This page will provide county-specific information for the following projects:
Beef Dairy Llama & Alpaca Sheep Swine
117B Beef Breeding 122 Dairy Heifer   198 Market Lamb 139 Market Hog
117BF Beef Feeder 126 Dairy Cow   199 Sheep Breeding 140 Swine Breeding
117DF Dairy Beef Feeder        
117M Market Beef        

 

Beef

Market Beef Tag-In

Any member wishing to exhibit a market beef animal at the 2021 Tuscarawas County Fair must have an animal weighed-in. Exhibitors from 2020 have been notified. A copy of the letter can be obtained here. Market beef tag-in will be December 12 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Main Show Arena at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds. For those with unavoidable scheduling conflicts, we have set aside December 14 from 6 to 7 p.m. you must pre-register for the 14th by calling the Extension office by December 10 (if leaving a message on our recorder, state your name, phone number, and number of animals you'll be bringing). If arrangements are not made by December 10, you will not be permitted to tag-in or exhibit.

Effective for 2020:

  1. Dairy market beef will only be permitted to be shown from the six recognized dairy breeds: Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn. No other dairy market beef will be permitted to be tagged in and exhibited.

  2. Tuscarawas County Bred and Fed will become Tuscarawas County Bred, Born, and Fed. Calves must be conceived, born, and raised in Tuscarawas County and no embryos will be permitted. (Updated 11/2/2020 - After the 2021 Market Beef letter was sent out, our office was asked to retract the portion of the Tuscarawas County Bred, Born and Fed (formally known as Bred & Fed) that discusses embryos. As there is no easy way to follow-up check into this, please disregard the part of the sentence that stated “embryos will not be permitted.”)

Reminders:

Market Heifer Class – Effective in 2020, youth may choose to exhibit a heifer instead of a steer as their market beef project. All the same weight limits and rules for the steers would still apply. Heifers show in a separate class but show for overall champion market beef. Once a heifer is tagged in as a market beef animal at fair, she is not permitted to be switched to beef breeding. Only one market beef animal is permitted to be exhibited.

Possession Deadline – Once a market beef animal is tagged in under a 4-H or FFA member’s name for the Tuscarawas County Fair, that animal is not permitted to be shown by any other person or under another name. Not adhering to this rule will result in the member not being permitted to exhibit their animal the 2021 Tuscarawas County Fair.

Here are the 2021 tag-in procedures/guidelines:

  1. Tag-in at the December date is required for all 4-H and FFA market beef and dairy market beef shown and sold at the 2021 Tuscarawas County Fair. There is no make up date. In case of inclement weather, please listen to WJER or WTUZ for more information.
  1. You may weigh-in 1 or 2 animals with one being eligible to exhibit at the Tuscarawas County Fair, or if you have a brother/sister or half-brother/sister or unrelated children (with at least one parent residing in the home) and who are members of a Tuscarawas County 4-H club and reside in the same household who have also weighed in an animal, you may at the time of weigh-in designate a back-up animal that may be shown by:
    1. you or any of the above-mentioned individuals
    2. at the time of tag-in those individuals (siblings) eligible to exhibit the back-up animal must be so named at weigh-in. (Example: If there are 2 [or more] members in your family and they weigh in 1 animal per child, the extra animal can be used as a back-up for any of the children, BUT MUST BE NAMED AT TAG-IN.)
  1. CASTRATED CALVES ONLY! It is suggested that you obtain a slip from your vet to verify the procedure if you had it done just prior to tag-in.
  1. CALF MUST BE WEARING A HALTER AND BE HALTER BROKE! Animals will be dismissed that do not have a halter on in the trailer and when taken through the scales. Calves MUST be halter broke!
  1. Please help us notify anyone who did not exhibit a market beef in 2020 but will be taking a market beef in 2021. They must bring their animal(s) to tag-in.

Additional market project reminders:

  1. All market livestock exhibitors must attend a Quality Assurance (QA) Seminar in 2021. Seminars dates are to be determined as of this mailing. Look for finalized QA dates on our social media sites (web site and Facebook page). 4-H advisors will also be aware of the dates.
  1. Begin record keeping as soon as you get your calf for the 2021 year. Complete guidelines will be available online. We have a very limited amount of project books and resource books at the office; contact us for purchasing information.
  1. A Junior Fair exhibitor may only exhibit a total of two large animals and two small animals at the county fair. The breakdown is as follows: Large Animals – market beef, feeder calf, beef breeding, dairy cow, hog, lamb; Small Animals – rabbit, poultry, dairy goat, market goat, pack goat, pygmy goat. An exhibitor may only receive two sale-generating checks. An exhibitor may receive a fair premium on three total projects.
  2. The following steps must be complete to exhibit a market beef at the county fair:
    1. Animal tagged and weighed in on December 12 (or 14), 2020.
    2. Enrollment turned in by April 15, 2021.
    3. Member’s attendance recorded at a QA meeting.
    4. Member must be in good standing with the enrolled club.
    5. Member attends Interview Judging and receives a Bronze or higher.
    6. Member turns in a completed fair entry by the deadline.
    7. Animal brought to the county fair by assigned time in good health condition.
    8. DUNF is complete, accurate, and animal is drug residue free.
    9. Animal must be properly cared for during the county fair, including bedding and feed.
Ohio State Fair DNA Sample Collection

The Ohio State Fair Beef Department adopted in 2015 new protocols for identifying market beef animals. 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 2020 Ohio State Fair Junior Market Beef Show.

The DNA collection will be in the form of a hair sample received by the Ohio State Fair by January 30, 2021, to meet the 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 packets which will tentatively be available at tag-in. For 2021: In lieu of Kiersten's signature, please email her a picture of the completed hair sample packet and the information from the front of the envelope (two separate pictures). Once she receives these, she can forward your name to Elizabeth Share-Duling in Columbus and she will sign off on those packets once she receives them.

You are responsible for making a State Fair entry. You are eligible to show in Open Class but must follow entry procedures in the Ohio State Fair Handbook. Obtain entry information from the Ohio State Fair web site.

 

Dairy

Again for 2021, members enrolled in projects #122 and #126 will be required to order their books (including #127R Dairy Resource Handbook, if necessary) at https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/. There is a coupon for free shipping of orders over $20. Resource books can be shared among siblings. First-year members must have the resource handbook.

Our office does have a limited supply of #122 Dairy Heifer Project and Record Book, #126 Dairy Cow Project and Record Book, and #127R Dairy Resource Handbook. These can be picked up by appointment only (upon our re-opening) at no cost as the Dairy Committee has already paid for these publications. Appointments can be made by emailing armstrong.133@osu.edu.

Llama & Alpaca

 

Sheep

Scrapie Tag Requirements - All Sheep

USDA Sheep Requirements Fact Sheet - explaining the national scrapie eradication program - for the following sheep projects: 198 and 199. Contact Kiersten with any questions.

Swine

The Senior Fair Board has announced their decision to ban exhibitors from feeding hogs ractopamine.
The Ohio State Fair has also announced they will be going ractopamine free as well.

Hog Hair Length Requirement

Dr. Tony Forshey, Ohio Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian, has provided the following important information for all hog exhibitors. Please read this information. Should you have any questions, please contact the Kiersten Heckel.

  • Hogs must have hair over their entire body with the exception of the ears and tail.

  • All hair on the hog must be a minimum ½” in length.

  • DO NOT PURCHASE A HOG THAT HAS BEEN CLIPPED as there are no guarantees that the hair will grow back long enough in the ensuing months.

  • Be extra careful if purchasing a Hampshire or Duroc (Duroc especially) as these breeds are prone to being born hairless.  Do not buy a hog of either breed that has been clipped as the chances of it growing enough hair is greatly diminished.

  • Do not clip your hog at all, there is no need and the risk is too great.

  • The fact that a hog was born without hair or hair of an insufficient length will not be a valid excuse, these hogs will be denied entry to the fair.

Enforcement of Market Hog Hair Rule

The Tuscarawas County Sr. Fair Board will strictly enforce the 1/2-inch hair rule on all market hogs at the Tuscarawas County Fair. Dr. Forshey, State Veterinarian, has made it clear that any hog with hair less than 1/2-inch in length will be required to leave the fairgrounds. In addition, Dr. Forshey recommends that exhibitors not purchase a hog that has already been clipped. Click here for more information.

Changes Made in the Market Hog ID Process

Members enrolled in #139 Market Hog must have animals tagged and in their care by June 15, 2021. New in 2020: Instead of DNA, two tags will be used - a county tag and an EID (electronic identification) tag. Both tags must be placed in the ears and visible in the pictures. All photos need to be 2-inches x 3-inches (wallet size).

Replacement Tags: If your hog loses a tag before the fair, the Market Livestock Committee will provide a replacement EID tag for $3; a replacement county tag can be provided at no charge. Replacement tags can be purchased and picked up at the Extension office. The member will need to complete and submit a new Project Registration Form with photos. If a tag falls out, you must contact the OSU Extension office as soon as possible. If both tags fall out and you do not report it, your hog could be disqualified.