A22-Lancaster Farming. Friday, January 9, 1998
‘Pig Herder’ Dog Helps Prepare Beams For Farm Show
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
EL VERSON (Chester Co.)
Max can be unruly sometimes. If
you drop your pocketbook, he’ll
retrieve it and, most likely, run
away.
Max can be unpredictable. The
9-month-old Labrador Retriever is
the infamous “pig herder” on the
swine farm owned by Bill and
Robin Beam, Elverson. The yel
low Lab can keep the Farm Show
hogs in line while they’re walked,
or he,can simply get in their face
and make them bolt every-which
way.
Max can be downright cunning.
“If we’d go duck hunting, he’d eat
the ducks,” said Bill’s 12-year-old
son, Matthew, who watches as the
infamous “pig herder” works on
the two York crossbreds being
walked in preparation for Farm
Show.
Max has enemies, too. He can’t
stand cats, said Matthew’s brother,
Shawn, 9. “He’ll go after them,
and they’ll scratch back,” he said.
But Max is a lot of fun and great
help to the Beam family.
He’ll split the hogs on their walk
in the middle. Max is “trying to
think he’s helping,” said Bill
Beam. “He thinks he’s helping.
He’s just that way.”
Have we forgotten something?
Oh, they took Max fishing one day
and be nabbed a bluegill.
“I don’t know what it is about
Max.” said Bill. “Call it talent, but
it’s something.”
Although the yellow Lab is “still
a puppy, he’s just a big puppy,”
Bill said, the family has taken him
into their own. Even Dylan, at 3
years old and the youngest of the
brothers, tries to play with him.
“But Max just tackles him.” said
Matthew. “Max is just too big.”
Max stays with Matthew and
Shawn Beam, both of whom plan
to make great strides at their first
Farm Show.
Matthew, 12, is in the sixth
grade at Conestoga Christian
School in Morgantown. Brother
Shawn. 9, is in the third grade at
the school.
Their father. Bill, noted that
Matthew placed at the annual
Southeast 4-H Market Hog Derby
held at the Lebanon Fairgrounds
last summer. In August, both boys
participated at die Chester County
4-H Roundup and Sale.
Bill noted that the “Lancaster
and Lebanon guys offer lough
competition,” he said, so it will
Shtwn Beam, right, halps his brothsr Matthsw load tha hog saH-laadar.
take some time for his sons to leant
how to show. Matthew and Shawn
both do a lot of work on the farm,
helping with feeding, bedding, and
caring for the hogs.
Matthew helps feed the 40 head
of beef cattle in the barn.
The farm is also home to some
show hogs by Kirk Ewing. Owen J.
Roberts FFA member. Ewing
works on the farm cleaning pens,
bedding, and feeding.
Matthew and Shawn Beam are
taking two York/Hampshire
crossbred hogs, with genetics
obtained by their cousin Nelson
Beam, Elverson, and uncle Brian
Beam of Lebanon to the Farm
Show.
Before that, however, the Ches
ter County 4-H Swine Club mem
ben are getting a lot of work out of
Max.
Their dog helps herd the hogs “if
the weather is decent,” according
to Bill Beam.
They watch for good weather
because one day it was icy. They
took out some hogs for a show, and
one hog got hurt when it slipped,
pulling a muscle. Each day. weath
er permitting, the hogs are walked
about a mile down die long, paved
path to the farm.
They also walk them on the
weekends “so they don’t get fitt,”
said Matthew.
Both don’t have names for their
hogs. They are simply referred to
by a computer inventory tag num
ber. “I think mine is number 196 or
194 or something,” said Matthew.
They don’t name them simply
because, even though the boys
sometimes get attached emotional
ly to their hogs, “they don’t get real
attached,” said Bill Beam.
The hog show is scheduled in
the Small Arena of the Farm Show
Complex on Tuesday, Jan. 13,
beginning at 8:30 a.m. Judge for
the show is Dr. Lauren L. Christ
ian, Ames, lowa. Arrival time for
pigs is Sunday, Jan. 11 between 4
p.m. and the next day, 10 a.m„
Monday. Jan. 12. Market swine
will be weighed in beginning at
8:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 12.
Bill noted that, with some of the
almost a dozen hogs kept for show
in the pen. some are the result of AI
work being done by Brian Beam,
his brother.
Matthew works on feeding and
bedding the hogs. He also helps
with the beef cattle, moving them
to different pastures in the
summertime.
Matthew, while he enjoys swine
Matthew Beam, front, works on feeding and bedding the hogs. He also helps with
the beef cattle, moving them to different pastures In the summertime. Shawn, In back,
helps his brother with bedding.
projects, wants to raise cattle for
allowing someday. “You can make
a lot of money with them,” he said.
Shawn helps load the hog self
feeder. Both help with bedding the
hog pens.
Bill cares for about 1,100 acres
of land near the 135-acre home
farm in Elverson. Titus Beam,
Bill’s father, has been a long-time
4-H leader.
Bill used to maintain a swine
finishing house, but opted out of
the operation years ago because of
the unpredictable prices.
Now, he cares for about 40 head
of finishing bcc£ taking 2S cows to
a grazing system that encompasses
about 35 acres on the farm.
Bill remembers what it was like
to show at the county fain.
He took out i newspaper clip- .
ping from Sept 6,1972 —he was
12 yean old, the same age as his
son, Matthew.
The clipping was from The Her
ald of Honey Brook. He was show
ing hogs at the Chester-Ddaware
County 4-H Hog Show at the Vin
tage Sales Bam. Bill was pictured
with Doug Beam, his brother, 11 By the way—Max. the Beam’s
yean old at the time. In the photo, all-purpose dog, wasn’t in the
standing with them was David Picture.
Kantner, Bucks County assistant But if y™ Matthew and
agmf Shawn, he’d sure like to be.
“P*o twtter" in a contamplatlva momant.
Max, tha 9-month-oM Labrador Retriever, can bo unpra
dlctablo. Ho’a tha Infamous “pig harder” on ttia awtna farm
owned by Bill and Robin Beam, Elvarson. The yellow Lab
can kaap tha Farm Show hoga In Una while they're waking,
or ha can abnply gat in their face and make them boN
avarywhlchway.