Showpig.com Main Logo
Featured image for the article titled How They Work :: Keppy Showpigs

How They Work :: Keppy Showpigs

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Breeder Central

Keppy Showpigs, located in Durant, IA and is run by Kaylee Keppy, her brother Jake Keppy and her fiancé Cole Rushing. Kaylee grew up on a crop and livestock farm and was very involved in 4-H and FFA showing livestock. She attended BHE and ISU and received a degree in Animal Science. She was also involved in the livestock judging programs at both schools. In addition to her responsibilities with Keppy Showpigs, Kaylee is a show feed specialist for ShowTec in the Midwest.

One word that best describes how you work: Practical

Current Mobile Device: iPhone

Current Computer: Mac Book Pro

Current Camera: Cannon

First , tell us what you feel separates your business from other operations in the show pig business?
We take a practical approach to raising showpigs with both production and showpig influences involved. Our passion involves working with youth and livestock. Every family we work with, we feel privileged to do so. We understand the struggles that everyone has when they first get their showpigs, but we like to stay involved to work with these families through health, feeding and overall livestock skills.

We feel that purebred seedstock still maintains an important focus in raising showpigs today as we maintain purebred Hampshire and Yorkshire sows. Without purebred genetics, consistency and quality can sometimes fall short over a period of time, so we keep a focus on that side.  As younger breeders in this industry we feel it is important to remain grounded and to keep striving to make hogs better. With our family heavily involved in our operation, we feel we have an advantage, as we are able to keep each other in check when investing in new genetics, making breeding decisions, marketing and analyzing stock.

What websites, apps or tools can’t you live without? Why?
-Social Media outlets are a helpful marketing tool. They allow us to update current and need to know info quickly

-Places to market our sale pigs, like showpig.com, have opened doors for us to connect with customers all over the country.

-Seedstock Edge, as much as we utilize other marketing outlets today, there is still something to be said about a magazine, having it in hand and flipping through all the ads, pictures, articles that have been put together.

How do you keep your to-list?
I may be a little “old school” but I’m huge on notes, I have pads of paper and pens everywhere I go!

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without and why?
My camera, whether we are taking pictures of livestock around the farm or sale pigs, it would be challenging to market in today’s world without photos.

What do you listen to while you work?
Those that know me well know I’m always listening to tunes, I’m a huge fan of 90s country, red dirt and a little classic rock.

What is your favorite and least-favorite chore?
My favorite would be feeding showpigs and my least favorite, I’m sure you can guess, cleaning pens.

How long does it take you to picture, sort and write a description for ONLY one pig in an online sale?
That’s a tough question. Teamwork plays an important roll when it comes to putting together an online sale at our place. With our busy schedules, we set aside two days to complete. We all have our separate rolls to getting this accomplished, one of us gets the pigs ready and set up (which can be challenging!) the other takes pictures, sorts and uploads. And then someone will write descriptions and email info.

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see __Wayne Huinker__answer these same questions.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I have received lots of great advice from many influential breeders and mentors over the years and some I can’t thank enough.  I have a lot respect for those that have gone out of their way to take the time to share a few words of advice to young breeders like us. To me, it keeps us motivated to continue through some of the challenges that we may face. Most of all, the daily advice from our grandpa and dad will always remain instilled in us, as they continually remind us to stay humble, work hard, and strive to be the best you can be in whatever you choose to do.