State Fair Livestock Identification & Nomination FAQ

General

What is the website to enter in livestock nominations?

What is a livestock nomination?

  • A livestock nomination is the identification process for making an individual animal eligible for entry and showing evidence that the animal is part of the youth livestock project. When successfully completed online through Show Stock Manager, the nomination will add the animal to an exhibitor's list of eligible animals (4-H/FFA) for entry for State Fair.

What animals are required to be nominated on the Show Stock Manager website for State Fair?

  • All Beef, Swine, Sheep, and Goats need to be nominated in Show Stock Manager. Poultry, Rabbits, and Dog do not require an online nomination submission. Any youth wanting to show dairy cattle will need to complete the (paper) ownership affidavit and submit it to the county office by June 15.

Online Nomination Questions

What if a parent created a Parent Account in Show Stock Manager with the child's name (exhibitor) instead of the parent's name?

  • The parent is able to edit the parent account profile to update any information, including first and last name. The parent can then update the correct information in the parent account profile.

Can I, as the 4-H Club leader, input all nominations for all the youth in my 4-H Club? 

  • No. The parent of the exhibitor will need to create their own parent account and only input the nomination information for their animals.

What if the child (exhibitor) is not in high school, how should the parent complete the exhibitor information section?

  • The parent should enter the high school that the child is expected to attend in the future. This question is asked in reference to scholarships and for FFA nominations.

How can the parent see what nominations they have entered in the Show Stock Manager?

  • All completed and submitted nominations for each child (exhibitor) will be available under the nominations tab in the Parent Account.

If the parent has an issue creating a nomination, who should they ask for help?

  1. For database or payment based questions, the County Extension Staff or families can send questions to bschulze@unl.edu.
  2. We will encourage families to first ask their County Extension Staff for basic nomination questions.

When I complete the online livestock nomination process on Show Stock Manager, does this mean I am entered for the State Fair?

  • No. Exhibitors will still need to complete the online entry for the Nebraska State Fair through the designated online registration website.
  • NOMINATION (STATE FAIR): https://showstockmgr.com (DEADLINE: June 15-All beef, sheep, goat and swine)
  • STATE FAIR ENTRY: https://www.statefair.org (DEADLINE: 8:00 PM CST, August 10) **There is not a late entry option for 4-H/FFA.**

Do I have to enter a weight for market animals?

  • No. This is an optional field for exhibitors.

What is the Animal ID number, and what is the purpose of it?

  • The Animal ID number is a computer-generated number given to each nomination when entered into the database. The computer-generated animal ID number allows Show Stock Manager to transfer data to the State Fair entry site. This is also the reference number given to the exhibitors when they checkout and pay for their market nominations. It will be included with the payment receipt email sent when payment is received through PayPal. It can also be found online under each parent account in the nominations section.

Can animals be nominated as both market animals and breeding animals?

  • Yes, as long as all identification requirements for both market and breeding have been met.

We had to retag an animal. Who should I inform?

  • Please contact your local County Extension Office or FFA Advisor with the new tag number and the old tag number. Staff can create the edit in Show Stock Manager but also directly notify Brandy Schulze with the edit.

DNA Envelope Questions

Do I have to write down all 15 digits of my EID tag number?

  • Yes. Please write clearly so we can confirm the numbers are correct.

Do I have to put my Premise ID number on my DNA envelope?

  • Exhibitors are encouraged to write the premise ID number on the envelope, but this is not a requirement. Writing the number on the DNA envelope will help with retags and helps with county validation of the nomination.

If I am only showing at the Nebraska State Fair, should I be using the "Aksarben Stock Show" DNA envelopes?

  • Yes. The Aksarben Stock Show manages the DNA for the Aksarben Stock Show and Nebraska State Fair, so that is why it is labeled with Aksarben Stock Show. Both livestock shows will use the same DNA envelope for collection but will be conducted as three different shows.

If I submit a DNA envelope for a market animal for the Nebraska State Fair, will that animal be eligible for the Aksarben Stock Show or will I have to submit another DNA sample?

  • Any DNA submitted for the Nebraska State Fair by the appropriate deadlines will also be eligible for the Aksarben Stock Show, and exhibitors will not have to submit DNA twice on the same animal.

Where do I turn in my DNA envelopes?

  • Nebraska State Fair exhibitors will turn in all completed DNA to the County Extension Staff or FFA Advisor by the appropriate deadline. Nebraska State Fair exhibitors will NOT directly mail their DNA to the Aksarben Stock Show office. County Extension Staff and FFA Advisors will mail in all Nebraska State Fair DNA by the appropriate deadline.

County Staff/FFA Advisors: Where do I mail the DNA to once I have collected it from my youth?

  • Aksarben Stock Show, P.O. Box 1387, Grand Island, NE 68802 or 501 E Fonner Park Rd. #200, Grand Island, NE 68801

If I am wanting to only show at the Aksarben Stock Show, can I obtain my DNA envelopes from the County Extension Office?

Market Beef

If our county already had a market beef weigh-in/check-in/tagging date, how will our family know what to enter online to Show Stock Manager?

  • The county Extension office should provide their families with a copy of the DNA envelope so they have the proper information to enter their nominations online through Show Stock Manager.

What if the exhibitor attended a beef weigh-in in one county but will show in another county?

  • The County Extension Office that will validate the families’ nominations should be the county that copies/records the data and mails the DNA envelopes.

Payment

Is there a fee for animal nominations?

  • Yes, each animal nomination is $7.00. This cost will cover a nomination for both State Fair and the Aksarben Stock Show.

If an exhibitor accidentally created a livestock nomination, how can they remove the animal from the nomination list so the parent will not have to pay for the nomination?

  • In order to remove any fee for a livestock nomination, the exhibitor can uncheck the “State Fair Nomination” box under the Nomination Selection. If left unchecked, the fee will read as $0.00. If the livestock nomination is not selected for State Fair and left unpaid by the deadline, the animal will be ineligible to show at State Fair.

How does the parent know if they paid for their livestock nominations?

  • After each payment, an email receipt will be issued to the email listed on the parent account. The email will hold the following items: receipt amount paid, payment date, payment id, and the species with the animal id number. Also, in the parent account nominations tab, each nomination will show in the “Fee” column (Amount)-P. If the livestock nomination is still unpaid, the “Fee” column will read (Amount)-U. Another tip is to see if there is a red box with “Make Payment For Nominations” in the upper right corner of your profile.

Does the parent have to pay the full amount for the livestock nomination before the deadline?

  • Yes. In order for an animal nomination to be complete, payment must be made by the deadline of June 15.

Can the parent make edits to their nominations once they have submitted payment (Ex: gender, breed, retags)? How will the parent request an edit to the already-paid nomination?

  • Exhibitors will not be able to make edits once a nomination has been paid. All changes/edits to any nomination, once paid, will need to be submitted to the county Extension office. The county Extension office will need to make edits in their County Extension account through the validation tab.

What does the parent do if they pay for a nomination more than once?

  • Any animal that the parent suspects have been paid more than once will need to report the duplication to county Extension staff for confirmation. County Extension staff must report the confirmed duplication to Brandy Schulze.

How will the county Extension staff know if their families have paid for their livestock nominations?

  • County Extension staff are able to open their county account to view the payments that have been made and also the payments that are still pending. Two ways to do this is the view the “Payment Log” tab and see the timestamp and amount paid for each of the families. Another option is on the main screen, all exhibitors will be listed along with the amount still due under the “Parent Manager” column. This will be located on the left-hand side of the screen.