By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

Purina Mills representatives, standing from left, Gretchen Richards, show feed and equine specialist, Yvette Connely, account manager, and Dr. Kevin Burgoon, technical nutritionist, share a laugh before leading a animal nutrition seminar last week in Home Hardware and Variety. Photo by Mike Donahue.

Raising and preparing animals to compete and win in the Clark County Fair Livestock Show ring is a difficult process that involves several considerations including breeding, feeding and management.

More often than not, providing an animal with the proper nutrition at the proper time is frequently the key that helps young competitors take home the blue ribbon, according to Dr. Kevin Burgoon, a technical nutritionist with Purina Mills.

Burgoon and Gretchen Richards, Purina show feed and equine specialist, last week conducted three seminars in the feed store at Home Hardware and Variety for more than 50 4-H kids and their parents. They were joined by Yvette Connely, a Purina account manager.

The Purina representatives said their objective in conducting the seminars was to teach attendees the importance of nutrition when raising lambs, piglets and calves for the show ring.

During each hour-long presentation — one each for pigs, sheep and cattle — kids learned how proper nutrition can affect the growth and look of a show animal.

“Nutritionally speaking, there is little difference between the needs of a commercial and a show animal,” Richards told seminar attendees. “Everything you do (for your animal) should be geared toward preparing it for the show.”

“Nutrition unlocks the genetic potential of your project,” Burgoon explained. “A great feed will only do so much for poor genetic potential. A poor quality feed, however, can ruin great genetics.”

Burgoon said it’s important that kids understand sound management and nutritional practices, and getting an idea of an animal looks like at its best.

Richards told seminar participants that while it’s important to do well in the show ring, their ultimate goal should be to learn how to be a good livestock producer in general.

Randy Tobler, Home Hardware owner, said the store hosted the seminars to help educate kids, parents and others on what products are available for their animals, as well as give them an opportunity to discuss the health of their animals and ask questions of the experts about any problems they may be having.

“Our ultimate goal is to help these 4-H and FFA kids grow the best possible show animals they can,” Tobler said. “We’ve chosen Purina because we believe it’s the best. We’ve had a lot of success with it and seen the results on animals.

“Of course if people believe they can do better with another brand of feed, we’re always happy to get it for them. We can get just about any other feed including IFA, Nutritional Grow and Integrity.”

Burgoon explained that the workshops, clinics and seminars he conducts are always geared toward what’s best for the kids and their animals.

“We strive to provide our customers and potential customers with a better skill-set (to take care of their animals),” Burgoon said. “We’re teaching them how to raise better and healthier animals.”

In keeping with the animal theme of the seminars, Lin’s Marketplace bakery provided a great selection of cupcakes and steer-, lamb- and pig-shaped cookies that were handed out by feed store employee Linda Ruby.