Livestock Auction Day at Ramona Junior Fair
By Maureen Robertson
Max Woroniecki had a good day. He sold both of his pigs at the Ramona Junior Fair Saturday afternoon, one in the auction ring and one in the barn.
It’s Max’s first year in 4-H and he’s enjoying it, though he admits at times it can be difficult.
“It being my first year, sometimes it was difficult — training them how to go and listen to you and pay attention,” said Max, 9-year-old member of the Ramona Paisanos 4-H group. “The fun part was helping them, feeding them and petting them and having a good time with them.”
Next year he’ll work with one pig, he said. “I will see how much easier or difficult it is. My personal thought is it might be a little easier...The first year is a little difficult with two pigs.”
Max seemed pleased with the prices he received for his pigs. One was sold in the auction ring and one was a barn sale. One of the rules of the junior fair is that each participant can sell only one market animal in the auction ring, where an auctioneer encourages bids. If the youngster brings a second market animal, it’s sold from the pen in what is called a barn sale. An exception is animals designated champion.
Max received $4.25 per pound from Jim and Marti Hickle of Ramona for “Joey,” the 267-pound swine Max brought into the auction ring.
“I gave them flowers, and I also shook their hand and said thank you,” said Max.
Later Saturday afternoon, Art Tobiason purchased “Sally,” Max’s 272-pound pig, for $3 per pound.
Max said he may give his mother and father some of the money he received for the animals, and he may take James and Tanya Tobiason — Art’s son and granddaughter — to dinner for all the help they gave him before and during the fair.
The Ramona Elementary School student said he decided to join 4-H “because I want to learn how to take care of animals, how they live, about bidding and stuff like that.”
He’d recommend it for others, but has a word of advice for newcomers: “You really need to get to know the pigs before you start training them.”
Swine, rabbits, goats, chickens, sheep, veal and beef are being auctioned Saturday at the Ramona Junior Fairgrounds, 431 Aqua Lane.
The junior fair, which started on July 30 with the dog, rabbit and cavy shows, will end Sunday with large animal round robin at 9 a.m., small animal round robin at 1 p.m. and the awards and closing ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
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