Odds and Ends

Farm animals get printed -- by their noses

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- How do judges keep track of the steer, lambs and other animals competing at the Pennsylvania Farm Show?

Turns out, the nose knows.

"We tried to make sure all the animals going to the farm show have a unique identification that can't be changed, and they found that nose-printing is one of the methods that can be used because no two are alike," said Chet Hughes, livestock extension agent for Lancaster County. "We use fingerprint ink, roll it on the nose of the animal, and lightly touch the card to it."

The cars are kept on file at Farm Show offices, where officials said they are used to prevent the possibility of a contestant buying a champion-level animal just before the show.

Nose-printing has been done for at least a decade, officials said. The temptation of bringing in a ringer can be strong because of the money a top-prize winning animal can bring.

Last year, the grand champion steer sold for $16,000. The 1999 winning steer earned a record $28,000.

"You're trying to avoid cheating," Hughes said. "The whole idea of the program is for the kids to have the experience of raising the animal, bringing them up to market weight for the farm show, training them."

Technology may soon render the nose-print obsolete, Hughes said.

"There are some places that are starting to use a readable implant, which is put in the ear of the animal," he said. "That's probably the next step."

-- From wire reports