DAIRY CATTLE PROJECTS

2026 Dairy Cattle Project Important Dates

December 1, 2024 Born After Date (Dairy Steers) Posession Date: January 9th, 2026
December 1st, 2025 - March 1st, 2026 Born Between Date (Dairy Beef Feeder Calves) Posession Date: May 1st, 2026
January 10th, 2026 Dairy Steer Weigh-In

10:00 AM-12:00PM, Fairgrounds
May 2nd, 2026 Dairy Beef Feeder Weigh-In 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Fairgrounds
May 15th, 2026 Breeding Animal Registrations Due CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FORM
July 7th, 2026 Livestock 4-H Project Book Judging &  Interviews CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
July 18th, 2026 Drug Use Notification Forms (DUNF) Due CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT ONLINE FORM
July 22nd, 2026 Junior Fair Dairy Show see full schedule for detials

 

DAIRY Cattle PROJECT RESOURCES & FORMS

 

MARKET BEEF & DAIRY STEER WEIGH-IN (2026): 

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: 

  • Exhibitors must register their cattle ahead of the weigh-in at: https://go.osu.edu/janweighin

  • If we need to cancel due to bad weather, the weigh-in will be rescheduled for January 24th, 2025 from 10 AM-12 PM. 

  • There is a $5.00 tag 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 found below. 

  • 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 below under "Carcass Class Information & Rules"

  • Market Beef animals must be born after December 1st, 2024. 

  • All steers must be castrated by 8 months of age per ODA guidelines. 

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

  • All cattle must have a halter with a lead strap on before exiting the trailer or they will not be weighed. Any animals deemed too dangerous to handle will not be weighed or exhibited at the Jackson County Junior Fair. 

 

Spring Weigh-In (2026): 

Market Goats, Market Lambs, Market Hogs, Beef Feeder Calves, & Dairy Beef 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.  

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

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

  • All cattle must have a halter with a lead strap on before exiting the trailer or they will not be weighed. Any animals deemed too dangerous to handle will not be weighed or exhibited at the Jackson County Junior Fair.

 

Ohio State Fair: 

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

Dairy Cattle entries for the Ohio State Fair are due ONLINE by June 21st, 2026.