Yet another event dreamed up to "entertain" humans at the expense of the animals. All sorts of "livestock", including rabbits, are apparently chased around by kids and if they catch them they can keep them and raise them for show or slaughter, I guess. This is particularly problematic for rabbits because they are prey animals and can be frightened to death when being chased. This is the newspaper article link:

10 4-H members receive opportunity to raise rabbits in catch-it ...
Fort Morgan Times - Fort Morgan,CO,USA
... This is an educational program in which the contestants who caught rabbits at the Morgan County Fair last August received their rabbit Thursday, May 11. ...

A photo of kid trying to catch a pig, upper right hand corner is at this link:
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/morgan/Fair_2006/schedule.htm

Contact for the Morgan State Fair is: morgan@coop.ext.colostate.edu

Other contacts:
Morgan County Extension Staff
Marlin Eisenach, Extension Agent, Livestock
970-542-3543
eisenach@coop.ext.colostate.edu

Luann Boyer, Family & Consumer Education
970-542-3544
lboyer@coop.ext.colostate.edu

Janice Dixon, 4-H/Youth Development, Director
970-542-3545
jdixon@coop.ext.colostate.edu

Morgan County Cooperative Extension
914 E. Railroad
P.O. Box 517
Fort Morgan, CO 80701
Phone 970-542-3540
Fax 970-542-3541
Morgan County
Cooperative Extension
The Morgan County Extension Office provides research-based educational programming in
agriculture, consumer and family education, 4-H and youth development, and livestock. The Cooperative Extension is a joint partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
State of Colorado and Morgan County.

Office Hours: Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Lana

All I can think of to say is wow...though I will have a few more words for those people. thanks for the contact info. This is so..er..so know we just dont teach our kids to EAT animals..we teach them to RAISE them and eat them!? How is this fun?? and yes I was just thinking about how rabbits are prey and could get scared to death...this must be so frightening for the animals!

That is one of the stupidest things I've heard yet. What decade are we living in again, the 1920s?!

I know what you mean peace! I got the same feeling it took a few minutes to reliaze there are uncivilized enough people out there to accually do that to another living creature. And to have kids envolved? seriously what is this teaching them?

This is unbelievable. What is wrong with people??? It makes me think of my bunny....how sad.

Start kids off right with the wholesome, interactive fun of live predator/prey games, then somewhere down the line try to explain to them the "proper" way to handle livestock is calmly and quietly. Bind them to a "contract" that requires not only constant consideration, care and nurturing of life with another creature, but also demands they ultimately sell it off for dead. What a fabulous organization!

This is horrible!

I'll send an email.

Edit: Sent!

I grew up in Louisiana and I did a chicken catch every summer until I was old enough to realize that the chicken was squawking like that because it was terrified and confused by the shouting and chasing. This sort of things is still alive and well here in rural areas. Makes me sad.