The 2009 State Fair of Louisiana is set to be held October 20-November 8, 2009. The State Fair will take place in Shreveport, LA.
The Entry procedure for the 2009 State Fair will be the same as last year. Exhibitors must order ear tags and DNA sample kits through the 4-H office to validate their Market and Commercial animals. The market steer validation took place earlier in May. Market Lambs, Goats, Commercial Beef and Dairy Heifers and commercial ewes and Does must be in the exhibitor’s possession and tagged and DNA sampled with DNA and validation cards returned to the State Fair officials by July 10, 2009.
Exhibitors should contact the 4-H Office to order 2009 State Fair tags for Market, Hogs, Sheep, Goats, as well as Commercial Heifers, Ewes and Does. Please fill out the form at the end of this letter and return it by June 15 if you wish to order tags and show animals at the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana. Any animal not validated through this process will be ineligible to be entered in the 2009 State Fair of LA. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor and parent to tag, DNA sample and return this information by certified mail being postmarked by July 10, 2009 for cattle, sheep and goats and August 10, 2009 for market hogs. Show Entry forms that will cover both breeding and market animals will be mailed out in August. These entries will be due at the State Fair Office by September 7, 2009. The entry process is as follows:
Interested youth and parents who participate in 4-H and FFA Junior Livestock activities should pay close attention to the following information. Possession dates and Validation processes for the State Fair of Louisiana set for October 2009 in Shreveport, LA. It is the responsibility of the participating youth and parents to adhere to and follow these procedures. The possession and validation dates for the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana are as follows: Junior Market and Commercial Shows Entry Nominations Rules and Regulations Eligibility for Nominations.
A. All exhibitors must be enrolled in the project in which they are exhibiting. 4-H and FFA exhibits can exhibit only the animals which are part of their project. Feeding practices and keeping records of this work must be done under the supervision of County Extension Agents and Vo-Ag Instructors.
B. To be eligible to exhibit, boys and girls must be nine years of age, but not more than nineteen years old as of December 31, 2009. After this, he or she is no longer eligible to participate in the Junior Division of the State Fair of Louisiana.
C. Market Steers must be owned and in possession of the exhibitor on or before May 10, 2009; Market Lambs & Comm. Ewes July 10, 2009; Comm. Beef & Comm. Dairy Heifers July 10, 2009; Market Goat & Comm. Does July 10, 2009; and Market Swine & Comm. Gilts August 10, 2009.
Nominations for State Fair of Louisiana are as follows: Nominations: All Market Steers, Market Lambs, Market Swine, Market Goats, Commercial Dairy, Commercial Does, Commercial Gilt, Commercial Heifers and Commercial Ewes are required to have DNA identification along with an ear tag.
There is not a limit to the number an exhibitor can validate, however, an exhibitor will be permitted to enter and exhibit a maximum of (3) Market Steers, (5) Market Lambs, (5) Market Goats, (5) Market Swine, and (3) Commercial Heifers. Entry deadline will be September 7, 2009. Late entries will be accepted September
8 thru midnight September 21 at double the regular entry fee. Please read all of the rules and regulations in our premium book.
SCHEDULE TO ORDER DNA KITS AND EAR TAGS
Market Steers ----------------------- April 15 thru. May 10, 2009
Lambs, Commercial Ewes --------- June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Goats, Commercial Does ------------ June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Commercial Dairy ---------------- June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Commercial Heifers ----------- ----- June 15 thru July 10, 2009
Market Swine, Commercial Gilt--- July. 15 thru Aug.10, 2009
I will order tags and DNA kits for Lambs, Goats, Commercial beef and dairy heifers and Market heifers on June 19, 2009. Market Hog Tags will be ordered on July 20, 2009.
DNA SAMPLES AND INFORMATION CARD MUST BE IN STATE FAIR OFFICE
BY REQUIRED DATE
Market Steers ---------------------------- Postmarked no later than May 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Market Lambs & Comm. Ewes -------Postmarked no later than July 10,2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Market Goats & Comm. Does --------- Postmarked no later than July 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Commercial Beef & Dairy Heifers ---- Postmarked no later than July 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
Market Swine & Comm. Gilt ---------- Postmarked no later than Aug. 10, 2009
(CERTIFIED MAIL- RETURN RECEIPT REQUEST )
The cost of ear tags and the DNA kits are $6.00 per unit or animal validated. DNA Kits and Ear tags will be issued to exhibitors through local 4-H Agents and FFA Advisors. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor and parents to have their animals in possession and tagged, DNA validated and their entries postmarked by the above listed dates.
4-H and FFA Livestock Validation and Entry Process for 2010 Spring LSU Shows
Validation dates and Sites are estimated at this time: They will be announced at a later date
At the present time; we do not know the validation process that will be used for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Shows. We can assume that the process will be similar to last year’s with a few logistics changes to make the process run smoother. We will forward the validation process on to exhibitors and parents as soon as we receive an update on the 2010 Validation process. It is important that all Livestock exhibitors and parents should be aware of and follow the 2010 LSU Livestock validation process. All Market Steers, Lambs, and Goats as well as Commercial Heifers, Ewes and Does must be validated and classified. This is the same as the 2009 shows. The possession dates for each of these animal species should be similar to last year. All animals listed above must be in the exhibitors care and possession no later than the expected September 26, 2009 possession date. These dates are estimated; we will notify exhibitors through our webpage, news paper and newsletter when we receive the finalized possession and validation dates. All market steers, lambs, and goats as well as commercial heifers, ewes, and does must attend one of these validation sites and validate animals for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Shows. There are no
exceptions to this validation process. These animals must be taken to one of five centrally located validation sites for tagging, classification and DNA sampling. There will be a fee for each animal validated; this cost should be no more than $5.00 per animal. Exhibitors will be notified of specific cost at a later date. The proposed validation sites, dates and times will be as follows:
Validation Process, Sites and dates will be announced at a later date:
- All animals must be tagged and DNA samples collected.
- Any animals previously validated for The State Fair of Louisiana that intends to be exhibited at the 09 LSU State Show will be required to attend an LSU Ag Center Validation site to be validated for the 2010 LSU AgCenter State Livestock Show.
- All animal entries declaring a breed classification must be classified at the validation site attended.
- The responsibility of tagging animals and collecting DNA/hair samples will be that of the exhibitor and/or parent. Agents/Ag Teachers must be present and can assist.
- An estimate to follow last years’ validation; September 26th will be the final validation; no animals except Market Swine will be validated for the 2009 LSU AgCenter State Show after completion of September 26, 2009 validation. This is an estimate; final date has not been set!
- All classifications at all sites will be conducted by the same three classifiers as selected by the LSU AgCenter.
For the 2010 LSU Swine show, the validation process for all market swine entered and shown for the 2010 Spring LSU Livestock Show should follow last years’ procedures. All market swine must be tagged and DNA tested. There will be a small fee for this process as well. Each parish in Louisiana will follow the same basic market swine validation procedure. All market and breeding hogs must be in the exhibitors care by an anticipated possession date of no later than December 5, 2009.
All market hogs in a parish must be brought to a central location. Parents and 4-H members will be given tags and equipment and envelopes to DNA sample their pigs. It is the parents and exhibitors responsibility to tag and DNA sample their animals. All swine validations must be conducted in the presence and observation of a 4-H agent or Ag teacher. Market hogs will not be officially classified at these locations; however agents/Ag teachers will assist exhibitors in determining correct classification for entries. Only validated market hogs will be eligible to be exhibited at 2010 LSU AgCenter district and state shows. The anticipated last possible date to validate market swine for the 2010 LSU livestock shows is December 5, 2009. Parish District and State Livestock entries for all animals will be due on December 7, 2009.
I have included a copy of a livestock hardship form. It is important to remember that if you plan to show an animal and do not have the facilities to house your animals at your home or have other extenuating circumstances related to your livestock projects; it is your responsibility to properly fill out this form and return it for approval prior to purchasing your potential show animals or attending the event in question. Hardships must be approved by your 4-H agent or Ag Teacher and sent through the district and state show managers. It is important to follow these procedures in order to properly enter your livestock projects. Those new and seasoned 4-H and FFA members wishing to show market swine in the 2010 LSU shows must contact Mike LaVergne at the Beauregard 4-H office at 463-7006 or your Vocational Agriculture teacher by October 15, 2009 with the number of market swine to be entered. This will allow for the ordering of the correct number of tags and DNA sample its.
Those with questions concerning the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana or the LSU livestock show validation process may contact Chad Hagan at (337) 239-3231. You may order tags and DNA kits by filling out the attached form and returning it to the 4-H office by June 15th for State Fair animals and by October 15th for 2010 LSU show animals. Good luck with your projects.