4-H CATTLE IDENTIFICATION DAY MARCH 5, 2011

The Wells County 4-H Beef AND Dairy Beef Identification Day will be held Saturday, March 5, 2011, 9 AM - 11 AM. The event will take place at the Wells County 4-H Park Multi-Purpose Arena located behind the Horse Barn.

All beef steers, dairy beef steers, and market heifers must be ear tagged, nose printed, and weighed to be eligible to show at the 2011 Wells County 4-H Fair, July 16 - 21. In addition, animals planning to be exhibited at the Indiana State Fair must be retinal eye scanned.

Commercial heifers (non-registered) will also be ear tagged so they may be exhibited.

Registered heifers do not need to be brought to the ID Day. These animals will be identified by their registration papers which includes their ear tattoo number.

Two ear tags will be used this year. One will be a county tag specific for Wells County and the other will be a RFId (Radio Frequency Identification) tag provided by the state. These tags can be read at livestock shows with a scanner at a distance of 1 - 4 feet.

Official livestock enrollment forms will be available at the ID Day and may be completed there or turned in to the Extension Office by March 15, 2011.

Members who participated in the Dairy Feeder Steer Calf project are also encouraged to enroll their animals in the Dairy Beef project. These animals will exhibit in a separate show at the 4-H Fair.

Youth may also enter a calf in the Beef Starter Class. This special class is for beef calves born after January 1st and up until June 1, 2011.

This year's 4-H Fair will be held July 16 - 21. The Dairy Beef Show will be held Monday, July 18, 5 PM. The Beef Show will be held Wednesday, July 20, 9 AM. The Livestock Auction will be Thursday, July 21, 3:30 PM.

For more information about 4-H or the 4-H Beef / Dairy Beef projects, contact the Wells County Office of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, 1240 S. 4-H Road, Bluffton, 260-824-6412 or Beef Superintendent Mike Piqune, 260-375-3373 or Dairy Beef Superintendent Karl Steiner, 260-346-2366.