Market Beef & Dairy Market Weigh-in, Tagging, DNA Sample Collection

Primary tabs

Saturday, March 14, 2026 - 8:30am to 11:00am
Contact email:
cooksey.25@osu.edu
Contact name:
Leslie Cooksey
Contact phone:
740-653-5419

It’s time once again to prepare for Jr. Market Beef tagging and weigh-in. This year it is being conducted in a fashion similar to recent years and continues to also include exhibitors planning to participate in the ‘finished’ Dairy Beef Steer project that was created in 2024 in Fairfield County.

Market beef weigh-in for beef animals as well as dairy market beef is set for Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Fairfield Cattle Company located at 3443 Cincinnati-Zanesville Road (S.R. 22), Lancaster, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. In advance of March 14th exhibitors will be required to tag their own market beef animals with an 840 EID tag (unless the calf already has an EID tag). Visual numbered tags are also being provided this year and will be required when the finished animals arrive at the Fair in October. As in the recent past, participants must submit a hair follicle DNA sample at the weigh-in for each calf.

Again this year families with market beef and dairy market beef projects are also required to reserve a weigh-in time for the 14th, and only those directly involved in transporting and weighing-in calves should plan to attend. The goal remains to reduce congregation at weigh-in and minimize the transfer of paperwork. Specifically, the step-by-step process and requirements  include . . .

  1. Youth/families planning to weigh/tag-in market beef steers, market beef heifers, and dairy beef steers to be finished for the 2026 Fair must submit a request for EID tags on-line by completing the survey linked here by March 11, 2026. Complete only one request survey per family.
  2. Each calf must have an 840 EID tag. If a calf already has an 840 EID tag, DO NOT REMOVE IT. A new tag is not required or allowed.
  3. If your calf does not already have an 840 EID tag, receive one from OSU Extension before weigh-in on March 14 and place it in the calf’s ear. Taggers may be borrowed at that time also. If not familiar with tagging cattle, see this 3 minute video that shows the proper tagging procedure in detail.
  4. Either ear is acceptable for tag placement, however the left ear is preferred.
  5. Place the 840 EID tag near the center of the ear between the two cartilage ribs with the back (flat) portion of the tag on the outside of the ear.
  6. Return borrowed taggers along with any unused tags to the OSU Extension office as soon as possible. DO NOT pass taggers or tags on to another exhibitor without permission of OSU Extension.
  7. NEW this year, market beef animals must also have a visual numbered tag when they arrive at the Fair. Farm tags that do not have farm names are acceptable. However, if a visual tag is needed one will be provided through the OSU Extension office.
  8. Exhibitors needing assistance in tagging should contact their 4-H/FFA advisor or the Jr Beef or Dairy Superintendents.
  9. Youth/families are expected to apply the required EID tag in the calf’s ear prior to weigh/tag-in on March 14, 2026 and submit their individual and/or family exhibitor information, calf tagging, and housing information on a second survey linked here by March 13, at 9 a.m. Market beef exhibitors (not Dairy Market Beef) will also submit their County Bred, Born & Raised information in the second survey. The visual tag numbers must be submitted along with the other required information.
  10. NOTE that Market beef exhibitors participating in the Born, Bred, and Raised (B, B & R) in the Fairfield County show may upload their breeder signed B, B & R form when submitting their individual calf information on-line in the second survey found linked above, or must turn in their signed B, B & R in an envelope on weigh in day. A copy of the B, B & R form is linked here. Be certain all information is complete and the breeder is a member of the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association (FCCA). FCCA membership details may be found linked here.
  11. In the second survey linked above, each family will also select the time they will arrive with their calf(s) to be weighed and checked in on March 14. All tagged calves must be weighed in on March 14, 2026, at the Fairfield Cattle Company facility located at 3443 Cincinnati-Zanesville Road (S.R. 22), Lancaster. The only exception are the calves previously weighed in for the early BPCQ harvest.
  12. On the 14th at weigh-in youth/families of both traditional market beef and market dairy beef animals are also expected to submit a hair follicle DNA sample from each calf they tag-in. Approximately 30 hairs that include the roots – do NOT cut the hair – for each calf must be submitted in a sealed envelope with the exhibitor’s family name and calf number on it. Include inside the envelope an index card listing the EID tag number of the calf, the exhibitor and/or family member’s name(s), address, and club/chapter. If you’ve not collected hair DNA samples before, see this one minute YouTube for detail on how to collect the hair sample: https://youtu.be/Upl-09ZOLF0
  13. Any unused 840 EID tags must be returned to the OSU Extension Office or at weigh-in.

For more information on this tagging and weighing process for your 2026 Fairfield County Fair market beef animals, contact the Jr Beef Superintendents, the Jr Dairy Superintendents or OSU Extension.

Please see the complete details on the blog post at: https://u.osu.edu/fairfield4h/2026/01/29/market-beef-and-dairy-market-beef-tagging-weighing-and-dna-sample-collection-procedure-for-2026/