2024 4-H / FFA Livestock Sale 8AM | SAT AUG 10
What is the sale all about?
The 4-H and FFA livestock sale is where 4-H and FFA youth who are participating in market animal projects sell their project animal. The proceeds of each sale go to the individual 4-H and FFA members. Many of these young people put their sale earnings toward college, in addition to using the money to offset the costs of raising their animals and purchase a new market animal for the next year.
When you purchase a 4-H or FFA animal at the sale, you are getting a high-quality product. Market animals are raised individually in the best conditions and on the best feed available.
How does the sale work?
Pre-registration is highly encouraged.
On the day of the sale, the sale arena will open at 7:00 a.m. You sign up for the sale in the arena. You will be given a numbered card for bidding, and you will be asked where you want your purchase slaughtered and which butcher you want to process the meat. When you bid on all animals, except rabbits and poultry, you are bidding by the pound, live weight. For meat rabbits and poultry, you bid by the pen – which consists of three animals.
OK, I’m the high bidder now what?
You will be billed by the Sale Committee. The processing costs are separate from your purchase at the auction. Generally, your butcher will include the slaughter fee, in addition to a per pound cut/wrap fee, in their final bill to you for processing the meat. On Sunday after the sale, all the market animals are shipped to area processors, and the carcasses are graded that week as part of the 4-H and FFA market project. After this, the carcass is delivered to or picked up by your butcher for cutting and wrapping. You should contact your butcher in case they need to make arrangements to transport the meat to their facility.
Buyer’s Options
If you want the whole animal
You, as the buyer, are responsible for the costs of purchasing and processing your animal; and if you don’t want to be billed, you may pay for your purchase immediately after the sale.
If your freezer isn’t that big
If you want to share the meat, you can purchase meat as a group, where the costs are shared among several buyers. If you need someone to share in your purchase, contact Autumn Gilleard at 406-544-5300 or Autumn.Gilleard@wmfls.org.
You can resell your purchase
You may sign your purchase back to the 4-H and FFA committee for resale. All animals consigned to resale are available for purchase at the market price from the sale committee. Resale animals are processed with the other sale animals. You will be billed only for the difference between your bid and the market price. Market prices will be announced at the sale.
Tax deductible purchase
You may purchase an animal as a goodwill gift or as a donation to a charity.
Anonymous purchases
You may make your purchase anonymously.
Price Bumps
If you are not buying an animal, but are interested in helping, you may ‘bump’ an animal’s sale price by adding a fixed dollar amount to the sale price (for example, $25), or by adding money per pound to the sale price (for example $0.25 per pound). You can get more information on this option by contacting Autumn Gilleard at 406-544-5300 during fair week.
Want to buy, but can’t attend the sale?
A proxy buyer can help you. Contact Dale Clouse, 239-4971 for information and he will arrange bidding in your name. Or contact Autumn Gilleard at 406-544-5300 or Autumn.Gilleard@wmfls.org during fair week.
Redistribution of a purchase
If you plan to redistribute the meat to the public, please call Autumn Gilleard at 406-544-5300 or
Autumn.Gilleard@wmfls.org during fair week.
Processing Costs
Slaughter fee is $135 for beef, $100 for hog, $75 for lamb and goat. Cut and double wrap is $0.95/lb for beef and vacuum seal is $1.15/lb. Lamb and goat have a cut and wrap minimum. (Processor fees vary, these amounts are for general guidance in planning your purchase).
Sales committee members and other volunteers will be available to assist you with questions about the bidding process.