All 4-Hers who intend to exhibit animals at the 2008 Ogle County 4-H Fair must abide by the following animal ownership deadlines:

January 1^st

Performance Cows (Beef)

Dairy Cows

February 1^st

Market Beef

Quality Meats Beef

May 1^st

Quality Meats Sheep

Quality Meats Swine

Breeding Beef Females

Gilts & Barrows

Dairy Calves & Heifers

All Goats

May 15^th

Breeding Sheep

Wethers (sheep)

Beef Bucket Calves

June 15^th

All Rabbits

All Poultry

A Livestock Premises Identification Number will be required for exhibition at all 2008 county, state, 4-H and FFA fairs in Illinois. Livestock Premises Identification / Registration is part of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which is a state/federal/industry cooperative program intended to identify animal premises by assigning a unique number (a Premises ID number) to each location where livestock and/or poultry are born, managed, marketed or exhibited. Premises registration is critical to protecting Illinois' livestock industry as it helps animal health officials minimize trace back times in the event of an animal disease outbreak. A Premises ID is for the location animals are produced and/or raised.

The Premises ID number must be obtained prior to making fair entries and before the 4-H Fair next summer. Premises registration is free and can be performed online at www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid.You could alsocall 1-866-299-9256 for a paper form. When registering online, you will immediately be issued the Premises ID number. When mailing in a paper form, you may need to allow 3-4 weeks to be issued a number.

Note that we are not encouraging young people to apply for a Premises ID number WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS. If animals used for 4-H Fair exhibits are kept on a family farm, the farm needs to be registered in order for the 4-H member to exhibit. If the parent/guardian (owner of the family farm) does not obtain a Premises ID number, then according to the ruling given to us, the animals housed/raised on that farm will NOT BE ALLOWED to EXHIBIT. This is a USDA requirement that has been handed to us... just like the Health Requirements that we receive in the spring. It was NOT a State Fair, 4-H, or FFA decision. For more information, visit our website at www.extension.uiuc.edu/ogle