Sheep

Livestock Exhibitors: Quality Assurance MUST be completed by June 30th to show at fair, no exceptions!

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Quality Assurance is an annual requirement of the Ohio Department of Agriculture for youth taking livestock projects to county and state fair. In Fairfield County, Quality Assurance Training is required for all members who will be exhibiting a livestock project at the Fairfield County Fair or Junior Exhibitor at the Ohio State Fair. Beef (Breeding & Market); Dairy Breeding, Dairy Steers, & Dairy Feeders; Goats (Dairy, Meat, Market & Pygmy); Poultry (Breeding & Market); Sheep (Breeding & Market); Swine; Rabbits (Breeding & Market), and Alpacas/Llamas.

Deadlines for 2025:

  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2025 (or 45 days prior to exhibition).
  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Fairfield County Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 30, 2025.

Email reminders will be sent to advisors this last month for those who have yet to complete this requirement.

All Quality Assurance information has been shared with club/chapter advisors and has been posted on the blog since April 24th. Read all Quality Assurance options for 2025 here.

Youth Opportunity: Ohio State Fair Livestock Judging Contest – REGISTER BY JULY 3rd

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All 4-H members are encouraged to participate in the 2025 Ohio State Fair Livestock Judging Contest on Sunday, July 20th at the Ohio Expo Center.

  • Check-In: 8:30 am – 9:30 am – Voinovich Livestock Center Show Arena
  • Contest Instructions: 10:00 am – Voinovich Livestock Center Show Arena
  • Judging Begins: 10:30 am – Denny Hales Arena
  • Awards Presentation – Following Contest Critiques in Voinovich

Pre-Registration is required by July 3rd and must have a county 4-H Educator’s approval – please contact Leslie Cooksey if you wish to participate. The cost is $15 per member and if Fairfield County 4-H youth wish to participate in this contest, members will be reimbursed by the 4-H Advisory Committee. Click here for additional rules and contest information.

Swine, Lamb, Goat and Dairy Feeder Check-in Details are Released

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All trailers should enter the main gate off Fair Avenue

Plans for the Fairfield County Jr. Fair ‘live’ market swine, swine MQP, ‘live’ lamb, lamb MQP, ‘live’ goat and dairy feeder check-in on June 28 at the Fairgrounds have been finalized.

Exhibitors are responsible for seeing their animals are tagged with an EID tag prior to arrival at the Fairgrounds on June 28. For those animals not presently with an 840 EID tag, tags and taggers are available from the OSU Extension office. Details for tagging and securing tags are linked here. https://u.osu.edu/fairfield4h/2025/05/07/protocol-for-tagging-market-lambs-market-hogs-market-goats-and-dairy-beef-feeders/

Prior to June 28 exhibitors with MQP pigs, market lambs (both live and MQP), market goats and dairy beef feeders must Continue reading Swine, Lamb, Goat and Dairy Feeder Check-in Details are Released →

Protocol for tagging Market Lambs, Market Hogs, Market Goats and Dairy Beef Feeders

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Order your tags from the Extension office today!

It’s once again the time to prepare for tagging and weigh-in of market and MQP lambs, market and MQP hogs, market and MQP goats and dairy beef feeders. Again this year exhibitors will be required to tag their own market animals with an 840 EID tag (unless the animal already has an EID tag).

Specifically, the check list of step-by-step process and requirements include . . Continue reading Protocol for tagging Market Lambs, Market Hogs, Market Goats and Dairy Beef Feeders →

Attention Livestock Exhibitors: Quality Assurance Requirements

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Quality Assurance is an annual requirement of the Ohio Department of Agriculture for youth taking livestock projects to county and state fair. In Fairfield County, Quality Assurance Training is required for all members who will be exhibiting a livestock project at the Fairfield County Fair or Junior Exhibitor at the Ohio State Fair. Beef (Breeding & Market); Dairy Breeding, Dairy Steers, & Dairy Feeders; Goats (Dairy, Meat, Market & Pygmy); Poultry (Breeding & Market); Sheep (Breeding & Market); Swine; Rabbits (Breeding & Market), and Alpacas/Llamas.

Deadlines for 2025:

  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2025.
  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Fairfield County Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 30th, 2025.

At this time, Quality Assurance CANNOT be taught by club/chapter advisors to Fairfield County 4-H/FFA youth virtually (i.e. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Google Classrooms, Facebook Live, etc.).

Here are the acceptable options to complete Quality Assurance in 2025:

  • In-Person 4-H Club/FFA Chapter Clinic taught by a 4-H/FFA Advisor who has completed the Quality Assurance Assistant Instructor Training this year. Advisors who attended this training will notify their members of their club/chapter QA Clinic date and will be responsible for getting all QA paperwork submitted to the Extension Office by the appropriate deadlines.
  • In-Person Countywide Make-Up Clinics: To be held on Thursday, May 1st from 6:30-8:30 p.m. or Tuesday, May 20th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Fairfield County Ag Center/Extension Office (831 College Ave. Lancaster). An RSVP is required. Please click here to register for a countywide QA makeup clinic.
  • In-Person Beef Quality Assurance: Members who complete an in-person BQA taught by a certified BQA instructor must submit documentation to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.
  • In-Person Pork Quality Assurance: Members who complete an in-person PQA taught by a certified PQA advisor must submit documentation to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu. Youth MUST be age 14 or older (current age) to complete in-person PQA. Youth will receive a PQA certification number from the National Pork Board upon completion.
  • Online: Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA). This is the ONLY approved ONLINE Quality Assurance Program for youth in Ohio. For 2025, this web-based course has been approved by ODA for 8-18 year olds.
    • Go to  https://yqcaprogram.org/ for the training and quiz.
    • Instructions for using the new website can be found at: 2022 YQCA Website Instructions
    • Exhibitors must complete by June 30, 2025 or they will not be able to show at the Fairfield County Fair.
    • You will need to select the web-based training ($12.00 per member, annually). The age of the course should be age as of January 1st of the current year.
    • When you are finished, please send a pdf/picture of your certificate which includes exhibitor name(s) and certificate number(s) to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

MQP Applications for Goats, Swine and Lambs are Due by April 15, 2025

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Apply by April 15th!

Entries for the 2025 Fairfield County Jr. Fair Goat, Swine, and Lamb MQP programs are now being accepted. Again this year all MQP entries will be accepted on-line and must be submitted by April 15, 2025.

Please note that some of the important MQP details have changed as follows:

  • Goats for the MQP contest must be owned by May 17, 2025 and will be weighed-in on that date at the Fairgrounds. After 99 days on feed the Goat MQP contest will conclude at the Fairgrounds on Sunday, August 24, 2025. NEW for this year, female goats may now be entered in MQP, and there is no minimum weight requirement at harvest. Go here for the Goat MQP application.
  • Lambs for the MQP contest must be owned by June 28, 2025 and will be weighed at the Fairgrounds on that date. After 65 days on feed the MQP lambs will be brought back to the Fairgrounds for the conclusion of the contest on September 1, 2025, which – NEW for this year – is Labor Day Monday. Go here for the Lamb MQP application.
  • Barrows or gilts for MQP must be owned by June 28, 2025 and will be weighed this year at the Fairgrounds on that date. After 71 days on feed the MQP pigs will return to the Fairgrounds for the contest conclusion on September 7, 2025. NEW for this year, only two pigs may be weighed/tagged in for MQP and these pigs may not be used for the “live” show at the Fair. Go here for the Swine MQP application.

Applications for any of these contests must be received on-line by April 15, 2025. Find more details about MQP here: https://go.osu.edu/mqp

2025 Homegrown Market Lamb – Register your Ewe/Lambs within 2 weeks of lambing!

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The Junior Fair Sheep Committee is pleased to continue the Homegrown Class in the Junior Fair Market Lamb Show for 2025. Read on for further details:

Homegrown Market Lamb Division

  1. To be eligible, entries must be born from a ewe owned by the exhibitor prior to January 1st of the current year and raised at the 4-H/FFA member’s immediate family property or family property that adjoins the exhibitor’s residence (i.e. grandparents, aunt/uncle). Proof of ownership of the ewe will be in the form of registration papers, farm Scrapie tag, or Scrapie tag with an accompanying bill of sale.
  2. Entry must be one of the exhibitor’s junior fair market lamb projects. Lambs must be born after January 1st of the current year.
  3. The market lamb selected to be shown in the homegrown market lamb show will be included in the general market classes.
  4. Homegrown market lamb class will be held separately – before the general market lamb show, and only one lamb per exhibitor will be permitted to show in this class.
  5. The top five (5) places will be selected and receive an award. The Champion Homegrown Market Lamb and Reserve Champion Homegrown Market Lamb selected will sell 6th and 7th in the overall sale order (unless it places either Grand or Reserve Grand Champion in the general market lamb show or the exhibitor is selected as the Sheep Premier Exhibitor).
  6. Exhibitors must complete the Homegrown Market Lamb Intent Form (http://go.osu.edu/homegrownmktlamb) as soon as possible following the birth of their Homegrown Market Lamb(s). This will notify the Sheep Committee to make a farm visit within two weeks of lambing.
  7. All entries must agree to a market lamb committee member(s) entering their barn/housing unit for visual inspection of animals. Failure to do so will lead to immediate disqualification.
  8. Homegrown Market Lamb(s) must take part in June weigh-in at the fairgrounds. No exceptions.

Livestock Tagging/Weighing and MQP Dates for 2025

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Get the tagging and weigh-in dates on your calendar.

The good news is . . . participation in livestock projects remains strong while muscle quality and performance carcass-based project participation continues to grow in Fairfield County. The rest of the good news is, although there will be a few changes, plans continue to accommodate all the livestock project participation that is being experienced. That said, for the most part weigh-in/tagging dates, as well as harvest dates will remain similar in 2025 to what they were in 2024.

The changes being considered involve the Beef Performance & Carcass Quality (BPCQ), Swine MQP and Goat MQP programs.

A third, optional, early harvest date for participants in the BPCQ is being added for those youth with early born calves who would like to conclude their carcass-based project in August. The youth participating in the August harvest will weigh/tag their BPCQ calves on February 1. The two later September beef harvest dates will also be maintained and calves being harvested then will be weighed/tagged along with the ‘live’ beef cattle on March 8. Youth had the opportunity to apply for BPCQ with an application deadline for the 2025 BPCQ contest of January 8, 2025 and on a first come, first served basis select their preferred harvest date.

Swine MQP will be considering two changes. First change being considered is pigs will be weighed/tagged in specifically for either the MQP or ‘live’ show. The pigs for each contest will be Continue reading Livestock Tagging/Weighing and MQP Dates for 2025 →

You’re invited – Jr. Fair Sheep Exhibitor Meeting: November 25th

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Sent on behalf of Fairfield County Junior Fair Sheep Superintendents:

Junior Fair Sheep Exhibitors and 4-H/FFA Advisors,

As a Fairfield County Junior Fair sheep exhibitor family, the Junior Fair Sheep Superintendents are inviting you to come and talk about the 2024/2025 Junior Fair Shows on Monday, November 25th, 2024, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at OSU Extension Office/Fairfield County Ag Center. We hope that you can join us at this open meeting!

Drug Use Notification Forms – due at NOON, Friday, October 4th for Market Beef/BEEF FEEDERS/DAIRY MARKET STEERS/Dairy Beef Feeders/Lactating Dairy Cows & Dairy Goats/Market Hogs/Market Goats/Market Lambs

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Animals must be drug free by weigh-in day of fair. Each member must complete a Drug Use Notification Form (DUNF) (http://go.osu.edu/fairfielddunf) form online for each animal they plan to exhibit prior to weigh-in at the fair. If the forms are not correctly completed, exhibitors will not be permitted to show. The link to the form will open on Monday, September 30th (as forms should be completed more than 5 days before fair weigh-in).

  • Animals requiring a DUNF indicating the animal is free from any/all drugs in its system on fair weigh-in/move-in day are:
    • Market Beef
    • NEW FOR 2024: BEEF FEEDER
    • NEW FOR 2024: DAIRY MARKET STEER
    • Dairy Beef Feeder
    • Dairy Cow (lactating)
    • MQP Hog
    • Market Barrow
    • Market Gilt
    • Market Goat
    • MQP Goat
    • Dairy Goat (lactating)
    • Market Chickens
    • Market Turkey
    • Market Duck
    • MQP Lamb
    • Market Lamb
    • Market Rabbit
  • Forms should be completed no sooner than 5 days prior to animal weigh-in to be sure that their animal is drug free during fair.
  • Forms submitted prior to that timeframe will be deleted and exhibitors will be asked to resubmit the DUNF form closer to their animal’s weigh-in. All animals being brought to the fair requiring DUNF forms will need to submit their forms by 12:00 p.m., Friday, October 4, 2024.
  • The only EXCEPTION to the Friday deadline will be Market Poultry and Market Rabbits who will complete DUNF Forms AFTER they receive tags/leg bands so they have identification information to enter into the DUNF Form. One form per pen of animals should be completed for Poultry and Rabbits. Deadline for poultry and rabbit exhibitors is MIDNIGHT on Saturday, October 5th.
  • Animals tagged with an EID 840 (15 digit tag) should include the last 6 digits in the identification field of the form.
  • Scrapie Tag numbers DO NOT need to be entered for market goats and market sheep – please use the last 6 digits of your EID 840 tag.
  • There should be ONE form submitted for each animal Exception: Each pen of rabbits and each pen of market chickens will need a form per pen.
  • Turkeys exhibitors will put N/A in the identification field.
  • Market Chicken exhibitors will put all 3 leg band numbers in the same identification field for their pen of chickens.
  • Market Rabbit exhibitors will put both tag numbers for their pair of rabbits in the identification field for their pen of rabbits.