Webster County Early Market Beef Weigh-in December 8

     4-H and FFA members have undoubtedly already found or will be looking for calves for the early Webster County Market Beef Weigh-in which will be held at the sale barn in Blue Hill (Blue Hill Livestock).  The early date is set for Sunday, December 8.  Because there will be just one early weigh-in this year it will start about 9:30 am and will go till 3:30 pm.  The inclement weather back-up day is December 15. Incidentally the regular weigh-in date is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, January 26 - also in Blue Hill.

     We also want to remind our market beef exhibitors that all 4-H and FFA tags must be put in before or at weigh-in to be valid.  Make sure that you get your tags from your FFA advisor in advance of the weigh-in or that they are in attendance at weigh-in to put them in. Our office will have the 4-H tags and will try to get some FFA tags to have on hand. NOTE: Please remember that the livestock ID/affidavit sheets need to be filled out and signed prior to or at weigh-in and are not to be taken home.   

     Exhibitors may download an affidavit from the Webster County UNL Extension website which can be found at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/county4h  or if you prefer pick one up from your 4-H leader, FFA advisor or our office. We will also have some on hand at the weigh-in, but having them done before hand really speeds up the weigh-in process. We will also once again be putting Electronic Identification or EID’s in the ears of all market beef.  If your family has their own EID, that is acceptable.

     Exhibitors who plan to show at either the 2014 Nebraska State Fair and/or Ak-Sar-Ben must have a DNA sample taken and they must be sent in with the ID/affidavit sheet for each animal that may be going. We will collect DNA hair samples during the weigh-in for all market beef that may be nominated for either the Nebraska State Fair or Ak-Sar-Ben. All beef that will be exhibited at the Nebraska State Fair will also need to eventually be tested for BVD-PI.

     If any beef exhibitor would like guidance on how to pick out the right size of calf for fair, please contact the Webster County UNL Extension office for suggestions at 402-746-3417 or email dlienemann2@unl.edu. You can also find a document on this on our website as listed above and/or in the last Webster County 4-H newsletter.