Dairy Beef Cattle

Applicable State Law

901:1-18-06 Cattle

(A) Cattle moved within Ohio for exhibition: 

  1. The animals presented for exhibition must show no symptoms or evidence of an infectious or contagious disease. 

(B) All cattle imported into Ohio for exhibition must: 

  1. Be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection issued within thirty days preceding the opening date of the exhibition and be identified with official individual identification; 
  2. Originate from a tuberculosis-accredited free herd, an accredited free state or zone, or a modified accredited advanced state or zone; 
  3. If originate from a modified accredited state or zone must comply with Rule 901:1-17-03 of the Administrative Code; 
  4. If originate from an accreditation preparatory or a non-accredited state or zone are prohibited from exhibition;
  5. If from a brucellosis class A state or area/zone must be negative to an official brucellosis test within thirty days of the opening date of the exhibition unless: they are under six months of age, steers, or official vaccinates under twenty months of age (dairy) or twenty four months of age (beef); and (
  6. If from a brucellosis class B or C state or area/zone must meet all requirements for pre entry testing as specified in 9 C.F.R. 78.9 and obtain an Ohio permit prior to movement. 

(C) Cattle from a brucellosis certified free herd or class free state or area/zone are not required to be brucellosis tested.

Department Rules – Feeders

Animals

  1. Calves must be born on March 1, 2022 to April 15, 2022.
  2. All calves must be of any dairy breed or a cross from within the dairy breeds.
  3. All calves are to be de-horned and surgically castrated by June 15.
  4. All calves must be under ownership and in possession of and under continual care of exhibitor by May 15th.
  5. All dairy feeders brought to the fair must have a mandatory vaccination. The vaccination will be given at the fairgrounds on Saturday, May 28. The vaccination covers BVD, IBR, BRSV and P13. All animals must go in the chute at weigh-in on May 28.
  6. Any member that has a calf born before March 1, 2022, must contact the dairy beef committee to have the animal tagged for the Ohio State Fair. Calves born before March 1, 2022 are not eligible to be shown at the Hardin County Fair.
  7. New: Champion & Reserve Dairy Beef Feeders will be subject to drug and ractopamine screening day of show.

Weigh-In

  1. Maximum weight at the May 28th weigh-in is 325 pounds.
  2. All steers will be weighed between 5 and 6 p.m. Monday, September 5th to be eligible to show. This weight will be sale weight.
  3. A public auction to determine the rebuy price of all dairy feeders going through the Junior Fair Livestock Sale will be held on Friday, September 9, 2022 at 10 a.m. Exhibitors who intend to retain ownership of their dairy feeders after the fair must declare that intent at weigh-in on Monday, September 5, 2022 (these animals will then not be offered for sale at the public auction). Also, any dairy feeder exhibitor wanting to sell extra dairy feeders at this public auction must state that intent at weigh-in on Monday, September 5, 2022.
  4. Each calf will automatically be entered in rate of gain contest. All Junior Fair Dairy Beef Feeder rules apply to the rate of gain class.

Show and Barn Etiquette

  1. All dairy beef feeders are to bed with shavings – no straw, which is deducted from the exhibitor’s premium check.
  2. Maximum number of calves to be shown is 2. Only 1 Feeder can be sold. (See Junior Fair Sale Rules)
  3. No clipping or trimming of animals allowed at the fair. Animals are to be washed and shown dry.
  4. Use of show sticks are encouraged. Show halters are required.
  5. There will be two (2) warnings given to keep stalls and animals clean and cared for during the fair. If the exhibitor does not heed the two (2) warnings, the project will not be allowed to sell in the Junior Fair Sale.
  6. No gates or dividers of any kind allowed between animals without the superintendent’s approval.
  7. Any Exhibitor requiring the services of the Fair Veterinarian: A parent or guardian must be present at the exhibitor’s pen to authorize the treatment. All veterinary services must be paid for at the time of service. The Fair Board is not responsible for the payments to the veterinary services rendered to exhibitors.

Department Rules – Steers

Animals

  1. No steer may be born before the month of March of the year preceding the current year.
  2. All calves must be of any dairy breed or a cross from within the dairy breeds.
  3. All Dairy Steers must have been tagged and weighed on January 1, 2022

Weigh-In

  1. Minimum weight is 1,000 lbs. to be eligible to show.
  2. All dairy steers will be weighed immediately following the weighing of the dairy beef feeders between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday. This weight will be sale weight.

Show and Barn Etiquette

  1. All dairy beef feeders are to bed with shavings – no straw, which is deducted from the exhibitor’s premium check.
  2. Maximum number of calves to be shown is 2. Only 1 Feeder can be sold. (See Junior Fair Sale Rules)
  3. No clipping or trimming of animals allowed at the fair. Animals are to be washed and shown dry.
  4. Use of show sticks are encouraged. Show halters are required.
  5. There will be two (2) warnings given to keep stalls and animals clean and cared for during the fair. If the exhibitor does not heed the two (2) warnings, the project will not be allowed to sell in the Junior Fair Sale.
  6. No gates or dividers of any kind allowed between animals without the superintendent’s approval.
  7. Any Exhibitor requiring the services of the Fair Veterinarian: A parent or guardian must be present at the exhibitor’s pen to authorize the treatment. All veterinary services must be paid for at the time of service. The Fair Board is not responsible for the payments to the veterinary services rendered to exhibitors.
  8. No butt Fans – no fans on a stand (Fans must either be mounted on a fan cage or hung from rafters).
  9. Cattle are not to be tied out until after 8 p.m.

Department Schedule

Saturday, January 1

TimeEvent
8:30 am – 10:30 amWeigh In & Tagging (Steers Only)

Saturday, May 28

TimeEvent
8:30 am – 10:30 amWeigh In & Tagging (Feeders Only)

All animals will go through the chute for the mandatory vaccine. Optional veterinary services are also available.

Monday, September 5

TimeEvent
4:30 pmExhibitor Meeting at Show Arena
4:30 pmWeigh In

Thursday, September 8

TimeEvent
8:00 amDairy Beef Feeder Show
Beginning with Senior Showmanship
To followDairy Steer Show
Beginning with showmanship. Exact start time will be announced in the barn after dairy feeder show.

Friday, September 9

TimeEvent
10:00 amDairy Beef Buyback Auction
Lineup by hip tag behind Dairy Beef Feeder barn

Saturday, September 10

TimeEvent
8:00 amJunior Fair Livestock Sale

Showmanship Guidelines

  1. Age for Showmanship is 4-H age as of January 1st of current year. 
  2. All showmanship participants must enter using the online portal hardin.fairwire.com. Entries can be scratched ringside.
  3. Class 1 winner is eligible to participate in Showman of Showmen contest Sunday, September 11 at 3 p.m.
ClassAge
Class 117 Years and Up
Class 215 and 16 Years
Class 314 Years
Class 413 Years
Class 512 Years
Class 611 Years
Class 710 Years
Class 89 Years

Entry Information

To enter an animal as a dairy beef feeder, visit entries.hardincountyfair.org and follow the on-screen prompts. Use the following additional information to register your animal:

  • Division 100 | Class 1 – Dairy Beef Feeders
  • Division 101 | Class 1 – Dairy Steers | Class 2 – Dairy Steer Rate of Gain

Market Classes will be broken up evenly by the Dairy Beef Feeder Committee Chair based on weight at weigh-in. Classes will then be posted in the dairy feeder barn on the morning of  Wednesday, September 7th and online at hardincountyfair.org.  

Premiums

GradePremium
A Grade$5.50
B Grade$4.50
C Grade$3.50