4-H Animal Identification Guidelines

2026 4-H Animal Identification Guidelines

Beef

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

Market Beef & Feeder Calf

ID Sheet 
4-H Ear Tag or 
EID Tag

EID Tag, DNA, 
& Animal Info 
Submitted Online 

June 15
5 PM

June 15 
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Registered Breeding Heifers

ID Sheet
 Tattoo or 
Family Ear Tag

Tattoo or identification 
type that  is accepted 
by the breed association, DNA, 
& Animal Info Submitted Online

June 15 
5 PM

June 15
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Commercial Breeding Heifers

ID Sheet
 Tattoo or EID Tag 
or Family Ear Tag

 Tattoo or EID Tag, 
DNA  & Animal 
Info Submitted Online

June 15 
5 PM

June 15
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Bucket Calf

ID Sheet 
4-H Ear Tag

No Class

June 15
5 PM

-----

June 30
5 PM

-----

Dairy Cattle

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

Dairy

ID Sheet 
EID Tag
Drawing or Picture

Refer to the Nebraska
State Fair Open
 Class Entry Book
 for ID requirements. 

June 15
5 PM

June 15 
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Goats

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

Registered Dairy Goat

ID Sheet 
Scrapie Tag or Tattoo
 that matches 
registration papers

No Class

June 15
5 PM

-----

June 30
5 PM

-----

Grade Dairy Goat

ID Sheet 
Scrapie Tag or 
Scrapie Tattoo

No Class

June 15
5 PM

-----

June 30
5 PM

-----

Pygmy Goat

ID Sheet 
Scrapie Tag

No Class

June 15
5 PM

-----

June 30
5 PM

-----

Breeding & Market Meat Goat

ID Sheet 
Scrapie Tag

 Scrapie Tag, DNA 
& Animal Info 
Submitted Online

June 15
5 PM

June 15
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Horse

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination 
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

HORSE

ID Sheet 
Drawing or Picture

ID Sheet 
Drawing or Picture

June 15
5 PM

June 1
5 PM

June 30
5 PM

-----

Poultry

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination 
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

POULTRY

No ID Requried

No ID Required

-----

-----

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Rabbit

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination 
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

RABBIT

ID Sheet
Picture or Tattoo

Ear Tattoo by
August 10

June 15
5 PM

-----

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Sheep

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination 
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

Breeding & Market Sheep

ID Sheet 
Scrapie Tag

 Scrapie Tag, DNA 
& Animal Info 
Submitted Online

June 15
5 PM

June 15
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

Swine

 

Nomination Requirements

ID Due 
Date

Nomination 
Due Date

Show Entry Deadline

 County Fair Only

State Fair

County

State 4-H

County Fair

State Fair

 

          Market & Breeding Swine

ID Sheet 
4-H Ear Tag or 
EID Tag

EID Tag, DNA, 
& Animal Info 
Submitted Online

June 15
5 PM

June 15
(online)

June 30
5 PM

August 10
8 PM

EID Tags & Premises ID

Animals that purchase an EID tag must have a Premises ID on file with the Extension Office.

  • Contact Britney Hagood at the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to obtain your Premises ID.
    • Phone 1: 402.471.2351 Option 1
    • Phone 2: 402.471.6865
    • Email: britney.hagood@nebraska.gov
    • Premise ID Registration Form
      • 4‑H/FFA exhibitors will need to mark "Production Unit" under Premises Type.

 

Additional Information

**The Nomination Deadline is when all tagging is to be finished, animal information should be submitted online via the Show Stock Manager database, DNA collected and complete DNA Envelopes should be in the possession of the County Extension Offices. 

***Registered heifer identification must correspond with the registration paper. 

County offices can accept paper ID sheets for their own record keeping but these will not be accepted as a form of identification for State Fair. There are entry limits for each of the individual species. Exhibitors cannot exhibit more than the following for each species to State Fair: Beef (5), Swine (6), Sheep (4), Goat (4), Poultry (6), Rabbit (6). 

Family Responsibilities: 

  1. Exhibitors will be required to enroll in 4-H by the June 15 statewide enrollment deadline.
  2. Exhibitors will review their species fair books.
  3. Exhibitors showing market and/or breeding beef, feeder calves, market and/or breeding swine, market and/or breeding sheep or market and/or breeding goats at State Fair must have a signed and sealed official DNA envelope with hair samples for DNA verification. Every animal nomination (this includes all breeding animals and feeder calves) will require a DNA nomination. DNA must be turned into their county office and have completed the online nomination with payment in Show Stock Manager by June 15. (It is recommended that you make a copy of the completed envelope you turn into your county.) For animals carrying an 840 EID tag, exhibitors must also obtain a Premises ID. Contact your local Extension office for details.
  4. Exhibitors must complete the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certification by June 15.
  5. Exhibitors will confirm that the ear tattoo and/or identification tag match the animal nomination submitted by June 15 for confirmation of legibility and/or accuracy.
  6. Exhibitors must notify their county Extension office of any retags that may occur up until the time of check-in at the State Fair.
  7. Exhibitors will select which animals they have chosen to show at State Fair on the State Fair entry website. All nominated and validated animals will automatically be listed as options for entry registration.
  8. Exhibitors will be required to bring the breed association registration paperwork to check in at State Fair for animals being shown in a breed class. The registration papers 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 Show Stock Manager. Family farm or ranch names will not be accepted. 

County Staff Responsibilities:

  1. Submit an 840 EID tag order for beef and swine animal exhibits.
  2. Schedule and publish weigh-in and/or tagging dates if offered in your county.
  3. Request, distribute, and collect DNA samples for families. 840 EID tags should not be distributed without the premise ID being recorded in 4-H Online. It is optional but recommended to record it on the DNA envelope.
  4. Inform families of the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training options available to them (in-person and online).
  5. Collect all beef, swine, lamb, and goat DNA envelopes by June 15. Families will submit payment online in Show Stock Manager. Copy all DNA envelopes for your county records and mail all completed DNA envelopes to the Nebraska State Fair office by June 22.
  6. Remind families to confirm that the ear tattoo and/or identification tag matches the animal nomination submitted by June 15 for confirmation of legibility and/or accuracy.
  7. Collect Premises ID numbers from exhibitors and input those into 4-HOnline.
  8. Review and validate all online livestock entries for each exhibitor by July 1. Online validation is found at showstockmgr.com.
  9. Input nomination edits into Show Stock Manager for your families. Edits will be corrected by the Show Coordinator. For retags, directly notify Brandy Schulze and input the change in Show Stock manager.
  10. Inform families that all nominations have been validated and are available for entry at the Nebraska State Fair entry website, https: www.statefair.org when the system is open.