MASON, Mich. — Fair season is upon us and that means for 4-Hers, it is a non-stop rush prepping their livestock for show at the Ingham County Fair. One of which is Mason resident Liz Leibrand, whose love of animals started with owning a furry friend of her own.
"My interest began in animals about four years ago when I got a pet rabbit from one of my friends," said Leibrand.
One bunny and her new found love for small animals turned into a breeding project. Now, she has raised 63 animals of four different species.
"I wanted to start showing because my mom used to show, and I wanted to try it myself, so we got a show animal and that turned into a breeding program," said Leibrand.
This fair season, she showed off her chickens, cavies, rabbits and goat.
She begins each day with cleaning pens, feeding animals and giving them a little love.
"This year, I wanted to try other species, so I expanded my knowledge to goats as well as chicken,s and I've been showing them in the fair this year," said Leibrand.
The expansion of knowledge paid off because Friday Leibrand won Grand Champion Showman for the Small Animal Little International Contest in the senior division.
Some of these champion animals will even be up for grabs during the small animal auction Saturday at 11 a.m.
"I will personally be selling my pen of chickens, which is a reserve champion pen, and I will also be selling my goat, which is also a reserve champion goat. So I'm really excite to sell them, but I'm also sad to see them go," she said.
Leibrand's goat Nabisco was a bottle fed by her, and she raised the animal since Nabisco was born. The goal is to find a home that doesn't intend to use Nabisco for meat.
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