PULLMAN, Wash. — Chuck Muhlbeier, Eltopia, exhibited the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion barrows at the 1998 Washington Barrow Futurity at Washington State University, Feb. 5-6.
Jesse Keck, Clinton, exhibited the third and fourth place barrows, followed by Ron Marshall, Oak Harbor, with the fifth; Sandy Beard, Snohomish, the sixth; Rick Lint, Kennewick; the seventh; and Darryl Bayes, Duvall; eighth.
The object of the barrow futurity is to identify market barrows that excel in growth rate and carcass merit. Production records and carcass data are analyzed to identify superior genetics and good swine management, according to Jan Busboom, WSU Cooperative Extension meats specialist.
“The pigs exhibited this year were the fastest growing and leanest in the 12-year history of the show,” Busboom said. “The 1998 Grand Champion barrow gained .867 pounds of lean per day. While not a show record, that rate of lean gain was out-standing.”
Twenty-two barrows from 12 producers were entered in the live competition at the WSU Livestock Pavilion on Jan. 31. The animals were slaughtered at the University of Idaho Meats Laboratory on Feb. 3 and 4 for carcass evaluation.
The event was sponsored by the Washington Pork Producers, WSU Cooperative Extension, the WSU department of animal sciences, and Pfizer Animal Health and Lean Value Sires.
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