Livestock sale helps offset cost of raising animals

Local buyers had a chance to pick up extra heifers for the dairies or a hog for the freezer on Friday at the Roosevelt County Fair Junior Livestock Sale.

FFA and 4-H members showed off their prize-winning animals for the sale.

Some of the children who participate in the sale are not bothered by selling an animal they cared for.

Cody Whitecotton, 17, of Elida has been selling his animals at the fair since he was 7 years old.

“It is not that hard to raise them,” Whitecotton said.

Whitecotton said sometimes the buyers give the animals back, but he had yet to talk to the man who bought his goat.

Buyer Joe Van Ruiten of Clovis purchased his granddaughter Madison Belcher’s Reserve Champion rabbits for $3,500.

“Well, if it helps the children after raising all the animals, it gives them an opportunity to do it again,” Ruiten said. “They need help from somewhere; it costs a lot of money.”

New Mexico FFA State President Ryan Best of Elida sold his steer for $3,000.

“I’ve had that steer since October,” Best said. “It has been 10 months of hard work putting him in the cooler every day, so he would have some hair we can work with once we get to the show.”

The money from his steer will go to help with feed costs and college tuition, Best said. He is enrolled at New Mexico State University.

“They have been good to us each year that we have sold here,” Best said. “So I imagine as far as the animals add up, (the sale price) is about the same.”

The monetary totals from the sale were not available at press time.