Editor's note: The following story has been corrected from the version initially posted.
MONROE - The Green County Fair's 4-H and FFA meat auctions hauled in a total of $258,650 from both the fur and feather auction and the livestock auctions Saturday.
The fur and feather auctions set a new record with total sales at $23,175, about $5,000 above the previous record, according to Mark Mayer, Green County ag agent.
Rustin Alton sold his champion rabbit for $650, capping out the highest rabbit sale Saturday morning. There were few rabbits that went for less than $250. Total sales for rabbits came to $8,050.
Libby Beck sold her rabbit for $400. Beck, Albany, has been in 4-H for four years and this was her best price yet.
"I can't believe it," she said. Previous years Beck had sold rabbits for $200 or less.
Even the auctioneers got caught up in the excitement of the record-breaking rabbit sales. One auctioneer from Powers Auctioneering grabbed a rabbit and ran back and forth between two bidders.
Those raising turkeys also had success sales. Jacob Tollakson sold his pair of turkeys for $800 to Jerome Tollakson. The next closest was Anna Cleasby who sold her turkeys for $650 to Brodhead Piggly Wiggly. Turkey sales accounted for $6,175 this year.
Big sales didn't stop at small animals. Aspen Bader sold her hog for $10 per pound for a total of $2,520 to Tollakson Pioneer.
First-timer Bryce Grossen, 9, sold his pig for a total of $1,400 to M &D Truck and Equipment Sales. Mike Powers, the auctioneer, joked that Grossen couldn't expect to sell much because "that fella that can't weigh more than 45 pounds," referring to Grossen - not his 280-plus pound pig.
Beck also tried her hand at raising a pig this year and made out well at $1,008.75 to Ronald Briggs. The average price per pound for swine fell slightly from last year to $4.11 per pound compared to 2013's $4.22.
The average price for steers set a new record as well, running up to $2.39 per pound up 40 cents from last year.
Alexa Bader sold her grand champion steer for a total of $6,793 to Pioneer Tollakson. Her steer came in at 1,332 pounds. Trevor Moen raised the largest steer, weighing in at 1,500 pounds and selling for $3,150 to New Glarus FFA Alumni.
The average price for sheep declined from $6.31 the previous year to $5.01 this year. Kaitlyn Dunphy sold her champion lamb for $1,430 to Colony Brands. The next closest was Colin Novak who sold his 138-pound reserve champion lamb at $5.50 per pound to the Bank of New Glarus.
MONROE - The Green County Fair's 4-H and FFA meat auctions hauled in a total of $258,650 from both the fur and feather auction and the livestock auctions Saturday.
The fur and feather auctions set a new record with total sales at $23,175, about $5,000 above the previous record, according to Mark Mayer, Green County ag agent.
Rustin Alton sold his champion rabbit for $650, capping out the highest rabbit sale Saturday morning. There were few rabbits that went for less than $250. Total sales for rabbits came to $8,050.
Libby Beck sold her rabbit for $400. Beck, Albany, has been in 4-H for four years and this was her best price yet.
"I can't believe it," she said. Previous years Beck had sold rabbits for $200 or less.
Even the auctioneers got caught up in the excitement of the record-breaking rabbit sales. One auctioneer from Powers Auctioneering grabbed a rabbit and ran back and forth between two bidders.
Those raising turkeys also had success sales. Jacob Tollakson sold his pair of turkeys for $800 to Jerome Tollakson. The next closest was Anna Cleasby who sold her turkeys for $650 to Brodhead Piggly Wiggly. Turkey sales accounted for $6,175 this year.
Big sales didn't stop at small animals. Aspen Bader sold her hog for $10 per pound for a total of $2,520 to Tollakson Pioneer.
First-timer Bryce Grossen, 9, sold his pig for a total of $1,400 to M &D Truck and Equipment Sales. Mike Powers, the auctioneer, joked that Grossen couldn't expect to sell much because "that fella that can't weigh more than 45 pounds," referring to Grossen - not his 280-plus pound pig.
Beck also tried her hand at raising a pig this year and made out well at $1,008.75 to Ronald Briggs. The average price per pound for swine fell slightly from last year to $4.11 per pound compared to 2013's $4.22.
The average price for steers set a new record as well, running up to $2.39 per pound up 40 cents from last year.
Alexa Bader sold her grand champion steer for a total of $6,793 to Pioneer Tollakson. Her steer came in at 1,332 pounds. Trevor Moen raised the largest steer, weighing in at 1,500 pounds and selling for $3,150 to New Glarus FFA Alumni.
The average price for sheep declined from $6.31 the previous year to $5.01 this year. Kaitlyn Dunphy sold her champion lamb for $1,430 to Colony Brands. The next closest was Colin Novak who sold his 138-pound reserve champion lamb at $5.50 per pound to the Bank of New Glarus.