Getting Ready for Fair

 It is time to get ready for the fair, load them up and head to the fair grounds.

The livestock barn symphony of the baaing, bleating, mooing, oinking and squawking.

Kids organizing their straw bales, bags of feed and grooming tools. 

It's kind of sad, because you know it's almost over and your animals, that you have worked with 

every day all summer will soon be gone.

Livestock is weighed in, bedded into their final home with fresh straw, water and feed. They are kept cool and comfortable so they don't stress (don't want them loosing weight).  They receive their best treatment the last week of their life.

 Wind bathing Sundi's pig, hummm? T.J. with his pig and Troy bathing Diesel, Wind's pig.

The animals had to look their very best and groomed in a way to show their best qualities for showmanship.

Pigs had to be kept separated from other pigs or they would fight, getting themselves all scratched up.

They would use large pieces of ply wood to place between the pigs, as long as they couldn't see each other they were alright. This was necessary when they were out of the pens getting them to the arena or wash area.

Pigs can be very loud when they start squealing.  It creates a lot of excitement.

 Amanda Panting, Sundi and Blue

I think Sundi enjoyed sheep better than the pig.  I thought the pigs were much easier and a cuter animal with lots of personality. The sheep had to be sheared and then bathed so they were nice and white. When I was in 4-H we had to snip their wool with clippers and sculpt them perfectly all by hand. A lot more work.

 A boy and his horse ready for showmanship.