All beef, horse, goats, rabbits, sheep, and swine 4-H project animals must be identified with the official 4-H form of identification (EID tag, tattoo, Scrapie tag) no later than June 13 of the current year to be eligible make county fair, state fair, or Ak-Sar-Ben entries.
LATE ID FORMS AND DNA SAMPLES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY REASON.
AN ANIMAL MAY BE IDENTIFIED IN ONLY ONE COUNTY.
NO ANIMAL CAN BE EXHIBITED IN 4-H OR FFA IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTY FAIR. IN ADDITION, NO ANIMAL CAN BE EXHIBITED IN MORE THAN ONE DIVISION (4-H OR FFA) AT THE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR.
A FEMALE ANIMAL CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND NOMINATED AS BOTH A BREEDING AND MARKET ANIMAL; HOWEVER, NO ANIMAL CAN BE EXHIBITED AS BOTH A BREEDING AND MARKET ANIMAL AT THE COUNTY FAIR OR STATE FAIR.
ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION DOES NOT SERVE AS AN OFFICIAL COUNTY FAIR OR STATE FAIR ENTRY NOR DOES IT SERVE AS AN ONLINE ANIMAL NOMINATION. FAIR ENTRY AND ONLINE NOMINATIONS ARE SEPARATE PROCESSES.
The family must ensure the animal identification is completed by the animal identification deadline each year. Families are responsible for tagging, tattooing, and pulling their own DNA sample and meeting ALL requirements and deadlines. Failure to meet any requirement or deadline will result in the youth not being able to exhibit on both county and state levels.
Please refer to the menu links at the right and review the checklist below for animal identification guidelines and deadlines.
ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION GUIDELINES AND FAIR EXHIBITION CHECKLIST (Clover Kids exhibiting animals must also identify their project animals in accordance with the animal identification guidelines).
You can download animal identification forms for County Fair in the tabs located on the right side of this page.
AGE REQUIREMENTS
A 4-H animal owner/exhibitor 8 to 18 years old on Jan. 1 of the current calendar year who have officially enrolled in 4-H are eligible to exhibit in 4-H sponsored events. Exhibitors who are 8 to 18 years of age as of the current year are eligible to exhibit animals at the county fair and Nebraska State Fair provided that all requirements of participation have been met.
4-H Clover Kids who are ages 5-7 as of Jan. 1 of the current year and who have officially enrolled in 4-H can identify animals of their own to exhibit in age-appropriate AND weight-appropriate classes at the county fair provided that all the requirements of participation have been met. Animals to be exhibited by Clover Kids must weigh under 350 lbs at check-in time at the county fair. More information regarding Clover Kids and animal projects. Clover Kids will participate non-competitively.
ANIMAL OWNERSHIP RULES FOR COUNTY AND STATE FAIR (UPDATED FOR 2025)
All beef, goat, sheep, and swine must be owned:
1) solely by the 4-H exhibitor or
2) in partnership with another member(s) of his or her immediate family.
3) All exhibitor family member names should be on the animal nomination and will be eligible to show that animal.
4) Immediate family is defined as members of a household including parents, brothers, sisters, and youth in the care of the head of the household.
FAMILY FARM OR RANCH NAMES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED ON REGISTRATION PAPERS.
When 4-H exhibitor(s) and parent(s) sign an animal nomination indicating the exhibitor(s) will feed and care for the animals, it is expected that the exhibitor(s) will have primary responsibility for the animals.
Reasonable modifications are acceptable in cases where the exhibitor may not have primary responsibility for the duration of the project (i.e., separation of parents and more than one residence).
Animal Identification
Beef
BUCKET CALF (youth ages 8-12 as of Jan 1) and 4-H Clover Kids (ages 5-7 as of Jan. 1)
Bucket Calves MUST be born between January 1 and June 13 of the current year.
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR
EID tag (purchase from Extension Office)
County ID Card
STATE FAIR: No class
AK-SAR-BEN: No class
BREEDING BEEF (Registered/Purebred) - 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.
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Tattoo matching registration papers, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Tattoo matching registration papers, DNA,
www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: Tattoo matching registration papers, DNA, online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
NOTE: Young females may be double-identified for County Fair and State Fair as BOTH a feeder calf and a breeding heifer but can only be shown in ONE class and ONE division. You choose at online entry time. MUST USE TATOO AS ANIMAL ID.
BREEDING BEEF (Commercial - not registered - does not have registration papers)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Tattoo or EID tag, County Fair ID Card
STATE FAIR: Tattoo or EID tag, DNA, www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID Tag (commercial), Tattoo (registered), DNA, online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
NOTE: Young females may be double-identified for County Fair and State Fair as BOTH a feeder calf and a breeding heifer but can only be shown in ONE class and ONE division. You choose at online entry time. MUST USE EID TAG OR TATTOO AS ANIMAL ID.
PERFORMANCE BREEDING HEIFER (previous year's Bucket Calf)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag from 2024, County ID Card
MARKET BEEF
ID Requirement:
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: EID tag, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
REGISTERED MARKET STEER (No registered steer class at county fair)
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag, use County ID Card above
STATE FAIR: Tattoo, registration papers, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
MARKET PERFORMANCE (previous year's Bucket Calf)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag from 2024, County ID Card
FEEDER CALF - MUST be born between January 1 and June 13 of the current year.
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: EID tag, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
NOTE: Young females may be double-identified for County Fair and State Fair as BOTH a feeder calf and a Junior Breeding Heifer but can only be shown in ONE class and ONE division. You choose at online entry time. MUST USE EID TAG AS ANIMAL ID.
COW/CALF PAIRS (First-time cow/calf pairs will show with returning cow/calf pairs)
COUNTY FAIR: Tattoo for registered animals, EID tag for commercial animals, and County ID card
STATE FAIR (FFA ONLY): Tattoo for cow; EID tag for calf, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
Ak-Sar-Ben: No class
NOTE: The calf MUST be identified as a Feeder Calf or Junior Breeding Heifer to be eligible to enter and be shown at the County Fair. Calf CANNOT be shown as both a feeder calf AND Junior Breeding Heifer.
Goat
BREEDING GOATS (Registered animals)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Scrapie tag, Flock Tag or tattoo matching registration papers, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Scrapie tag, Flock Tag or tattoo matching registration papers, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
BREEDING GOATS (commercial animals)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Scrapie tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Scrapie tag, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
MARKET GOATS
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Scrapie tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Scrapie tag, Flock Tag, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
NOTE: Females may be double-identified for County Fair and State Fair as BOTH a breeding and market animal but can only be shown in ONE class and ONE division. You choose at online entry time.
Horse
HORSE
NOTE: 4-H members MUST have completed and passed Level 1 of the Horse Advancement Levels in order to participate in the County Fair horse show.
HORSE ADVANCEMENT LEVELS TESTING DEADLINE IS NOW JUNE 13.
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Horse Id form accompanied by photos of each horse with right, left, and front view of the horse.
STATE HORSE SHOW: Horse Id form accompanied by photos of each horse with right, left, and front view of the horse.
NOTE: Must have passed the appropriate horse advancement levels by entry time.
State Horse Show
STATE 4-H RODEO
The Nebraska State 4-H Rodeo offers youth an opportunity to showcase their skills in working with their equine partners through speed and agility contests. This year's event will be held on Friday evening, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, 2024, in Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Nebraska State 4-H Rodeo event is hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Rodeo Team.
Rabbit
Sheep
BREEDING SHEEP (Registered animals)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Scrapie tag, Flock Tag or tattoo matching registration papers, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Scrapie tag, Flock Tag or tattoo matching registration papers, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
BREEDING SHEEP (commercial animals)
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Scrapie tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Scrapie tag, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
MARKET SHEEP
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: Scrapie tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: Scrapie tag, Flock Tag, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
NOTE: Females may be double-identified for County Fair and State Fair as BOTH a breeding and market animal but can only be shown in ONE class and ONE division. You choose at online entry time.
Swine
BREEDING SWINE
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag, County ID Card, registration papers, have ear notches matching reg. papers for purebreds.
STATE FAIR: EID tag, registration papers, have ear notches matching reg. papers for purebreds, DNA, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, registration papers for purebreds, DNA, and online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
MARKET SWINE
ID Requirements:
COUNTY FAIR: EID tag, County ID Card
STATE FAIR: EID tag, DNA, purebreds need registration papers, have ear notches matching reg. papers, and www.showstockmgr.com online nomination
AK-SAR-BEN: EID tag, DNA, purebreds need registration papers, online Ak-Sar-Ben nomination
DNA
All livestock in contention to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair will be required to submit a DNA nomination. This includes all 4-H and FFA breeding livestock, market livestock, and feeder calves. Any DNA nomination submitted through Show Stock Manager will also be eligible for exhibition at the Aksarben Stock Show. DNA nominations will be $7.00 per animal. All animals will automatically be eligible for both breeding and market–no additional fees or double payments will be required. DNA nominations for the Nebraska State Fair are due on June 15, 2025.
Any 4-H member planning to exhibit livestock at the Nebraska State Fair must complete the appropriate livestock identification requirements for each potential animal. This process nominates the animals for the 4-H livestock shows at the Nebraska State Fair and provides evidence that the animals are part of the youth's livestock projects. The process makes an individual animal eligible for entry at the Nebraska State Fair.
Please note that completing the state identification requirements does not automatically enter the animal or exhibitor for the Nebraska State Fair. The exhibitor must still complete the separate online State Fair entry process. Animals that are not identified and nominated using the appropriate state requirements by the deadlines below will not be eligible to be entered or shown at the Nebraska State Fair.
4-H animals needing a DNA sample are:
- BREEDING AND MARKET BEEF
- FEEDER CALVES
- BREEDING AND MARKET GOATS
- BREEDING AND MARKET SHEEP
- BREEDING AND MARKET SWINE
DNA collection envelopes must be picked up at the Extension Office and returned to the office with all required information and signatures documented on each collection envelope by the June 15 deadline.
Procedures for collecting DNA samples:
Online Showstockmgr Nominations
Enrolled 4-H members ages 8-18 years old as of January 1 of the current year who intend to exhibit animals at the Nebraska State Fair MUST make an online nomination for EACH animal they have a DNA sample for and to make the animal eligible for entry at the Nebraska State Fair. The deadline for completing the online nominations is midnight on June 15.
4-H animals needing an online nomination:
- BREEDING AND MARKET BEEF
- FEEDER CALVES
- BREEDING AND MARKET GOATS
- BREEDING AND MARKET SHEEP
- BREEDING AND MARKET SWINE
FEE:
Families will pay a DNA/nomination fee of $7 per DNA envelope/nomination at the time they make the online nominations for each animal in www.showstockmgr.com
Fees not paid online by the deadline will result in you not being able to enter or exhibit your animals as the Nebraska State Fair.