Havre boy learns expertise at raising pigs

Ten-year-old Wyatt Simpson stood in the stall at the Great Northern Fair's Bigger Better Barn Sunday afternoon, petting his pig, Jack.

Jack was going to be put up for sale in a few minutes later at the fair's annual 4-H auction.

Jack has been Wyatt's responsibility for the last year. He traveled from his Havre home to his grandfather's farm in the Bear Paws every Wednesday night to make sure Jack had enough food and water, which was a tough task when the weather got so cold the water froze.

"I try to feed him five to six pounds of food," said Wyatt, the son of Mark and Angie Simpson.

Any more, he said, and Jack would become too fat. If a pig enters the auction weighing more than 300 pounds, he won't sell for much, Wyatt explained.

Those who don't eat enough and come in underweight will also sell for very little a pound, he said.

Wyatt kept brushing Jack as he waited for his number, 22, to be called.

His biggest task was to keep Jack from laying down in the stall, messing up his finely polished skin and making his nose dirty. That wasn't a problem, Wyatt said. He brushed the grass off his nose.

"Please don't lay down," Wyatt pleaded with Jack. Jack complied.

Customers don't like seeing a dirty pig at auction, he said.

For the same reason, he said, he tried not to poke Jack in his side. That might cause bruising, and that would lower Jack's value.

Last year, Wyatt had a pink pig, and he found that using sunscreen stopped him from burning, another sight potential buyers don't want to see.

Some potential customers stopped by to talk to Wyatt and take a look at Jack.

He was glad to show off the two blue ribbons Jack won at Saturday's judging.

It was important, he said, to keep the pen clean.

"I try to keep the pen clean so if buyers come by they will think, 'this guy really knows how to take of hogs.'"

"I didn't win grand champion, but I won two ribbons," Wyatt said.

He told some of the secrets of showing off the pig, including when to poke him so he moves just as you want him to move. Then you walk to the front before the judge.

"The trick is to smile at her," he said with a twinge of laughter.

Finally, Wyatt's number was called out. He brought his pig to the shoot, and soon he was introduced to the crowd.

"You just walk him around, and I'll sell him for you," said auctioneer Bob Sivertsen.

Using his auctioneer's magic, Sivertsen managed to keep prompting higher bids every time enthusiasm seemed to be waning.

"Sold to Havre Ford for $3.95," he said.

"How did it go?" Wyatt was asked.

He gave a thumbs up sign. "Not bad," he said.

Until the math was done for him, he didn't realize how good.

Havre Ford paid $1,981 for Jack.

Wyatt said he next step would be to get his picture taken, Havre Ford will pay him the money, and Jack will be shipped off to Bear Paw Meats in Chinook.

The question of whether Wyatt would miss Jack was met with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Kinda," he said.