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Animal Exhibitor Checklist & Health

Most animals must have some kind of health paperwork and identification in order to exhibit at the Jefferson County Fair. These requirements are subject to change, so check this portion of the website for the most up to date information.

DNA for Market Animals: At the Jefferson County Fair, swine, goats, sheep, and cattle going to market must have DNA on file with the Fair. They must have an 840 tag and submit DNA. You can find the DNA due dates for each species in pink below.
For resources on how to gather a sample, please visit the Animal ID website here: Animal ID Instructional Videos . If you're looking to learn more about why the Fair uses this DNA process, scroll to the bottom of the screen

Dairy

Important Dates

  • Tues. June 23 - 6:30pm - Mandatory Exhibitor Meeting
  • Sun. July 5 - noon-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6 - 8am-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • July 1st-July 7th: for lactating dairy cattle - negative influenza A test from a milk sample collected within 7 days of move to Fair
  • Tues. July 7 - noon-7pm - Check-in

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

Lactating Dairy Cattle
  • Negative influenza A test from a milk sample collected within 7 days of movement
Registered animals
  • Photocopy of breed registration certificate with one of the following identifications:
    • Breed ear tag/button (must match registration certificate)
    • Tattoos (must match registration certificate – must be legible)
    • Picture/sketch on registration certificate
    • Please write on the registration paper name of exhibitor and class animal entered in
Grade/Crossbred: one of the following
  • Metal vaccination tag with photo of vaccination slip
  • 840 animal ID ear tag
  • Three pictures with exhibitor’s name, division, and class shown in: (Front/Head Shot, Left Side, Right Side)
Cattle from OUTSIDE Wisconsin also need:
  • CVI or health certificate documenting official animal identification

Beef

Important Dates

  • December 13th, 2025: 9-10am - Weigh-in
  • December 15th, 2025: by 5pm - Submit DNA for any market beef
    • Purchase tags and envelopes at the Fair Park Office any day beginning on November 1st. Tags are $5 each, and envelopes are $10. If attending weigh-in, you can purchase tags and turn in DNA at weigh-in.
  • Sun. July 5th: Noon-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6th: 8am-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6th: 4pm-8pm - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7th: 6-7am - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7th: 7-9am - Weigh-in & Ultrasound

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

Bred & Owned Animals Market breed subclasses or breeding cattle:
  • Breed registration certificate

Animal Identification

Market beef: Arrive to the fair with official identification in ear (15 digit "840" RFID tag)

Swine

Important Dates

  • Mon. May 11by 5pm - Submit DNA
    • Purchase tags and envelopes at the Fair Park Office any day beginning on November 1st. Tags are $5 each, and envelopes are $10. If attending weigh-in, you can purchase tags and turn in DNA at weigh-in.
  • June 11th-July 7th: entire herd of origin on the farm must be inspected within 30 days before the show
  • Sun. July 5th Noon-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6th 8am-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6th 6pm-8pm - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7th 6am-10am - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7th: Following Goats - Weigh-in & Ultrasound

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

ALL swine:
  • Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI). This must state on there, in writing or with a vet stamp, the following:
    • "veterinarian inspected the herd of origin within the past 30 days, no apparent disease was present at the time of inspection, and all exhibited swine at non-terminal fairs test negative for PRRS and SECD within 30 days prior to the date of movement to the fair"
Bred & Owned:

Animal Identification

  • All Swine: Arrive at the fair with official identification in ear (840 tag, RFID preferred)

Sheep

Important Dates

  • Sat., May 9: 9-11am - Weigh-in (MAP building)
  • Mon., May 11: by 5pm - Submit DNA for any market sheep
    • Purchase tags and envelopes at the Fair Park Office any day beginning on November 1st. Tags are $5 each, and envelopes are $10. If attending weigh-in, you can purchase tags and turn in DNA at weigh-in.
  • Sun., July 5: Noon-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon., July 6: 8am-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6: 6-8pm - Animal Arrival
  • Tues July 7: 7-9am - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7: 9am - Weigh-in

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

Registered breeding sheep:
  • Breed registration certificate

Animal Identification

Market Sheep: Needs to arrive to the Fair with one of the following official identification:
  • Scrapie eartags (including tags on neckstraps for animals with absent/injured ears or with official tattoos)
  • USDA 840 ear tags
  • Legible breed tattoos
  • Legible scrapie tattoos
  • Approved microchips (Electronic Implantable Identification/EID) – There are many requirements that need to be met to use microchips including a requirement for accompanying tattoos. See DATCP Website
Not sexually intact sheep:
  • Need official individual ID if they are 12 months or older.
Sexually intact sheep:
  • Need official individual identification (ID)b at any age.

Goats

Important Dates

  • Sat. May 9: 9-11am - Goat Weigh-in (MAP Building)
  • Mon. May 11: by 5pm - Submit DNA for any market goats
    • Purchase tags and envelopes at the Fair Park Office any day beginning on November 1st. Tags are $5 each, and envelopes are $10. If attending weigh-in, you can purchase tags and turn in DNA at weigh-in.
  • Sun. July 5: Noon-8pm - Barn Decorating
  • Mon. July 6: 8am-8pm - Barn Decorating
  • Mon. July 6: 5-8pm - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7: 8-10am - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7: 10am - Weigh-in
  • Tues. July 7: Noon - Exhibitor Meeting

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

Registered Breeds:
  • Original breed registration certificate
  • Photocopy of the breed registration certificate

Animal Identification

Market goats: Needs to arrive to the Fair with official identification in one of the following:
  • Scrapie eartags (including tags on neckstraps for animals with absent/injured ears or with official tattoos)
  • USDA 840 ear tags
  • Legible breed tattoos
  • Legible scrapie tattoos
  • Approved microchips (Electronic Implantable Identification/EID) – There are many requirements that need to be met to use microchips including a requirement for accompanying tattoos. See DATCP Website
Not sexually intact goats:
  • Need official individual ID if they are 12 months or older.
Sexually intact goats:
  • Need official individual identification (ID)b at any age.

Equine

Important Dates

  • Sun. July 5 Noon-6pm - Decorate Barn
  • Mon. July 6 8am-8pm - Decorate Barn
  • Tues. July 7 1-7pm - Animal Arrival
  • Tues. July 7 5-7pm - Check-in

Papers to Bring to Check-in (or upload to FairEntry or email to suezimpix@yahoo.com)

  • Negative EIA (Coggins) test which is valid through September 30th of the current Fair year
  • Horse ID sheets (find that here: 2026 Horse Identification Sheet)
  • Proof of Vaccination

Poultry

Important Dates:

  • Sun. June 28: 9-11am - Exhibit Set-up
  • Sun. June 28: After set-up - Exhibitor Meeting
  • Tues. July 7: 1-7pm - Check-in
  • Tues. July 7: 1-7pm - Market weigh-in

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

For eggs and any bird under 4 months (turkeys under 6 months) - only ONE of the following:
  • NPIP certificate stating the flock of origin is a US pullorum-typhoid clean and for turkeys a Mycloplasma gallisepticum clean flock or NPIP affiliate flock or
  • WI Tested Flock: documentation that the flock of origin is a Wisconsin Tested Flock and has tested negative for pullorum-typhoid and for turkeys Mycoplasma gallisepticum, or
  • WI Associate Flock: documentation the flock of origin is a Wisconsin Associate Flock
    • Eggs and sexually immature birds are not eligible for individual testing and cannot be shown unless they originate from an enrolled NPIP, NPIP affiliate, Wisconsin Tested, or Wisconsin Associate floc
For sexually mature birds (turkeys over 6 months and all other birds over 4 months, except pigeons) - only one of the following:
  • Certified flock status (Official Documentation)
  • NPIP Participant or Affiliate Flock Certificate
  • Wisconsin Tested Flock Certificate
  • Wisconsin Associate Flock Certificate
  • Wisconsin Individual Poultry Test Report (Form 9-2) – not suitable for egg exhibits. Check the division for requirements.
  • Individual identification must be on the test report
  • Youth Exhibition Exemption
  • Leader Letter and Hatchery Receipts

Animal Identification

Pigeons: identified with a seamless numbered band from a recognized branding organization in the current year
All other poultry: identified with a numbered leg band.

See the document below for a guide on what health papers you need for which animal
Adobe PDF
Poultry Health Paper Guide

Dogs

Important Dates

  • Mon. June 22: 5pm - Arrival & judging

Bring to Check-in:

All dogs: Vaccination certificates (DHLPP in past 3 years, and current rabies) must be presented to Superintendent at check-in.

Rabbits/Cavies

Important Dates:

  • Sun. June 28: TBA - Exhibit Set-up
  • Tues. July 7: 1-7pm - Arrival (& Market weigh-in)

Animal Identification

  • ALL animals: must be permanently tattooed in their left ear - in accordance with ARBA rules. If you need assistance with this, please contact the superintendents.

Cats

Important Dates

  • Sun. July 5: 1-9pm - Decorate Cage
  • Mon. July 6: 1-9pm - Decorate Cage
  • Tues. July 7: 1-9pm - Decorate Cage
  • Thurs. July 9: 9am-1pm - Arrival/Check-in
  • Thurs. July 9: 4pm - Show
  • Thurs. July 9: After Show - Release

Bring to Check-in:

  • All cats must be immunized for Panleukopenia- Respiratory Complex and vaccinated for rabies within the past year and before June 15th prior to the Fair. Exhibitors may upload this certificate into FairEntry or bring to check-in
  • Immunization proof for rabies

Draft Horse

Important Dates

  • Sun. July 5 Noon-8pm - Set-up Barn
  • Mon. July 6 Noon-8pm - Set-up Barn
  • Thurs. July 9 by 9am - In Place
  • Thurs. July 9 By 9am - Check-in

Papers to Bring to Check-in:

All Draft Horses
  • negative EIA (Coggins) test (completed within the previous 12 months)
Animals from OUTSIDE Wisconsin also need:
  • CVI or health certificate

Market DNA FAQ's

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