Kentucky 4-H/FFA Market Animal Validation Program
Validation of 4-H/FFA Market Animals
All 4-H/FFA market steers, market heifers, market lambs, market hogs, and market goats that will participate in market livestock shows in Kentucky (i.e., County Fairs, District Shows, Junior Livestock Expos, Kentucky State Fair, etc.) must be tagged with Radio Frequency Identification (R.F.I.D.) tags. The R.F.I.D. tag number will be used as the Kentucky Uniform Identification Program (K.U.I.P.) number. In addition, to be eligible for participation in the Kentucky State Fair, market steers, market lambs, market hogs, and market goats must have samples collected for DNA testing. The validation guidelines and required forms for validation can be found below.
The location where market animals will be housed is required to be identified on the validation form. The housing location must conform to the rules and guidelines found in the Ownership, Possession, and Care Rules for Kentucky 4-H/FFA Youth Breeding and Market Livestock Projects.
Animals that will only be exhibited as breeding animals (breeding heifers, breeding gilts, breeding ewes, and breeding does) do not need to go through the validation process. However, all breeding animals are required to be identified by June 1 by completing a Kentucky 4-H/FFA Breeding Animal Project Nomination and Location Form online. View information about the nomination of breeding animals.
2023 Guidelines for Validating Market Animals in Kentucky
Market Cattle Tagging Deadlines:
Order form opens – February 1, 2023
(tags will be ordered online at KY State Fair website by Exhitors)
Deadline to order tags – March 24, 2023
DNA Envelopes must be in hand (Bobby Bell, KY State Fair) or postmarked – March 24, 2023
Small Animal (Hog, Sheep, Goat) Tagging Deadlines:
Order form opens – April 1, 2023
(tags will be ordered online at KY State Fair website by Extension Agent or FFA Advisor)
Deadline to order tags – May 12, 2023
DNA Envelopes must be in hand (Bobby Bell, KY State Fair) or postmraked - May 24, 2023
Market Cattle Nomination:
Tag Order Form (Kentucky State Fair Website)
Market Hog Nomination:
Tag Order Form
Nomination Link
Market Lamb Nomination:
Tag Order Form
Market Goat Nomination:
Tag Order Form
Nomination Link
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Please note that validation tags and packets will be ordered directly from the Kentucky State Fair office by youth/families. Youth/families will be responsible for completing the tagging/packets on their own and sending the information back to the State Fair office.
Agents Responsibilities:
- Please share this information with livestock leaders and 4-H members.
- In regard to agents verifying 4-H exhibitors' 6-hour educational requirement - - "The supervising county Extension agent must verify that 4-H exhibitors have completed their six-hour educational requirement. Agents will receive a list of 4-Hers that have submitted validation forms from the Kentucky State Fair Entry Department after the validation deadline. Once received, the agent will complete an online form verifying (or refuting) that each member has received required educational hours. For 4-H members that have not received educational hours, agents are asked to notify 4-Hers and their families that they are not eligible to compete because they did not meet the 6-hour educational requirement."