KEARNEY – The District 6 Livestock & Poultry Evaluation Career Development Events were held on February 24th in Kearney at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Fourteen students from the Holdrege Ag Education Program participated in these contests. The major contest that students competed in was the Livestock Evaluation Contest. Students evaluated and placed classes of breeding and market cattle, sheep, hogs, and goats based on sound production practices for breeding and market animal purposes. Contestants also had to answer questions on three of the classes about traits that were exhibited in several of the animals. Students had to organize and present a set of oral reasons to judges based on how they ranked the classes. Lastly, students completed a general knowledge test on production and breeding terminology, current events and management data.
Junior division contestants that were in the top half of the contest that saw one hundred forty competitors included: Cheyenne Tidyman (25th), Charli Wells (38th), and Zach Sudquist (62nd). Other competitors included: Jaren Moore, Beau Jensen, Emily Helwick, Leah Matson, and Corey Hanson.
In the Senior Division contest, there were eighty-eight competitors with Duster FFA Members Damian Smith and Jeremiah Johnson competing. Damian placed 41st and Jeremiah was 62nd overall. The Poultry Evaluation team of Sabyn Petit, Cassie Fulmer, Grace Borden and Sheree Russell placed 6th overall. The team was tested on their ability to quality grade eggs, a live bird evaluation and reasons, Meat cut identification and a written test on poultry industry trends and management terminology.
