Pig Squeal teaches management to 4-H participants

By Kadin Pounders for the FCT

On Jan. 3, Franklin County 4-H Pig Squeal participants picked up two feeder pigs from the Colbert County Courthouse parking lot in Tuscumbia.

The pigs were approximately 60 days old and approximately 50 pounds. The 4-H participants cared for them for 120 days.

The 4-H Pig Squeal Project teaches 4-H’ers recommended management practices for growing and raising swine, including developing swine management skills, learning to produce healthy pigs, developing awareness of business management, developing record-keeping skills and realizing the pride of an accomplishment.

In the Senior Level I category, Baylee Gonzalez of Belgreen High School took home fourth place.

In the Junior Level category, Blake Nix from Red Bay Elementary School was named Grand Champion, and Lane Nunley, also from Red Bay Elementary, was named Reserved Grand Champion.

Nix and Nunley are friends and said the friendly competition made the event even more enjoyable.

“(Blake and I) would always get together and talk about it,” said Nunley. “We would talk about how big our pigs were getting and what other people were saying about them.”

To prepare the animals for the show and auction, 4-H’ers put forth a lot of commitment, diligence and determination.

“It gave him a lot of responsibility,” said Terry Nix, Blake’s father. “He had to get up early and take care of (the pig) and feed it and take care of it after school. It was work, but he had fun.”

In order for participants to raise champion hogs they had to do the following:  Provide an adequate facility, develop a sound nutrition program, develop a health care program, maintain detailed records on all stages of production, learn how to show the animal, develop showmanship skills and understand hog marketing.

“Pigs can be mean, and sometimes it’s a lot of hard work, but I had fun,” said Nix. “I plan on being in 4-H again next year. Hopefully I’ll get to do it again.”