Sale prices topped $5 per pound at the 4-H market hog show and sale in Pincher Creek, Alta., on June 1.
Show organizer Jeff Hammond said the sale average was about $4, but exact figures weren’t yet available.
“It was a most excellent show,” said Hammond. Two clubs participated, with 10 in the Chinook 4-H Multi Club and 11 in the Rocky Mountain Swine 4-H Club.
Swine shows have become less common in recent years but Hammond said that shouldn’t be the case.
“Some people think pigs smell,” he said. “I think that’s most of it.”
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However, it is fairly easy to accommodate a 4-H swine project on the farm because the animals require less space, feed and time than 4-H steer or heifer projects.
The 90-day feeding period for a market hog project is also less onerous than cattle projects, he added, and pigs are easier for younger people to handle.
“There’s aren’t too many stories of kids getting drug around the pen by their pig.”
Hammond said the clubs encourage membership in multi and swine clubs, with some success.
“We’ve been pushing this swine membership growth for the last three years and we’ve got a few new members every year.”
