Livestock ID, weigh-in dates announced

OSU Extension information

Dates for livestock identification and weigh-ins have been announced! Exhibitors should read the material carefully as some of the procedures have changed from 2011. For more information, contact the Ohio State University Extension Office at 419.238.1214 or club/chapter leaders.

Sheep, Goat & Dairy Feeder Weigh-in will be Saturday, June 2, at the Beef Barn on the fairgrounds. Exhibitors should enter off of Fox Road and acquire their trailer number so they can be tagged in a timely fashion. Once parked, exhibitors should wait until their animals are identified before they cross the scales.

Sheep and goat exhibitors may directly enter the scales as their identification is their USDA scrapies tag. Species have been divided by time slots to assure that everyone is tagged and weighed in a timely manner. Sheep will weigh from 7:30-8:15 a.m., goats from 8:15-9 a.m., and dairy feeders from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Effective in 2012, all hog exhibitors must transport their animals to the Van Wert County Fairgrounds for identification. Due to standards in cross contamination and liability Junior Fair Board members are no longer permitted to travel from farm to farm to identify animals. Exhibitors should enter at the Gate 4 entrance and travel from the east end of the Junior Horse Building through to the west end to exit out Gate 5.

Exhibitors will be required to bring their hogs one of the following dates: Thursday, June 7, from 6-9 p.m.; Saturday, June 9, from 8 a.m.-noon; and Tuesday, June 12, from 6-9 p.m.

In order to minimize stress on animals, exhibitors should bring in animals at the coolest time available. Animals will stay on trailers to be tagged as efficiently as possible.