918
Radio fraetor Sal**
North Whit* Horn Plk*
Hammonton, N.J 08037
608-581-0141
Frank Rymon 8 Son., Inc.
RD 3, Box 355
Washington, N J 07882
201-688-1484
fronton Ford Now Holland
2836 Brunowlck Pko
fronton, NJ. 08648
608-883-7360
PULVERIZER
Caldwell fraetor 8
Equlpm.nl, Inc.
480 U.S. Rout* 46
FalrtWd, N.J. 07006
201-227-6772
Rood Brothar*
Petticoat Bridge Rd.
Columbus. NJ. 06022
609-267-3363