Animal Identification & Affidavits

Content

4-H Animal Identification Guidelines

2026 Guidelines

Beef

Market Beef & Feeder Calf Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal tagged with 4-H Ear Tag or Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag
  • Beef ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15
 

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Market Beef & Feeder Calf Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Animal tagged with Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag
  • DNA pulled and turned into Extension Office
  • Animal info submitted online to showstockmgr.com

All complete on or before June 15

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Registered Breeding Heifer Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  •  Animal Tattooed or tagged with Family Ear Tag
  • Beef ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

 

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Registered Breeding Heifer Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Animal Tattooed or identification type that is accepted 
    by the breed association
  • DNA pulled and turned into the Extension Office 
  • Animal info submitted online to showstockmgr.com

All complete on or before June 15

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Commercial Breeding Heifer Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  •  Animal tattooed or tagged with Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag or Family Ear Tag
  • Beef ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15
 

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Commercial Breeding Heifer Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Animal tattooed or tagged with an Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag 
  •  DNA pulled and turned into the Extension Office
  • Animal info submitted online to showstockmgr.com

All complete on or before June 15

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Cow/Calf Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Cows - refer to breeding heifer requirements
  • Calves - refer to breeding heifer / feeder calf requirements 
  • Cow/Calf ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

No 4-H class available at State Fair

Bucket Calf Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal tagged with 4-H Ear Tag or Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag
  • Bucket Calf ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

No class available at State Fair

Dairy Cattle

Dairy Cattle Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal drawing or picture or tagged with Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag
  • Dairy ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM 

Dairy Cattle Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

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

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Goats

Registered Dairy Goat Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal tagged with Scrapie Tag or tattoo that matches registration papers
  • Dairy & Pygmy Goat ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM 

Registered Dairy Goat Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

No class available at State Fair

Grade Dairy Goat Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Grade Dairy Goat Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

No class available at State Fair

Pygmy Goat Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Pygmy Goat Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

No class available at State Fair

Breeding & Market Meat Goat Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal tagged with Scrapie Tag 
  • Meat Goat ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15
 

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Breeding & Market Meat Goat Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Animal tagged with Scrapie Tag 
  • DNA pulled and turned into the Extension Office
  • Animal info submitted online to showstockmgr.com

All complete on or before June 15

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Horse

Horse Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal drawing or picture 
  • Horse ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office 
  • Horse Level 1 passed and documentation turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Horse Nomination Requirements for Nebraska State 4-H Horse Expo:

  • Animal drawing or picture
  • Horse ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office
  • Horse Levels passed and documentation turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 1

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Nebraska State 4-H Horse Expo Entry Deadline:
June 1

Poultry

Poultry Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

No ID Required

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Poulty Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

No ID Required

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Rabbit

Rabbit Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Rabbit Pictures (2 sides and 1 front) or Tattoo
  • Rabbit ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office

All complete on or before June 15

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM 

Rabbit Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Ear Tattoo by August 10


     

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Sheep

Breeding & Market Sheep Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal tagged with Scrapie Tag 
  • Sheep ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office 

All complete on or before June 15
 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Breeding & Market Sheep Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Animal tagged with Scrapie Tag
  • DNA pulled and turned into Extension Office
  • Animal info submitted online to showstockmgr.com

All complete on or before June 15

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Swine

Breeding & Market Swine Nomination Requirements for County Fair Only:

  • Animal tagged with 4-H Ear Tag or Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag
  • Swine ID Sheet completed and turned into the Extension Office 

All complete on or before June 15
 

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Wayne County Fair Entry Deadline:
June 30 by 5 PM

Breeding & Market Swine Nomination Requirements for State Fair:

  • Animal tagged with Electronic Identification (E I D) Tag
  • DNA pulled and turned into Extension Office
  • Animal info submitted online to showstockmgr.com

All complete on or before June 15

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State Fair Entry Deadline:
August 10 by 8 PM

Electronic Identification (EID) Tags & Premises ID

Families that purchase Electronic Identification (E I D) tags must have a Premises ID on file with the Extension Office.

  • Premises ID website
  • 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.

Cat, Dog, & Ferret Vaccination Forms

 

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, when the system is open.