OKFB YF&R to host State Fair Livestock Judging Contest Sept. 19

Aug 26, 2024

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee is set to host the 2024 Oklahoma State Fair Livestock Judging Contest Thursday, Sept. 19 at the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.

The annual competition offers 4-H and FFA members the opportunity to exhibit their livestock judging skills in both market and breeding classes of beef, sheep and swine. While no oral reasons will be given during the competition, participants will be asked to answer at least one set of questions.

Students in third through seventh grade will compete as juniors and students in grades eighth through 12^th grade will compete as seniors. Students can compete as individuals and in teams.

The high individual and high team members of each division will be presented with an award and premium. Second and third place individuals and first through third place teams will also receive an award.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. in the Performance Arena Grandstand Sept. 19. The contest will begin at 10 a.m. in the Barn 8 Arena. Participants should come prepared with a pencil.

Click here to see more...

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.