By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — Last weekend’s Cattaraugus County 4-H Market Animal Sale broke records again this year.
The 130 4-H youth who participated in this year’s auction on the closing day of the 183rd Cattaraugus County Fair sold 175 animals from beef steers to bunnies, and hogs to chickens and turkeys.
The sale brought sellers a total of $322,661, nearly $50,000 more than the 2024 auction total of $275,440 for 157 animals.
Eric Clayson, vice president of the Cattaraugus County Agricultural Society in charge of the livestock and market sale said Saturday he was very impressed at the sale prices for beef cattle.
“Some of the steers brought $10 a pound,” Clayson said. “And that wasn’t even a grand champion.”
The Bontrager Real Estate and Auction Group of Batavia handled the auction. The online auction that was begun during the COVID-19 pa ndemic has been replaced by all in-person bidding.
Todd Jantzi and his son Todd were the auctioneers, teasing every last dollar from bidders to reward the youths who had taken so much time growing and showing their animals.
Toff Jantzi said, “It’s up to the kids to talk to potential bidders and get them to the auction. Fair and 4-H leadership also play a big part in a successful auction, he added.
When the bidding moved over to the small animal judging ring, bidders stepped up again.
Two of the first bidders rounded up their winning bids to $1,000 each. Another winning bidder donated the animal back to be auctioned off again.
The auction results were:
- 29 beef cattle brought in $159,073, for an average of $5,302.
- Nine dairy steers brought in $33,704, for an average of $3,370.
- Three dairy coolers stuffed with more than $250 worth of dairy products each brought in $2,375, for an average of $791.
- Nine pies were sold at auction for a total of $2,480.
- Nine goats brought in $5,700, for an average of $577.
- 22 lambs brought in $13,370, for an average of $607.
- 28 broiler pairs (chickens) brought in $10,110, for an average of $361.
- 13 turkeys brought in $7,025, for an average of $540.
- Three pens of rabbits brought in $1,100, for an average of $366.
- 59 hogs brought in $80,589, for an average of $1,365.
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