Nemaha County 4-H Livestock Information

Quality Assurance

4-H members who plan to exhibit in any of the following projects – swine, beef, sheep, dairy, meat goat, dairy goat, rabbits and/or poultry will need to have completed Quality Assurance Certification on or before June 15th.  (In 2024, June 15th falls on the weekend.  You will have until the next business day to complete YQCA.) Certification will be done through the YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals) online course. It is found at:  yqcaprogram.org.  The cost for YQCA is $12 per youth.  Again this year the 4-H council has purchased coupons for 4-H members to use! You will not  need to use a personal credit card and carry the expense until you receive your premium check. You will need to get coupon codes by calling or emailing the Nemaha County Extension Office.  (If you choose not to use a coupon, the expense will NOT be covered by the Council.) 

More instructions are available at:  YQCA Online Course Instructions (PDF, 8 pgs, 2.67 MB).
Helpful Web-Based Training Video (from YQCA)

Testing out is an option available to youth in the first year of Intermediate (age 12) and Senior (age 15) age levels. There is no test-out option for Juniors. If passed, youth will not be required to complete the annual training requirements for the remainder of their current age level (Intermediates: 12-14; Seniors: 15-18). Each test consists of 50 randomly selected questions and requires a score of 80% or better for certification. Participants will have only one chance to take the test-out option. If youth fail, they will not be provided another opportunity to test out of that age level. Participants who do not pass will be prompted to take the web-based training annually. If the youth passes, payment for the completed test-out course will be required after the completion of the test. No payment is required to attempt the test. Test-out costs are $36 for Intermediates ($12 x 3 years of certification) and $48 for Seniors ($12 x 4 years of certification). Testing out will be done through the YQCA website, not through the Extension Office. The Nemaha County 4-H Council has agreed to provide multiple coupons to cover the cost of testing out.  Get coupon codes by calling or emailing the Nemaha County Extension Office.

Nebraska 4-H YQCA Website contains additional information regarding Quality Assurance training.

Livestock ID Tags & Affidavits

State Fair & Aksarben Information

• MARKET BEEF, SHEEP, SWINE, MEAT GOATS & FEEDER CALVES: Market beef, swine and feeder calves must be tagged with an EID tag.  Market sheep and meat goats use USDA Scrapie tag number for ID (breeder supplies these).  Submit DNA Sample to the Extension Office. Submit animal information and payment ($7 per animal) into online AKSARBEN livestock database.  For help with the online nomination go to:  Step-by-Step Nomination Instructions  ALL animal nominations are due June 15th (regardless of the fact that is Saturday).
• Once an animal is tagged with an EID tag it cannot be cut out. This is illegal.
• Exhibitors of 4-H & FFA market animals (beef, swine, sheep, and goat) at the State Fair are required to have a Premises ID number. A Premise ID number can be obtained through the NE Department of Agriculture at no cost to the exhibitor.  Exhibitors without a Premises Identification number will not be allowed to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair.  See information below.
• BREEDING BEEF, SHEEP & MEAT GOATS:  Breeding beef must have tattoo as their ID.  Breeding sheep and meat goats use USDA scrapie tag number for ID (breeder supplies these). Submit animal information into online AKSARBEN livestock database.
• All breeding nominations will require a DNA Sample. Submit DNA Sample to the Extension Office. Submit animal information and payment ($7 per animal) into online AKSARBEN livestock database.  For help with the online nomination go to:  Step-by-Step Nomination Instructions  Exhibitors will be able to dual nominate an animal as breeding and market if selected and paid for in Show Stock Manager. Families will now receive a receipt that they entered in a breeding nomination.
• DAIRY CATTLE must turn in completed ID form.
• RABBITS:  All rabbits except fryers must have permanent ID numbers or names tattooed in their ear with a pin tattoo pliers and tattoo ink. Permanent marker numbers written in the ears of the rabbits are NOT permanent ID numbers.
• Families will need to make State Fair entries online as in the past.

Livestock Premises ID

(PDF, 2 pgs, 556 KB)
Exhibitors of 4-H & FFA market animals (beef, swine, sheep, and goat) at the State Fair will be required to obtain a Premises ID number through the NE Department of Agriculture at no cost to the exhibitor.  Exhibitors without a Premises Identification number will not be allowed to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair.  See the Premises ID & My Youth Livestock Project Brochure (PDF, 2 pgs, 556 KB) for more information.

Nebraska Youth Livestock Programs and the Veterinary Feed Directive

(PDF, 2 pgs, 542 KB)

Effective January 1, 2017, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will fully implement the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) regulation.  The regulation requires veterinary oversight when producers use medically important antimicrobials in feed or water to treat animals.  This applies to all producers raising animals, including youth owners of show or exhibit animals. The Nebraska Youth Livestock Programs and the Veterinary Feed Directive Brochure (PDF, 2 pgs, 542 KB) is available to answer questions regarding the directive.