4-H members lead their calves at the bucket calf competition July 19 at the Hall County Fair, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Nineteen 4-H members participated in the bucket calf competition Friday, July 19, at the Hall County Fair.
The divisions for competition were youth ages 14-plus, youth ages 11-13, youth ages 8-10, and the Clover Kids division.
Caleb Durheim of Lincoln was the judge for the competition.
“It’s more about the kids. It’s kind of a gateway into larger livestock showing,” the former 4-H member said.
“It gives kids a chance to learn about agriculture in a fun way,” he said.
He has been a judge for two years. He grew up in Ohio, participating in 4-H and FFA. He will begin pursuing a master’s degree in applied science in the fall.
So what is a bucket calf? According to the 4-H publication “4-H Bucket Calf Project” from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Service, a bucket calf is usually “started on a bottle with a nipple (or a bucket and nipple) and eventually trained to drink from a bucket (therefore – bucket calf).”
According to the guide, a bucket calf is an orphan or newborn calf purchased when they are 1 to 10 days old. “Many times the calf comes off of an old cow, or a cow that may have problems that dictate that the farmer sells her. The calves may be male or female, beef or dairy.”
Results from the Hall County Bucket Calf Competition:
Bucket Calf, ages 14-plus: Kaitlyn Klein, purple, champion.
Bucket Calf, ages 11-13: Stella Gardner, champion; Drew Sullivan, reserve champion; Jacob Dibbern, Kendall Rennau, and Jason Strong, purple.
Bucket Calf, ages 8-10: Brooklyn Woitaszewski, champion; Rebekah Klein, reserve champion; Gavin Dibbern, Elliot Mettenbrink, Emersyn
Mettenbrink, Myles Rathman, Burke Rennau, Ashley Robb, purple.
Clover Kid Bucket Calf (no champion or ribbons awarded). Participants: Conner Benes, Crystal Dibbern, Samuel Klein, Hendrix Renau, Stetson Turek.
Judge Caleb Durheim of Lincoln talks to a 4-H member participating in the bucket calf competition at the Hall County Fair July 19, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
