‘Girl on Fire’ Sells Pig for $111,000 in Parker County Livestock Auction

Jun 12, 2023

Summer Hardin burst into tears when lot number 22 brought in a shocking $111,000 on Saturday night at the Parker County Stock Show Sale of Champions.

Although one could say the Champion Berkshire Market Hog at the Parker County Stock Show was a great one, the money raised wasn’t about the pig. The money raised was to honor a young woman who wasn’t able to show that pig this year because she’s fighting a battle that no one saw coming.

A group of friends pulled together to buy 16-year-old Paizlee Hardin’s barrow in the premium auction. Since March 15, Hardin’s life turned upside down when this avid pig showman from Brock, Texas, lost her ability to walk and began experiencing “crazy symptoms” as she refers to the intense pain she began to experience that baffled doctors.

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Video: Methionine Requirements for Lactating Sows - Cierra Kozole

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Cierra Kozole, PhD candidate in Swine Nutrition at the University of Guelph, explains how methionine supports lactating sows beyond milk protein synthesis. She discusses updated requirement estimates, source comparisons, methylation demand, and why modern sow genetics may require more precise amino acid strategies. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Methionine supports protein synthesis while also serving critical functions through methylation pathways that influence multiple biological processes."

Meet the guest: Cierra Kozole / cierra-kozole-772b64253 is a PhD candidate in Swine Nutrition at the University of Guelph in Canada. Her doctoral research focuses on refining estimates of methionine requirements for primiparous lactating sows, including evaluating methionine sources, nutrient partitioning, methylation reactions, and the links among amino acid supply, milk production, and sow protein retention. Learn more from Cierra Kozole on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.