🛒Where to buy your animal

Where you buy your animal matters almost as much as which animal you pick. A good breeder sells you a healthy, well-started animal and answers your texts in July when something looks off. This page is our club's running list of local sources, plus how to find and vet a breeder on your own.

When to buy

Work backwards from fair check-in (September 14–19, 2027). The NCJL rules require you to own your animal for a minimum number of days before tagging, and animals also need enough time to reach fair weight.

Heads up: Good breeders sell out early. Reserve a spot in January or Februaryfor pigs, lambs, and goats, and by late fall for steers. Deadlines above are projected from the 2026 rules. Confirm on the paperwork page.

Local breeders

This list is built from club families' real experiences. Verified means a club family has bought from them. Know a breeder who should be here? Tell the club leader.

How to find a good breeder

• Ask our club and other Navajo County clubs. Kids who placed well last year bought from someone. Ask them.
• Ask the species superintendent. They see every animal in the county and know which breeders' stock shows well. (Who they are.)
• Watch the show results. The Navajo County Fair, Arizona National Livestock Show, and jackpot shows post champions. Champions' breeders are often listed.
• Regional show-stock groups. Facebook groups for Arizona show pigs, club lambs, and wether goats post litters and sale dates every spring. Have a parent handle the messaging.
• Feed stores. Bulletin boards at feed stores in Holbrook, Snowflake, Taylor, and Show Low fill up with "show pigs available" flyers in March and April.
• Online sales and auctions. Some breeders sell through timed online auctions. Bring an experienced adult; photos hide a lot.
• Bred & Fed. If the animal was conceived, born, raised, and fed in Navajo County, you can enter the Navajo County Bred & Fed class. Get the producer to sign the Bred & Fed form at purchase; it must be turned in at tagging.

Questions to ask before you buy

1. What's the birth date? (Pigs must be born Dec 1 – Mar 1. Lambs and goats must be under 12 months at fair and still have milk teeth.)
2. Is it castrated? (All males must be fully castrated. Wether goats must have been disbudded before 3 weeks old.)
3. What is it eating right now, and how much? Can I buy a bag of that feed to transition?
4. What vaccinations and deworming has it had? When is the next due?
5. For lambs and goats: does it have its official Scrapie tag? For pigs: an AZ premise tag or USDA 840 tag?
6. What did its siblings or last year's animals from this line weigh at fair? How did they place?
7. Can I see the parents, or photos of them?
8. Will you help if I have questions this summer?

Paperwork to get at pickup

• Bill of sale with the date. This proves your ownership date for the 95/150-day rule.
• Breeder's premise ID and the animal's existing tag number (needed for the Seasonal Pass and Bred & Fed form).
• Health records: vaccinations, deworming, any medications with dates (matters for drug-withdrawal rules).
• Photos of the animal and its tags the day you bring it home. Put them in your record book.

Next: get your Seasonal Pass and other paperwork started.