2026 SWINE
Each youth member may show four total head in addition to one Lottery Pig.
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Training: Exhibitors in beef, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, swine, and market poultry (including production turkeys) must have received Quality Assurance training or testing through a UNL Extension program by the date set by the Extension Office. Anyone not completing the Q.A. training will be ineligible to exhibit at the Buffalo County Fair. Completion of training will be certified by a Buffalo County Extension Educator.
This is a non-terminal show.
All swine not meeting health requirements will be immediately removed from the grounds by the owner.
4-H members showing swine at the fair must have signed a drug-free waiver on their animals on entry day. Exhibitors may pick up waiver forms at the Extension Office before the fair.
Driving Instruments: Driving instruments are to be used for the purpose of directing barrows/gilts while they are in transit throughout the barn and while they are being exhibited in the show ring. Exhibitors are to treat animals in a humane manner at all times and Show Management will provide a warning to any exhibitor deemed to be in violation of this basic principle of animal husbandry. Any exhibitor who fails to heed the warning will be disqualified and removed from the show grounds.
Grooming Rule — Pigs must be shown without hairdressing compounds. This includes oil, powder or any other coat dressing compounds. Water is permitted. Pigs found in violation will be lowered one ribbon placing or disqualified from the show.
*Denotes State Fair Entry
Purple, $4; Blue, $3; Red, $2; White, $1.50
All classes and divisions of market swine will be determined after the barrows and gilts have been weighed in on entry day. Divisions of market swine will be determined by sex and weight. Superintendents will determine the number of divisions following check-in. Market swine will be divided into divisions of barrows and divisions of gilts for showing. Division champions and reserve champions will be shown to select the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog.
Market hogs must weigh a minimum of 225 pounds to qualify for the regular show. An upper weight limit of 320 pounds will be enforced. No weight allowances will be given. No hogs will be reweighed. Only pigs farrowed after January 1 of the current year and owned by the exhibitor by June 15 of the current year will be permitted to show. Animals jointly owned by siblings – ownership will be determined at check-in at fair. Any pig weighing less than 225 pounds may show in a pre-market class and is not eligible for a Division Champion. Pigs over 320 pounds maybe shown in the show but will not be eligible for division, reserve or grand championships.
Animals may be either a barrow or gilt and will show separately.
All market swine, regardless of breed, will be classified for judging purposes on basis of sex and weight. The market classes within a division will be divided according to weight.
EID tags are required for ownership ID for the Buffalo County Fair.
*G035010 Gilts
*G035020 Barrows
G035040 Market Purebred Barrow Division – All Market Purebred Barrows will show in one class. To be eligible to show in the Purebred Barrow division at the Buffalo County Fair, barrows must be owned by the exhibitor, and exhibit breed characteristics typical of a purebred animal of the breed in which they are entered.
Bred and Fed Swine Division — This division is designed to honor the outstanding quality of animals produced by Buffalo County 4-H exhibitors on their family’s farm or ranch. Pigs that are produced from the 4-H member’s own herd or the herd of the immediate family’s farm or ranch are eligible. The pig’s dam must have been bred and farrowed at the family’s facilities and the pig must have stayed in the ownership of the family since its birth. Bred and fed classes will be divided by weight at the discretion of the supervising committee. If an animal qualifies for Bred and Fed it may show in either that division or the traditional market division. Exhibitors will nominate their Bred and Fed swine at weigh-in and can make the designation at the time of pre-entry.
G035001 Gilts
G035002 Barrows
PEN OF 3
All market swine have to be owned by a single exhibitor. These can be of different breeds and sex. Purpose is to match group as to uniformity of size and type. Pigs must be able to be penned together.
G0035002 Three market swine
LOTTERY PIG PROJECT
The purpose of the Lottery Pig project is to provide Buffalo County 4-H swine project members with a 3- to 4-month educational, interesting and competitive feature at the Buffalo County Fair. This project is intended to help exhibitors find quality pigs at a fair and reasonable market price and to help exhibitors understand the importance of the swine industry in Nebraska. Youth will learn about production traits, feeding and nutrition for pigs, showmanship qualities as well as potential careers in the swine industry. There are two phases to the Lottery Pig Project: The Lottery phase and the Production phase. The production phase of the project will provide competition and demonstrated ability by the swine exhibitor.
Lottery Phase:
Eligibility
1. 4-H’er must be 8 years of age as of January 1 of the current year and enrolled in the swine project.
2. The 4-H’er must sign up for the Lottery Pig project in which each exhibitor must read and sign a Lottery Pig Agreement form and put down a deposit toward the purchase price of the pig by the county deadline.
3. All Lottery pigs will be weighed and drawn for on the date they pick up their pig. Weighing and identification will be conducted by the Buffalo County 4-H Youth Educator and members of the Livestock Project Action Team. Pigs will also be identified with an official 4-H ear tag and color marking will be recorded.
Entry
1. Eligible 4-H’ers will make entry on a Nebraska 4-H Market Swine Ownership Affidavit.
Production Phase:
Eligibility
1. Eligible 4-H’ers must submit their Buffalo County Pre-Fair entry form on or before July 3.
2. Lottery Pigs may be either market barrows or gilts. There will be a separate class for Lottery Pig barrows and gilts. The top two purples from each barrow and gilt class will compete for the Division Champion and Reserve Lottery Pig.
SCORING FOR OUTSTANDING LOTTERY PIG EXHIBITOR:
Attendance at educational programs — three meetings, 10 points apiece — 30 points
Average daily gain (ADG) calculated from date of getting the pig to check in date of fair. -- 20 points
Interview highlighting what was learned through the project. – 10 points. It is possible for more than one youth to receive 10 points.
Lottery Pig Showmanship (show day) — 25 points. The judges will assign points at their discretion with a maximum of 25 points. It is possible for more than one animal to receive 25 points.
Live placing in show ring — 15 points. The judge will assign points at their discretion with a maximum of 15 points. It is possible for more than one animal to receive 15 points.
Lottery pig classes will be determined after barrows and gilts have been weighed in on entry day. Lottery pig division will be divided into one class of barrows and one class of gilts. Champion and Reserve Champion of lottery pig division will qualify for regular swine show and compete for the overall Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Market Swine.
G037010 Gilts
G037020 Barrows
All breeding gilts will need to be tagged with an official EID tag and owned by the exhibitor by
June 15. Identification form and registration papers needs to be on file with the Buffalo County Extension office by June 15. Animals jointly owned by siblings – ownership will be determined at check-in at fair.
All breeding gilts are required to be born on or after December 1 of the previous year.
BREED CLASSES — To be eligible to show in a registered class, a breeding animal must be owned by the exhibitor by June 15 of the current year and be registered, as well as be recognized by the official breed association to show in registered classes. A copy of an official breed registration paper must be on file at the Buffalo County Extension office. The registration paper must show the exhibitor's name or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor's family and is listed with the online nomination in the official online database. Family farm or ranch names will not be accepted. Original registration certificates for all breeds, must be presented at check-in. Original registration papers or electronic papers presented using a tablet or smart phone will be accepted if pulled up or downloaded from their respective breed website. Breeding gilts must be recognized as registered and eligible to show by their respective state breed association. Any animal not meeting purebred requirements will be shown in crossbred division. Any breed without at least 3 breeding gilts exhibiting in their breed will show in the All Other Breed (AOB) Division. Exhibitors will weigh all crossbred gilts.
SHOW ORDER – Purebred breeding gilts will show first by breed, followed by crossbred breeding gilts. Purebred breeding gilts will be shown by age, crossbred breeding gilts will be shown by weight. A champion breeding gilt will be named for each breed and those will go on to a final drive for Grand Champion Overall Breeding Gilt. All crossbred gilts will be shown by weight not age.
All breeding gilts are required to be born on or after December 1, 2025.
*G036001 Purebred Berkshire Breeding Gilt
*G036002 Purebred Chester White Breeding Gilt
*G036003 Purebred Duroc Breeding Gilt
*G036004 Purebred Hampshire Breeding Gilt
*G036005 Purebred Hereford Breeding Gilt
*G036006 Purebred Landrace Breeding Gilt
*G036007 Purebred Poland China Breeding Gilt
*G036008 Purebred Spotted Breeding Gilt
*G036009 Purebred Tamworth Breeding Gilt
*G036010 Purebred Yorkshire Breeding Gilt
*G036011 Purebred All Other Breeds (AOB) Breeding Gilt
*G036012 Crossbred Breeding Gilt
SWINE SHOWMANSHIP
*Denotes State Fair Entry
Purple, $3; Blue, $2; Red, $1.50; White, $1
Each showman must show his own animal and will enter the class corresponding to his age. The animal shown must be entered and exhibited in a breeding or market class. The judge has the right to ask the showman to exhibit abilities to fit the animal and could ask questions about the project.
*G035009 14 years and older (4-H age)
*G035008 11-13 years old (4-H age)
*G035007 8-10 years old (4-H age)