Are you, or your family, planning on exhibiting an animal at a 4-H event this year? Animals must be identified in 4-H Online by May 15.
What is animal ID?
Animal ID is a system for identifying and tracking all animals in the 4-H animal science project areas.
Make sure to complete both sets of requirements below to ensure health, safety and fairness.
Start with entering your animal ID information into 4-H Online, our membership database.
Animal ID deadlines for 2026
Feb. 17, 2026, for market beef (beef steers, market heifers and dairy steers).
May 15, 2026, for breeding beef (heifers, cows and prospect calves), dairy, dairy goat, dog, horse, llama-alpaca, meat goat, poultry (pigeons/doves), rabbit, sheep and swine.
Contact your local 4-H office for more information.
Requirements for all animals
Ownership requirements
Ownership requirements for all 4-H animal science projects are uniform for 4-H beef, dairy, dairy goat, dog, horse, llama - alpaca, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and swine projects.
Animals must be owned solely by the 4-H'er or the 4-H'ers family. The family includes the 4-H'er's parents/guardians and siblings living together as a family unit. The definition of family includes an extended family where the animal may be owned by grandparents as long as the 4-H'ers parents are actively involved with and working on the farm.
Animals owned in partnership with non-family members (as defined above) must be leased and follow lease guidelines. All information must be submitted by May 15 with 4-H Online data. Market animals (with the exception of prospect calves) cannot be leased.
Ownership clarifications
- In the 4-H Online ID process, 4-H families are not able to identify animals as a family group. Under the 4-H Online ID process, families will need to enter each animal in one of the 4-H member profiles. A good rule of thumb might be to break all animals to be ID’d up such that each family member gets about the same number if the animals are ID’ed in their name.
- For example, if the John Doe family is ID’ing 12 animals and there are three siblings in the John Doe family, you might consider putting 4 animals in each sibling’s name. It is also a good practice to put at least one animal under each sibling. The determination of which sibling exhibits which animal at the county fair can then be delayed until the ID checkpoint at the county fair. It is at the county fair ID checkpoint for each species that animals must be declared by a specific sibling and cannot be switched to another sibling after that.
- The same animal cannot be identified by more than one 4-H family unit.
- For example, if a livestock production operation is a partnership between two brothers – both having children in 4-H. The cousins in this example must identify different animals by ID deadline. They might identify several as the “John Doe” family and several others as the “Jim Doe” family. But the same animals cannot be identified by both families. Let’s say a similar operation is owned by two unrelated partners. In this case the same philosophy would apply. Each family may identify any number of animals but NO animals can be identified by both families.
- The exception to this rule is in horse, dog and llama-alpaca where it is permitted for animals to be ID'd by two 4-H'ers, but with restrictions described elsewhere in the species information sheet.
- Families are eligible to transfer female animals between market/breeding classes up until county fair verification if they meet identification standards (all market animals require a 4-H tag by the market id deadlines for each species). After this point, animals must show in the class that they entered (if shown as a market animal at the county fair - must show as a market animal at the state fair). Animals must also meet three criteria:
- Leasing (not available to market animals)
- Animals under a lease are not eligible to be shown as a market animal.
- County requirements (central ID or not)
- If your county requires a central Identification for market animals — and you did not make it to that ID with your animal — you are not eligible for a market class.
- ID date (for beef)
- If you did not identify your beef heifer by the February state ID deadline — you are not eligible for a market class.
- Leasing (not available to market animals)
2026 Minnesota 4-H Animal Science Identification Requirements - You must follow all of these requirements, whether you own or lease your animal.
How to use this year's ear tags for identification
Once enrolled in your project, you will receive communication (letter, email or personal contact) from your local Extension office.
County ID messages contain critically important information specific to your county, such as deadlines and locations. You can also find this information posted on your local 4-H webpage.
If you don't receive a county ID message for your species, contact your local Extension staff.
Breeding animals may be owned or leased. Market animals may not be leased. All owned and leased animals must be ID'd in 4-H Online.
Read full details about animal ID for leased animals.
Cloverbuds may show their own animal or another 4-H’er's identified animal.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health requires all animals at exhibitions to have official ID (tag or tattoo); this includes Cloverbuds. Cloverbud ID information does not need to be included in 4-H Online.
Cloverbud entries may be included in county fair pre-registration for stalling/penning purposes.
Requirements for species
Beef information sheet
Review the beef information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
2026 4-H beef ID requirements
Review the 2026 4-H beef ID requirements - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health updated their livestock exhibition ID requirements to comply with the USDA APHIS identification rule.
Beef ID worksheets
Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
- February beef ID (market steers, market heifer, dairy steers) - for print only
- May beef ID (breeding beef, cow calf pairs, prospect calves) - for print only
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-HOnline. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Dairy information sheet
Review the dairy information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Animal science projects lease information
All leased dairy animals must complete and use the Minnesota 4-H animal science lease information form.
Learn more about leasing a 4-H animal.
Dairy ID worksheet
Dairy ID ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Dairy goat information sheet
Review the dairy goat information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Dairy goat ID worksheet
Dairy goat ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Dog information sheet
Review the dog information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, dog show information and more.
Dog ID and vaccination form
How to submit
- Download/copy and complete the dog ID and vaccination form (guide) to print.
- Two ways to submit your filled-in form:
- Upload it to 4-H Online
- Print it out and take it to your local Extension office on or before ID deadline.
Leased dogs
Dogs can be leased or owned. Either way, they must be properly ID'd. Learn more about the 4-H leasing program.
Horse information sheet
Review the horse information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state horse showing information and more
Horse ID worksheet
Horse ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to our local Extension office.
Llama-Alpaca information sheet
Review the llama-alpaca information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Llama-Alpaca ID worksheet
Llama-Alpaca ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Leased llama-alpaca
Llama-Alpaca can be leased or owned. Either way, they must be properly ID'd. Learn more about the 4-H leasing program.
Meat goat information sheets
Review the meat goat information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Breeding doe and wether dam information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Review to better understand the difference between the wether dam and breeding doe classes to exhibit at the Minnesota 4-H State Fair Meat Goat Show.
Meat goat ID worksheets
Meat goat ID worksheets - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
- Market goats - for print only
- Meat does and wether dams - for print only
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Poultry information sheet
Review the poultry information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Pigeon/dove ID worksheet
Pigeon/dove ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Important dates
Lease information is due by the animal ID deadline date (ID'ing process only for pigeons and doves is required for poultry owned by the 4-H member and/or their family). Learn more about leasing a 4-H animal.
Rabbit information sheet
Review the rabbit information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Rabbit ID worksheet
Rabbit ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Sheep information sheet
Review the sheep information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Sheep ID worksheet (market lambs and breeding ewes)
Sheep ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Swine information sheet and resources
Review the swine information sheet (posted Dec. 17, 2025) - Important details about ownership, critical dates, ID requirements, state fair showing information and more.
Basic biosecurity for tagging 4-H swine
How to Read Ear Notches of Pigs (YouTube)
Swine ID worksheet for breeding gilts, market barrows and market gilts
Swine ID worksheet - Download/copy and complete the worksheet (guide) to print.
Worksheets are a good way to collect data in the barn before you put it into 4-H Online. ID worksheets are required if you submit your animal ID by paper copy to your local Extension office.
Swine premise ID information
Review the swine premise ID information. You must identify the place where you keep your pig.
If you are only doing the 4-H pets project, you don't need to do animal ID.
Reviewed in 2025