Parent Quick Tips

The Shelby County Junior Fair Livestock Sale, administered by the Livestock Sale Committee, is held Friday and Saturday of the fair. Species selling switch days and rotate order annually (i.e. 2018 – rabbits sell Saturday followed by swine, 2019 – swine sell Friday followed by rabbits).
The Grand and Reserve Champion Steers/Market Heifers, Market Hogs, Market Lambs, Market Goats and Meat Pens of Rabbits, Chickens and Turkeys must sell. Exhibitors of other animals of these species will have the option of selling.
Specific rules regarding the Livestock Sale and information on Sale Committee membership can be found in the Junior Fair White Pages. Below is a list of quick facts that have been compiled to help educate exhibitors and families on sale processes.

• All market species will have the choice to
  (1) sell animals through Junior Fair Sale ring,
  (2) block sell animals (sold at market price) or
  (3) take the animal home. This decision MUST be made at weigh in.
  In the event that an exhibitor should receive Grand Champion or Reserve Champion of a market specie, then the exhibitor may change their project designation.

• Exhibitors are encouraged to solicit bids for their animal in advance of the fair by writing letters or personally visiting local businesses or organizations (especially those the family does business with).

• If an exhibitor establishes a relationship with a business or organization who has never purchased animals at the Shelby County Junior Fair, they should email the Sale Committee (see below) and provide the buyer’s name and address. The Sale Committee will then send the buyer a packet that orients the buyer to the process.

• Unless a buyer has specifically asked an exhibitor to talk to them at fair and/or the sale, do not approach them to solicit bids during these times.

• Per Junior Fair Rules and Regulations, exhibitors and their family members are barred from soliciting buyers in the arena while the sale is in progress.

• Multiple buyer sheets are for buyers’ use ONLY. They are designed for when buyers wish to partner in purchasing an animal, NOT for exhibitors and families to use to solicit bids.

• Occasionally, families will collect a list of buyers prior to the fair that they already know want to partner to purchase their exhibitor(s) animal(s). In these cases, the Sale Committee will give them the form to fill out and immediately submit back to them.   

• If a buyer wishes to add-on money to the price of an animal the day of the sale, they may do so at the sale office. However, their name will not be announced in the sale ring.

• Sale checks are distributed the first Wednesday in October at the fairgrounds on Consignor’s Night. A list of buyers will be attached to the exhibitor’s check so that exhibitors can thank ALL of them if they have not already. If a family needs to know their exhibitor’s buyers before Consignor’s Night, they are asked to write them down the day of the sale while the exhibitor is in the ring.

• DO NOT come to the sale office to ask who bought an animal. It creates inefficiencies in the sale process.

• DO NOT approach the auctioneer’s stand. It is a distraction to everyone.

• Ultimately, the Livestock Sale is an auction. The Sale Committee has no control over how much or how little an exhibitor’s animal goes for. In most cases, it is a result of how much soliciting the exhibitor did prior to the fair and/or what buyers the family is connected to. While it is desirable to see all exhibitor’s aptly rewarded for their efforts, no control exists on how much animals sell for.
  

Any further questions regarding the sale should be directed to: shelbycojrfairsale@gmail.com