2022 Weigh-In Dates
BEEF 
Beef Weigh-in Date: 2/12/22 (Snow Day: March 5, 2022) 8:00 – 11:00 AM
NFO Livestock Market Center, Independence, WI
Pre-Register online by February 4, 2022 Buffalo County Fair Beef Weigh-in Registration
SHEEP/GOATS
Sheep/Goat Weigh-In Date: 4/30/22 9am – 11am
NEW Location! Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Mondovi, WI
Pre-register online by April 22, 2022 Buffalo County Fair Sheep/Goat Weigh-in Registration
SWINE
The Buffalo County Fair Association has limited swine exhibitors to one hog for the 2022 Buffalo County Fair. All market swine must be tagged using the RFID tags provided by the Buffalo County Fair Association by May 1st. All market swine will be weighed on entry day of the Fair.
Request RFID Ear Tags Online by April 15, 2022 https://forms.gle/c48WdfePrkHoxtbY7
Animal Identification on 4-HOnline for all Animals
- 4-H Online Animal Identification must be complete by May 1st. 4-H exhibitors must identify and activate all animals in 4-H Online. This must be complete prior to FairEntry registration.
- 4-H Swine Exhibitors will upload their photos on 4-HOnline along with their animal identification.
4HOnline Animal ID Instructions
Animal ID Video Tutorial (Less than 3 minutes showing you how to add an animal for 2022) You will be directed to a Google Folder where you will click on the .mp4 file titled 2020 Animal ID Tutorial to watch.
Ractopamine Information for Buffalo County Fair Swine Exhibitors
At the April 8, 2020 Buffalo County Fair Association meeting a motion to make the Buffalo County Fair a Ractopamine Free Fair was passed. This means, that no swine at the Buffalo County Fair can be fed or exposed to ractopamine from birth to harvest. No Paylean, Engrain or ractopamine products sold under other names may be fed or exposed to swine shown or planned to be shown at the Buffalo County Fair. Buffalo County Fair Livestock Rules allow for testing of animals, including testing for ractopamine in swine. Buffalo County Fair reserves the right to secure a signed affidavit from exhibitors and their family members stating that swine are ractopamine free. Violation of these rules will result in the loss of Buffalo County Fair premiums, awards and sales for current and subsequent years. More information about ractopamine free efforts and compliance for Wisconsin Swine Exhibitors is found here.
Wisconsin Pork Producers
Wisconsin Pork Producers offer scholarships and additional educational information.
WPA Offers Youth Pig Project Scholarships
Meat Animal Educational Requirements
2022 YQCA Online training
- All animal exhibitors, with the exception of Equine, Cats & Dogs, must complete the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training each year. Currently, the online training is the only option available for exhibitors. Instructor-led trainings may be a possibility at some point but will depend on the COVID situation. Registration for instructor-led trainings (should they occur) must be done prior to the training on the YQCA website. Exhibitors will pay $3 for instructor-led in person training, and $12 for the online training. Wisconsin State Fair and other national exhibitions will require certification in YQCA for participation in events. The training must be completed by July 1.
- Directions for YQCA: Please go to www.yqcaprogram.org in order to register for either online or instructor led courses. Use the YQCA chat or email help@yqcaprogram.org for any assistance you need in creating or signing up in the YQCA system.
Additional Educational Experience:
All meat animal exhibitors must attend one education session in addition to the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training every year in order to be eligible to sell their animal(s) at the Buffalo County Fair. For more details, please review items 2 and 3 in the Buffalo County Junior Livestock Committee Sale Rules located on the Fair webpage
- After completing the Meat Animal Second Educational experience, click on the following link to access the Google Form to complete your additional educational requirement form: https://goo.gl/forms/HwJDXZNBd4BesxjB2
Online Opportunities for Additional Educational Requirement for Meat Animal Project Members
- Northern Wisconsin State Fair or Trempealeau County Fair are both held before Buffalo County and have good livestock shows (there may be other Fairs in Wisconsin and Minnesota). Observe the shows, talk to the producers and/or judges about the show and complete the form.
- Visit one of the following sites that relate to your project area and submit a report via the google link listed above.
- 2022 Animal Sciences Education Series The Wisconsin Youth Livestock Program LIVE Virtual Zoom educational programs.
- 4-H/FFA Market Lamb Sheep Project Selection and Management Checklist from Idaho 4-H.
- Parasite Concerns in Sheep Publication on parasite control in sheep.
- Showing Swine and Biosecurity
- Small Ruminant Video Series (sheep and goats)
- Sheep Field Day Videos Presentations Titled “How to make your make lambs better” by Travis Hoffman, and “Working smarter, not harder with building designs and set-up” by Dan Morrical are recommend for sheep exhibitors.
- UW Virtual Farm Tours
- Animal Disease Good security and biosecurity practices are critical for protecting farms from foreign animal disease.
- Needle Know-How Educational Videos by Pork Checkoff.
- Pork Cuts Get to know all of the pork cuts using our pork cuts chart.
- Iowa State University Iowa Pork Industry Center Pork production and health videos available.
- Show Animals – Challenges at the Packer Recording of an animal care webinar
- Direct Market Spreadsheet – Title Freezer Beef
- Some Excellent Decision Aids for Beef Producers
- Beef Handling Video
- Cattle Dehorning Video
- Low stress livestock handling Part 1
- Low stress livestock handling Part 2
- Feedlot Facilities and cold stress – Iowa Beef Center
Expense Report
All exhibitors planning to show meat animals at the Buffalo County Fair, must complete a Meat Animal Project Expense Report form. This form is designed to help the exhibitor track not only the weight gained by the animal during the project, but also the cost associated with raising that animal. This form is due after the final weigh-in at the County Fair and must be turned in at the Fair Office.
Meat Animal project expense form
Misc. Information
Many of our 4-H youth enroll in meat animal (beef, sheep & swine) projects with the intent of showing their animals at the County Fair. Please be aware that the Buffalo County Meat Animal Committee has determined that all Market Animals (those that will be sold at the Fair Auction) must be owned by the exhibitor prior to the initial weigh-in date.
Non-market animals, such as breeding classes or steer calves may be ownership or managerial. In some instances, the 4-H member may not have the resources or facilities needed to own their own animal. In these cases, the 4-H member can still participate in the project by entering into an “Managerial Agreement” with someone who owns an animal and is willing to allow the 4-H member to feed, care for and train the animal. A signed copy of the “Managerial Agreement” must be submitted to Extension Office by April 1st of the exhibit year. Managerial Agreements only apply to non-market animals.
Livestock Managerial Project Agreement
Best practices when going to farms that house managerial animals for youth/students. Managerial project guidelines
Scrapie General Brochure from Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection
The Buffalo County Fair Meat Animal Committee includes: Penny Pronschinske, Carol Hesch, Marty Krueger, Chester Bauer, Bill Schlesser, Rosemary O’Connell, Nathan Risler, Shauna White, Carl Duley and Becky Koenitzer.
For additional information about meat animal projects please call the Division of Extension Office at 608-685-6256 or email Carl Duley at carl.duley@wisc.edu.
