4-H and FFA market beef projects being raised for the 2021 Adams County Fair must be ear tagged and weighed at the fairgrounds on Saturday morning, January 9, beginning at 8:30 a.m. All animals must be on the fairgrounds and in line no later than 10:00 a.m. Animals being identified for the Adams County Fair will be tagged, weighed, and tattooed. Animals being tagged as Adams County Born and Raised show entries will receive a special ear tag. No Born and Raised entries will be accepted after tag-in.
Youth may identify and exhibit as many as three market beef animals – steers or market heifers – for the Adams County Fair. Each market beef exhibitor will be required to designate at least one animal in his/her name and a family can tag an additional two animals of that species per Junior Fair member as “family” animals. Each exhibitor will have access to no more than three total animals in that species, including “family” animals. State Fair steers and heifers cannot be registered as a family animal. Family is defined as junior fair eligible youth who are legally siblings, half-siblings or step-siblings.
Ohio State Fair: The Ohio State Fair (OSF) Beef Department is once again using EID ear tag and DNA sample protocols for identifying market beef animals for the 2021 State Fair, tentatively set for July 28 through August 8. These protocols include the use of an electronic identification (EID) ear tag that has a unique 15-digit number and a DNA sample that will be submitted for all market beef animals that exhibitors plan to enter in the 2021 Ohio State Fair Junior Market Beef show.
The DNA collection will be in the form of a hair follicle sample that will be submitted to the OSF by January 15, 2021 to meet the state fair ownership deadlines for market beef animals. Along with the DNA hair submission, each market animal’s 15-digit EID tag must also be included on the DNA packet.
No DNA samples will be collected by the Adams County Junior Fair Board. DNA packets with EID tags will be available at tag-in, and anyone wanting to identify an animal for OSF may request a packet. The OSF animal will be tagged with the EID tag, which will be also be used as its Adams County Fair tag. The owner will be responsible for collecting the DNA sample (instructions provided), completing the requested registration information on the packet, having the entry signed by an FFA advisor (for FFA entries) or the Extension Educator (for 4-H entries), and submitting their completed packet to the OSF by the January 15 deadline.
For more information regarding the Adams County Fair market beef tag-in on January 9, contact OSU Extension Adams County at 937-544-2339. For more information about the Ohio State Fair market beef nomination process visit the State Fair website at http://www.ohiostatefair.com/.