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4A Daily News – Tuesday, October 1, 2013 Hundreds of animals sold at livestock auction By ANDRE BYIK DN Staff Writer After weeks and months of work raising livestock, area youth descended on the Tehama District Fair on Saturday to cash in on their labor. Hundreds of animals were showcased, one by one, by members of the National FFA Organization and 4-H at a full auction house in Don Smith Pavilion at the annual Junior Livestock Auction. Area business owners, representatives and youth supporters bid upwards of $10 per pound for hogs and steer, eliciting cheers from the group of bidders that was often thanked by the fast-talking and tongue-twisting auctioneer. "Thank you for your great support," he would say, as the lamb, chickens, rabbits and cattle were auctioned off. FFA and 4-H programs aim to aid in youth development by instilling such values as responsibility and achieving set goals. Vicente Alvarado, a Daily News photo by Andre Byik Hundreds descended on the Don Smith Pavilion on Saturday for the annual Junior Livestock Auction at the Tehama District Fair. 17-year-old Corning Union High School stu- dent, was participating in his his sixth Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday. For the auction Alvarado brought a 1,165 pound steer, and it sold for $3.75 per pound, he said. The steer was a little smaller than what's typically seen at the fair. For Alvarado, a member of Corning FFA, the auction was a culmination of six months of work raising a steer. In the beginning, he said, he would spend three to four hours per day working with his animal, and log about 28 hours per week. "Before that I was kind of realizing, 'What was I doing with my free time?," he said. "Once I got the steer I was like, 'Hey, you know I'm always keeping busy.'" Alvarado said showing at the fair is a sort of collaborative experience as well. The youth get to exchange ideas and offer critiques of animals. "You can talk to them about other stuff that you can't with your usual friends at school," Alvarado said. "You can ask them, 'What's wrong with my steer?'" The auction, an hours-long event sponsored by the Tehama District Jr. Livestock Committee, put on display the care and work ethic many youth in the county possess. "You gotta really actually care about it," said Alvarado, who added that the responsibility of raising an animal, coupled with his school work and job, has made him more productive. And he does have some advice for prospective ranchers: choose wisely when picking an animal to raise. "A lot of people do chickens, and they hate the chickens," Alvarado said. "The only reason they like them is just because they only have to keep them a month." Reynolds Ranch & Farm Supply 501 MADISON ST. (530) 527-1622 Thank You Tehama County 4-H & FFA for your business Show Feed • Hay Straw • Show Supplies 4-H Scarves & Hats