ALL Dairy Steers, Market Steers, Commercial Steers and Born & Raised Steers must be ear tagged to be eligible to be shown at the 2026 Fulton County Fair.
The Fulton County Steer Tag-In Day will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2026 at the Fulton County Fairgrounds—Steer Barn, 10:00-11:00 AM. This is a mandatory tag-in for all steers, even if the exhibitor cannot be present. Please complete the Steer ID card (at the very bottom of this post) prior to arriving at the Tag-In. Be sure that the Steer ID card comes with your steer if you cannot attend. Exhibitors will pay $2.00 per animal to cover the cost of the EID tag. All animals must be haltered in order to be tagged.
There is only one exemption to this mandatory ruling. Any steer that was tagged as a feeder calf for the 2025 Fulton County Junior Fair does not need to come to the tag-in on January 3, 2026 unless ownership has changed to a different family or they wish to participate in the Rate of Gain contest (see more information below), in which the animal will need to be weighed. However, these steers must have an ID card completed with the ID tag number and returned to the Extension Office or to the Tag-In Day by January 3rd.
Examples of the exemption:
My daughter exhibited a feeder calf at the 2025 Fulton County Junior Fair. The calf was tagged. My daughter wants to bring the steer to the 2026 Fulton County Fair. Does the steer need to come to the January 3rd Tag-In Day? NO, unless they want to participate in the Rate of Gain contest (see more information below). However, we do need a newly completed ID card with the 15-digit EID tag number delivered to the Tag-In Day or to the Extension Office before January 3rd.
My son bought a steer from a family that tagged and exhibited the steer as a feeder calf at the 2025 Fulton County Junior Fair. Do we have to bring the steer to the January 3rd Tag-In Day? YES, ownership of the steer has changed outside of the family and new ownership must be established by having the steer at the Tag-In Day on January 3rd.
Each exhibitor will be allowed to tag two steers for each project. Example: An exhibitor could tag-in two Born & Raised Steers, two Market Steers, two Commercial Steers, and/or two Dairy Steers. Also, all Born & Raised Steers must have been identified and tagged by Fulton County Junior Fair 2025 as a feeder calf in order to show as a Born and Raised Steer at the 2026 fair. Born and Raised Steer exhibitors must complete the attached “Born & Raised Market Beef Steer Application” and turn in at tag in or to the Extension Office before January 3rd for the animal to have Born & Raised eligibility for this class at the fair. Failure to submit the form will cause the animal to be shown in the beef steer class. They must also complete the ID card.
RATE OF GAIN CONTEST
Director in charge: Phil Herring
Steers for this contest MUST be weighed in at the Steer Tag-In day at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in the steer barn on January 3rd.
The Junior Exhibitors steers for the upcoming Fair will be the project for this. There will be 2 divisions for the contest:
1. Born & Raised Market, Market Beef, Commercial Steers
2. Dairy Steers
Guidelines: This class of steers, Born & Raised market, Market Beef, Commercial and Dairy, has been established to help youth gain feedlot type experience, feeding cattle, and financial management.
Judging Requirements: All steers for this project will be required to be shown at the Fair to be eligible for awards. Bring completed Project Book to the Interview Judging.
Fair Exhibit: Steers will be required to be displayed at the Fulton County Fair.
Questions may be directed to Phil Herring (419-704-6939).
Mark your calendar for the 2026 Ohio 4-H Conference, held March 21, 2026, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, where 4-H volunteers and teens (ages 13 and up) from across the state will come together for a day of learning, connection, and inspiration. With a wide variety of educational sessions designed for all interests and experience levels, this event is a chance to grow, share ideas, and strengthen Ohio 4-H programs. Registration will open by the first week of January and must be completed through your county office—don’t miss this opportunity to help make the best better! Learn more at the Ohio 4-H Conference webpage.