State Fair Livestock Identification & Nomination

All livestock in contention to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair will be required to complete an online nomination with payment through Show Stock Manager and submit a DNA collector envelope with a hair sample. This includes all 4-H and FFA breeding livestock, market livestock, and feeder calves. Each State Fair nomination will be $7.00 per animal. 4-H and FFA livestock nominations 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. 

County offices may still accept paper ID sheets/affidavits for their own record keeping but these will not be accepted as a form of identification for the State Fair.

Requirements & Deadlines

*Review individual fairbooks for registered animal requirements as there are additional items required to be exhibited in a breed class at State Fair, but not to be nominated. 

**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.

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 fairbooks.
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 in to 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 August 10.
5. Exhibitors will confirm that the ear tattoo and/or identification tag matches 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 Extension Office 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 Aksarben Stock Show office by June 20.
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-H Online.
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.