How a Kansas County Junior Livestock Show Works
Most Kansas counties hold a county fair with a 4-H and FFA livestock division, and many also run a spring show or a weigh-in and tagging day months earlier. Extension agents run the 4-H side. K-State's 4-H policy says Extension agents coordinate county weigh-ins, identification and registration wherever ownership must be verified, and that the 4-H member must own the project. Every county writes its own fair book, so the examples below show how rules typically look, not what your county will require. Your current fair book is the authority.
The Calendar: ID Comes First
The biggest surprise for new families is that identification happens long before the fair. The Sunflower District 2024 livestock policy (Cheyenne, Sherman and Wallace counties) shows the pattern:
- Enroll first. Members must be enrolled in the specific livestock project (beef, sheep, swine or goat) by the weigh-in and ID date, and enrollment is checked in 4-H Online Enrollment.
- Weigh-in dates. In 2024, beef weigh-ins were in February and March and small animal weigh-ins in late April.
- The member does not have to be there. Anyone may bring the animals, but if a family cannot, it must arrange tagging no later than the event date.
- Consequences. Animals not identified or tagged by the county date may not be entered in the 4-H division at the county fair, and animals not weighed in do not qualify for the rate of gain contest.
In Allen County, the 2025 fair magazine says market livestock must be tagged at the spring weigh-in to verify ownership. Bucket calves must be born between January 1 and May 1 and weighed and tagged at that same weigh-in, and sheep and goats must carry an official USDA premises ID tag.
State Show Nominations Run on a Separate Clock
If you want to go beyond the county, the state deadlines matter. K-State's 4-H tip sheet says all market animals and commercial breeding females must be nominated to qualify for the Kansas State Fair Grand Drive or the Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS). Nominations are online, and the deadlines are firm.
- Market beef. DNA envelopes must be ordered by April 20, and nominations are due May 1.
- Small livestock and commercial heifers. DNA envelopes must be ordered by June 5, and nominations are due June 15.
- YQCA. Youth need to renew their YQCA certification as part of the first steps.
- EID tags. The K-State Youth Livestock Program said animals nominated for KJLS and the State Fair had to carry Kansas 4-H EID tags in 2025, and that families should contact their local Extension office for tagging details.
Your county event can double as your tagging day. The Sunflower policy says EID tags are not required for animals shown only at the county fair, but animals headed to the State Fair or KJLS can be tagged at the county event or by the state nomination date, with a county staff member observing. It asks for at least one week of notice for tagging after the event.
Species by Species
The 2024 Neosho County Fair book is a good example of how a county spells out each species. Numbers below are from that book and will differ elsewhere.
Beef
Market steers and heifers and feeder calves must be owned, fed and managed for at least 140 days. Market steers must weigh at least 1,000 pounds to be champion or sale eligible, and steers must be castrated or banded at least 60 days before the fair. Each exhibitor is limited to two animals per class.
Swine
Pigs must be owned, fed and managed at least 90 days, market hogs must be farrowed on or after January 1, and only gilts or barrows may show as market hogs. The book lists a 225 to 300 pound range in one place and 220 to 300 in the sale rules, so confirm weights with the superintendent.
Sheep
Lambs must be owned at least 60 days, lambs born before January 1 are not eligible, and market lambs must weigh 95 to 155 pounds. Lambs arrive dry and slick-shorn with wool no longer than one-fifth of an inch, and they need a registered tattoo or a USDA scrapie tag.
Meat and dairy goats
Market meat goats must be owned 90 days and weigh 50 to 120 pounds, with the tail bobbed and baby teeth intact. Goats need a registered tattoo or a USDA premises tag. Dairy goat classes are for does only, with a limit of two entries per class.
Poultry and rabbits
Every bird must be banded and must be Pullorum-Typhoid clean. Neosho County's book says Kansas-origin birds need no pre-fair test until 2027, while out-of-state birds need a negative test within 90 days. Rabbits must carry a permanent tattoo in the left ear, must be owned by June 1 unless raised by a breeder, and meat pens are three rabbits not over 70 days old and no heavier than 5 pounds each.
Dairy cattle
Dairy exhibitors must own, feed and manage high-grade calves or heifers, with a limit of two entries per class.
Health Papers
Neosho County states that Kansas-origin livestock do not need a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection from the state, though a fair may require one. Animals from out of state must meet Kansas import rules; the state regulation requires a health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian for livestock moved in for exhibition. At check-in, animals with ringworm, warts, active pink eye, mange or other conditions flagged by the veterinarian will not be allowed to exhibit.
The Premium Sale
The premium sale is where businesses bid on market animals. K-State policy says 4-H premium sales must be run by the local fair association, a sponsoring organization or a bonded third party, not by Extension itself. Typical rules, from two fair books:
- One market animal per exhibitor. Neosho and Allen counties both allow each member to sell one market animal, and breeding animals cannot be sold.
- Show first. Neosho requires animals to show in the ring to be sale eligible, and Allen requires them to have been exhibited at that fair.
- Intent to sell. Allen County's intent to sell cards are due by 10 p.m. Saturday, with a $25 late fee after that.
- Fees. Allen charges $10 per animal sold, deducted from the sale check, and Neosho charges $8 per animal.
- Be present. Neosho requires members to be present to sell unless they are at a 4-H or FFA event or facing illness, injury or a family death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I show at two county fairs?
Not always. Allen County says animals shown at another county fair in the 4-H and FFA division this year are not eligible to show or sell there. Read your fair book.
Does my animal need an EID tag for the county fair?
In the Sunflower District, EID tags are not required for animals shown only at the county fair. They are required for State Fair or KJLS nominations, and your Extension office can tell you what your county uses.
Where do I find my county's dates?
Ask your county Extension office. K-State also links a county fair dates list on its county fair resources page.
Kansas Listings Covered by This Guide
- Kansas Beef Expo
Youth livestock show with junior breeding and market classes, a female sale, a trade show and a judging contest at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Held each year; the most recent dates were December 11-14, 2025.
2000 N Poplar St, Hutchinson, KS 67502 | 785-259-4122 Official event details - Great Plains Adaptive Livestock Exhibition at Wyandotte County Fair
The Great Plains Adaptive Livestock Exhibition takes place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2026, during the Wyandotte County Fair at the Polfer Road fairgrounds in Kansas City, Kansas.
13700 Polfer Rd, Kansas City, KS 66109 Official event details - Harvey County 4-H Swine Show
Swine check in and weigh in the evening before; the judging at 5:30 PM Friday allows three breeding gilts and three market hogs per exhibitor, with market hogs needing 220 pounds to sell. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-07-31.
800 West 1st, Newton, KS 67114 Official event details - Harvey County 4-H and FFA Poultry Show
Poultry entries check in Thursday evening or Friday morning and are judged at 12:30 PM Friday, followed by a champion drive in the livestock show arena. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-07-31.
800 West 1st, Newton, KS 67114 Official event details - Harvey County 4-H Rabbit Show
Rabbits check in Thursday evening and are judged at 2 PM Friday, with a champion drive in the livestock show arena; each exhibitor is limited to twelve entries. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-07-31.
800 West 1st, Newton, KS 67114 Official event details - Harvey County 4-H and Open Market Beef Show
Market and breeding beef are judged on Sunday morning at the Newton fairgrounds; exhibitors are limited to five head and market steers must weigh at least 1,000 pounds to sell. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-08-02.
- Harvey County 4-H and Open Dairy Cattle Show
Dairy cattle check in Saturday at 11 AM and are judged Sunday morning, followed by the dairy goat show, at the Harvey County Fairgrounds in Newton. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-08-02.
800 West 1st, Newton, KS 67114 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H Market and Breeding Sheep Show
Junior sheep exhibitors at the Rooks County Free Fair in Stockton show market and breeding sheep in 4-H judging on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 4 p.m., with open class sheep entered earlier that afternoon.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H Goat Show
Goat projects check in on Monday morning and are judged Tuesday, August 4, 2026, for 4-H members at the Rooks County Free Fair in Stockton, followed the same day by the open class meat and dairy goat show.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H Horse Show
4-H horse exhibitors enter Monday morning and are judged Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 8 a.m. at the Rooks County Fairgrounds in Stockton; open class horses are shown Saturday, August 8.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H and Open Swine Show
Market hogs and breeding swine from 4-H members and open class exhibitors are judged together on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 8 a.m. during the Rooks County Free Fair in Stockton.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H Rabbit and Poultry Show
4-H rabbit and poultry showmanship and shows take place Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Rooks County Free Fair in Stockton, after open class rabbits and poultry are judged at 9 a.m.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H Market and Breeding Beef Show
4-H market and breeding beef cattle are judged Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 8 a.m. at the Rooks County Free Fair in Stockton, ahead of the open class beef show that afternoon.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Rooks County Free Fair 4-H Bucket Calf Show
Young 4-H members with bucket calves are judged Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 8 a.m. at the Rooks County Fairgrounds in Stockton during the Rooks County Free Fair.
918 S. Elm Street, Stockton, KS 67669 Official event details - Harvey County 4-H and Open Sheep Show and Showmanship
Market lambs and breeding ewes are judged Saturday afternoon at the Harvey County Fair, with limits of three of each and a 100-pound minimum for market lambs (75 for hair sheep). Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-08-01.
800 West 1st, Newton, KS 67114 Official event details - Harvey County 4-H Meat Goat Show
Breeding does and market goats are shown after the sheep show on Saturday; exhibitors may bring three market goats and three does, and market goats must weigh at least 60 pounds. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-08-01.
800 West 1st, Newton, KS 67114 Official event details - Kansas Junior Livestock Show
Statewide show for 4-H and FFA livestock exhibitors at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, with showmanship, skill stations and scholarships for senior exhibitors. Scheduled for October 2-4, 2026.
2000 N Poplar St, Hutchinson, KS 67502 Official event details - Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS)
Held each year; the most recent dates were October 2-4, 2026. Kansas 4-H and FFA exhibitors show beef, swine, sheep and goats, with the LEAD Challenge and scholarships for exhibitors.
- Mid-American Stock Show
Held each year; the most recent dates were October 30 to November 1, 2026. Open and junior swine, sheep and goat classes, a collegiate judging contest, several sales and a Western Heritage Tradeshow.
2000 N. Poplar, Hutchinson, KS 67502 Official event details
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.