Abstract:
The Hokie Harvest Sale is a public auction of university-owned horses and beef cattle and is the culmination of two undergraduate courses taught in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences at Virginia Tech: "Equine Behavior and Training" (APSC 2724) and "Livestock Merchandising" (APSC 3764/AT 0294). Students in "Equine Behavior and Training" are responsible for training, fitting, and presenting horses in the sale. Students in "Livestock Merchandising" organize, advertise, and conduct the sale along with halter-breaking and presenting beef cattle. Practical, authentic experiences in handling and training livestock and in conducting a public auction provide valuable opportunities for students to learn a variety of aspects of livestock merchandising while participating in an exciting, well-supported, and well-received event. Skills and knowledge attained from both classes have enabled students to conduct successful livestock sales on their farms or to obtain gainful employment in the livestock and equine industries and with various breed associations. Gross sales from the two separate auctions have exceeded one million dollars over the 11-year history of the sale and are channeled directly into the departmental beef cattle and equine programs, providing much needed financial support.
Keywords:
university livestock sale, teaching, program
 Download Article | [ ] | 411 kB |
