LIMA, OHIO -
Some are cute and cuddly, but the animals at the fair are not always friendly.
"They could be aggressive, and they can bite," said Kyleigh Umber, who is showing chickens at the Allen County Fair.
Take advice from the kids who show at the fair, animals are like people, each one has a different temperament, and looks can be deceiving.
Rumer will be happy to show off her chickens, but she says fairgoers should ask permission first.
"I would get it out and face it away so it wouldn't bite them," said Rumer.
Carly Clum says as long as people keep their fingers out of the cages she'd let fairgoers pet her rabbits.
"Some are mean. Some are relaxed," said Clum, who has been showing rabbits for at least eight years.
Different animals can pose different threats. Steer don't bite hard, but they are big and can jump, kick and trample.
"Never walk up to them when they don't see you," said Brandon Suever, who says he'd allow people to pet his bull.
And small rabbits often have big teeth.
This year there is a new threat at the fair, H3N2 also known as swine flu.
Fair manager, Jay Begg, has a few tips. He suggests not eating or drinking in the barns, and washing hands after touching animals or walking through the barns. He also says elderly people, pregnant women, and those who feel ill might want to avoid the hog barns altogether.
