Stock show set this weekend
By Sam Waller
The 2025 Shackelford County Livestock Show is set for Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 16-18, at the county show barn.
Annually the largest single extracurricular activity in the County, this year’s show has 132 students from Albany and Moran FFA chapters as well as Shackelford County 4-H entering approximately 225 animal projects. Each student will be allowed to sell one project in the premium sale, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
The premium sale will see changes to the bidding process, accounting for one of the most significant changes to the event’s structure. Bids for rabbits and poultry will now be made in $5 increments, up from $3 increments last year. Bids will be in $10 increments for sheep, goats and swine, and $15 increments for steers.
“We did that as a trial to see if it might not speed things along,” Shackelford Youth and Livestock Association president Bronco Askew said. “We’re not married to it, but that $3 deal was kind of a pain.”
Askew said the increments should make the math easier while keeping track of bids.
“Molly Cauble does that on a 10-key and keeps up with the tally” he said.
Several other scribes also write down bids and all the totals are checked later.
Which is a far cry from the past, when the task was done with pencil and paper.
“Calvin Bradford used to do it that way and was able to keep up with it,” Askew said. “A lot of people didn’t realize the ability he had to have for that. Someone would ask where we were sitting at and, he’d have the figure.”
Askew said it’s a vast difference from the days when bids were based on an animal’s weight.
“Way back there, if you had a hog that weighed 242 pounds, you had to bid $2.42 at a time,” he said.
Askew said he would not be surprised if the new format results in fewer total bids, but he added that the larger increments may bring total prices similar to if not in excess of last year.
“We won’t know until we try,” he said. “(The Association board) discussed it once or twice and came up with a motion that passed, so we’re going to try.”
Animals that are going through the premium sale must stay on the grounds until they sell. Animals that are not going through the Premium Sale will be released immediately after their show is complete. Swine, sheep and goats that are leaving must be out of the barn by 4:00 p.m. Friday. All floor animals must stay in the barn until they are secured by the floor buyer.
Show Schedule
Activities begin at 4:00 p.m. Thursday (today) with weigh-in for goats, lambs and swine. Weigh-ins will continue until 6:00 p.m.
Exhibition and judging of animals begins at 8:00 a.m. Friday with swine (gilts, then barrows), followed by goats and lambs. Following the selection of grand and reserve champions for each species, the showmanship winners will be decided for junior and senior age groups.
Check-in for commercial steers will be held 11:00 to noon Friday at Mike Parsons’ pens at the Fandangle entrance. Judging will begin following the conclusion of the lamb show.
On Saturday, weigh-in for cattle will be held 6:00-7:00 a.m. with weigh-in for rabbits and chickens scheduled for 7:30-8:30 a.m. Cattle must stay in the barn after being weighed. Rabbits and chickens need to be in carrying cages.
The cattle show starts at 8:00 a.m., followed by by rabbits, then poultry. Following each portion of the show, junior and senior showmanship will be determined foe each species.
The Pee-Wee showmanship contest, presentation of junior and senior showmanship buckles and senior recognition will be held following the poultry judging before the start of the premium sale.
Weather Issues
A cold front expected to drop temperatures into the teens is forecast for Sunday, but Askew expects to be able to finish before weather becomes a factor. Friday’s high is expected to reach 70 degrees with Saturday’s near 50.
“We’ve insulated the steer barn and done some work on some doors where we can close it in,” Askew said. “Hopefully, our water problem won’t be as great, but it could still freeze.”
Albany FFA advisor Chris Beard cautions exhibitors to ensure animals are cared for in cold weather. Animals will need lights, hay, shavings, feed, and fresh water. Should water lines freeze, exhibitors should haul water several times per day to ensure animals have ready access to sufficient water.
Photos
Exhibitors’ photos will be taken 10:00 a.m. to noon and 2:00-3:00 p.m. Friday, then 9:00 a.m.to noon Saturday.
Exhibitors should bring their animals to the photo area next to the cattle enclosure.
The Albany News will need to take photos of the overall grand and reserve champions for each species — hogs, sheep, goats, cattle, rabbits and chickens.
Veterinary Services
Salt Creek Vet Clinic will provide health papers on Friday for animals entered in major shows. For gilts, papers are a requirement, and the gilts must be bled for all major shows. Health papers are mandatory for all species entered at Fort Worth.
Parents and students must be present when bleeding a gilt or preparing papers.
A gilt combo, which includes lepto vaccine, brucellosis test and pseudorabies test, costs $25. Health papers for swine are $5 per show. Papers for cattle, sheep and goats are $10 per show.
For more information, contact Salt Creek Vet Clinic at 325-762-6090.
Raffle Prizes
The Association is once again augmenting its fundraising efforts by holding raffles for a processed hog and a 12-gauge shotgun.
Tickets for the shotgun are $5 for one or $20 for five.
Tickets for the processed hog, which is being donated by Coleman Co. Processing, are $1 each or six for $5.
