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Resources & Forms Quality Assurance Tag-Ins FairEntry DUNFs Skillathon Carcass Contest Ohio State Fair

 

All Livestock Possession Dates, Weight & Tagging Requirements, etc. can be found in the:

2026 Jackson County 4-H Family Guide

Resources & Forms:

Ohio Youth Livestock Exhibition Rules (PLEASE READ)

Ohio Fairs and Exhibitions Frequently Asked Questions

Veterinary Feed Directive Information (VFD) Important Information

Premise ID Form: DOWNLOAD: PDF

Ohio State Fair Livestock Competition Information

Project Enrollment for 4-H and FFA Members and Showing Animals at the Ohio State Fair

Jackson County Junior Fair Breeder's List

Breeding Animal Registration Form

Carcass Contest Entry Form & Rules 

EXAMPLE Livestock Registration & County Bred Form - MUST pick up triplicate form from Extension Office ahead of county fair weigh-in/tag-in!

EXAMPLE Rabbit Registration & County Bred Form - MUST pick up triplicate form from Extension Office ahead of county fair weigh-in/tag-in!

Quality Assurance (2026)

QA: All Livestock Exhibitors Must Complete Quality Assurance Annually. All QA Must Be Completed by June 1st. Youth MUST Pre-Register. 

Click Here to Register for a 2026 QA Training!

2026 Quality Assurance training opportunities can be found on the Calendar, in the 4-H Newsletter, and County Dates Page. 

Jackson County Quality Assurance Training Opportunities: 

  • Wednesday, March 4th, 6:00-8:00 PM, ParksEdge Event Center, Sponsored by Jackson-Vinton Farm Bureau (Limited to 75 Youth Only)
  • Saturday, April 4th, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Jackson County OSU Extension Office
  • Thursday, May 14th, 6:00-7:30 PM, Jackson County OSU Extension Office

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Quality Assurance Test Out:

In partnership with our local FFA chapters, we are offering a Quality Assurance Test Out at each local high school (Jackson, Wellston, & Oak Hill). Youth must be at least 15 as of January 1, 2026 to take the test. Open to all 4-H/FFA members at that high school. If you are interested in taking the test, please sign up using the QA registration link.

Teens who test out of QA (and pass) are exempt from QA training for 3-years. This is a great option for those teens who are busy bees and struggle to fit a QA session into their schedule. There are tests for both large animals and small animals. Youth may choose which test to take. Tests are 50 questions, multiple choice and true/false. Use what you have learned at previous QA programs and from taking care of your project animals to find the correct answer! Passing score is 70% or higher. It takes most youth approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete the test, but you have as long as you need. Youth needing testing accommodations should contact the office at least 1 week prior to the testing date to develop a Winning Plan. Study materials are linked below. 

Test Outs

What will be on the Quality Assurance Test?

Click Here for Study Recommendations

Click Here for the Complete Livestock Quality Assurance Test Out Study Guide!

We recommend that members study their 4-H Project Resource Book, focusing on the Quality Assurance section of the book. You can also use the following QA references to study:

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Out of County QA Training Opportunities: 

4-H members can complete QA training in any county. Many state events, such as the Ohio Beef Expo or Ohio 4-H Conference, also offer QA trainings. Some counties offer regional clinics, or speciality clinics for specific species. Some counties even offer Zoom training workshops. These are open to all 4-H members. If attending, you MUST indicate that you are from Jackson County and should communicate ahead of time with that county's 4-H Educator or whoever is taking attendance and/or facilitating the training. 

Check out opportunties in counties surrounding Jackson: Gallia, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Ross, Scioto, & Vinton Counties. 

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Youth Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) Online TrainingOnline BQA

Youth Quality Care of Animals online training costs $12 and is available at https://yqcaprogram.org/  

If a member chooses to complete their QA training using the YQCA site or at another county training, certification of the completed training must be submitted to the Jackson County Extension Office no later than June 1st.

Tagging & Weigh-Ins (2026)

Market Beef & Dairy Steer Weigh-In: Market Steer, Market Heifer, and Dairy Steer Weigh-in will be Saturday, January 10th, 2026 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM.

PLEASE READ THESE IMPORTANT NOTES: 

  • Please pre-register your animals at go.osu.edu/JanWeighIn

  • If we need to cancel due to bad weather, the weigh-in will be rescheduled for January 24th from 10am-12 pm. 

  • There is a $5 pen fee per animal. Tag fees were increased to $10.00 this year due to the new ODA RFID tag requirement, however, thanks to the 4-H Advisory Council's sponsorship, the tag fee will remain at $5.00 for this year.

  • County Bred forms must be filled out and turned in at the weigh-in. County Bred forms must be picked up ahead of time from the Extension Office. Must be triplicate form.

  • Carcass Class forms must be filled out and turned in at the weigh-in. Carcass Class forms can be found on the Beef page under "Carcass Class Information & Rules" 

  • All cattle must have a halter with a lead strap on before exiting the trailer or they will not be weighed. 

  • Please see the Jackson County Fair Book and ODA Livestock Exhibition Rules for further rule clarifications, required birthdates, and possession dates.

 

Spring Weigh-In: Market Goats, Market Lambs, Market Hogs, Market Beef Feeder Calves, & Dairy Market Feeder Calves weigh-in will be Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds from 9:00-11:00 AM.

PLEASE READ THESE IMPORTANT NOTES: 

  • There is a $5 pen fee per animal. Tag fees were increased to $10.00 this year due to the new ODA RFID tag requirement, however, thanks to the 4-H Advisory Council's sponsorship, the tag fee will remain at $5.00 for this year.

  • County Bred forms must be filled out and turned in at the weigh-in. County Bred forms can be picked up at the Extension Office ahead of time. Must be triplicate form.  

  • Please see the Jackson County Fair Book and ODA Livestock Exhibition Rules for further rule clarifications, required birthdates, and possession dates.

 

Market Rabbit Tattooing: Market Rabbit Tattooing will be Saturday, June 27th, 2026 at the Southview Elementary School from 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM. 

  • County Bred forms must be filled out and turned in at the tattoing. County Bred forms must be picked up ahead of time from the Extension Office. Must be triplicate form.

Rabbit Exhibitor Fees: 

  • $5 for 2-3 rabbits. 
  • $10 for 4-6 rabbits. 

Please see the Jackson County Fair Book and ODA Livestock Exhibition Rules for further rule clarifications, required birthdates, and possession dates.

 

Poultry Pullorum Testing: Pullorum Testing for breeding poultry will be held Saturday, June 27th at the Jackson County Fairgrounds starting at 2:00 PM. 

  • Exhibition Poultry ONLY (Not for Market Poultry)

  • Please see the Jackson County Fair Book and ODA Livestock Exhibition Rules for further rule clarifications, required birthdates, and possession dates.

FairEntry

FairEntry Animal Registrations Due June 15th!

Click Here to Log In to FairEntry

  • Please find links to the instruction sheets to register your market and breeding animals for the fair. Completing your FairEntry Registration early will help us in preparing for the 2024 Fair!
  • You can login to FairEntry using your 4-H Online family profile.
  • Need Help?

Drug Use Notification Forms (DUNFs)

REQUIRED for ALL Market Animals (including market rabbits, dairy feeders, & beef feeders) exhibited at the Jackson County Junior Fair. 

Please submit the 2025 DUNF for the 2025 Jackson County Fair by July 18th, 2026. DUNF Forms will be available after July 1st. 

Click here to fill out the 2026 DUNF

Skillathon Contest (2026)

THURSDAY, July 9th from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

All Jackson County 4-H Youth (regardless of project enrollment) are encouraged to participate in the NEW Jackson County Livestock Skillathon Contest!

This new and improved contest is a fun way to test your knowledge of animals. No registration required.

Winners will be given their prizes at the 4-H Awards Ceremony at the Jackson County Junior Fair. Winners will be announced ahead of the Fair.

Awards include Beef, Dairy, Dogs, Goats, Horses, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, & Swine.

Skillathon FAQs

What is Skillathon?

•Skillathon is a fun test of your knowledge using interactive stations but is not a written test like you would take in school. Stations are more intentional, and youth are encouraged to describe and demonstrate what they have learned.  

Do I need to bring my project book?

•Nope! Project books are not checked at Skillathon anymore. Instead, project books will begin being checked at the 2024 Livestock Project Book Interviews.

Do I need to bring my animals?

•Nope! All animals can stay home.

Why should I participate?

•Generous folks sponsored AWESOME prizes to give to winners. If no one wins, who do we give prizes to? It just might be you!

Carcass Contest

Carcass Contest Entry Form & Rules

Why a Market Animal Carcass Class?

The Jackson County Junior Fair Market Animal Carcass Class is intended to be an educational experience for young producers in the animal agriculture industry. The carcass class is recognized as one of the most valuable learning experiences in beef production that exhibitors can take part in, and participation is highly encouraged.

The live judging is an educational session on live carcass evaluation designed to teach youth about meat judging and selection. Additionally, this exclusive experience introduces youth to top performers in the industry – professors, professionals, packing management, facilities, and more. Evaluation will be completed by The Ohio State University Meats Evaluation Team and their collegiate Advisor.

The agricultural industry is shifting in Southern and Southeastern Ohio with the introduction of a Meat Science program at the University of Rio Grande, and expanding workforce development preparation goals by Ohio 4-H. By introducing a Junior Fair Market Animal Carcass Class, the local 4-H and FFA programs can support youth in “learning by doing,” and completing hands-on project work with a potential for continuing education.

Market Animals eligible to exhibit in the carcass contest are: Market Steers, Market Hogs, Market Lambs, and Market Goats. Entry forms must be filled out and submitted at the animal's respective tag-in. 

OHIO STATE FAIR: 

4-H youth interested in exhibiting livestock at the Ohio State Fair should visit: https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/get-involved/livestock/livestock-competitions.

All entries are due ONLINE by June 21st, 2026 - however, this may vary!

Possession Dates may vary. Equine & Dog show operate on a different schedule, so please check additional dates. 

Once updated, information for the following events can be found at: