2020 Animal Science Project ID Information May 15 Deadline March 9, 2020

TO: Minnesota 4-H Animal Science Project Members – Enrolled in: Beef. Sheep, Swine, Dairy, Dairy Goat, Market Goat, Rabbit, Lama, Poultry FROM: Danielle Ganje, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development Joe Rand, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Central Region Animal Science RE: IMPORTANT - Animal Identification Process

Thank you for enrolling in a 4-H animal science project! We hope you find this project both challenging and rewarding. This letter outlines the online animal identification process, the process of submitting animal information that is required in order to exhibit an animal at the county fair.

Minnesota 4-H uses its online enrollment system, 4HOnline, to record all animal identification information and ownership data. This information is needed for animals that will be used as a part of a 4-H project at the fair. More information and a 4HOnline user guide that walks you through the process can be found on the Animal ID web page (www.4-H.umn.edu/animal-ID).

2020 Animal Identification Process 1. 4-H Family completes the ID worksheet. ID worksheets are available on the Animal ID web page (www.4- H.umn.edu/animal-ID). 2. 4-H Family self-enters information in 4HOnline and prints entry report for personal records. If an animal is leased (Breeding Animals ONLY!), the lease information form must be scanned and uploaded in 4HOnline (bring hard copy to County Extension Office by May 15 if unable to scan. The lease information form is available on the Leasing 4-H Animal page (z.umn.edu/LeaseAnimal) NOTE: This does not apply to Dairy; see below for specific Dairy lease instructions 3. Existing project animals that are being carried over from last year to this project year must be re-activated by May 15. Eligible animals are Dairy, Dairy Goat, Lama, Rabbit, Dog, Horse, Beef Spring and Fall calves, and Cow/calf. Instructions can be found in the document Detailed Guide - Animal ID Data Entry by Families, page 5, on the Animal ID web page (z.umn.edu/mn4hanimalID). 4. NOTE: New lease information forms should be completed each year for all species except dairy. Once a dairy animal is identified and a lease information form has been submitted, the lease information form will become a permanent document, attached to the online identification record for that animal and will not need to be renewed each year. Details to update existing dairy leases information is found further in this letter.

+ special rules regarding first freshening apply – see dairy informational sheet ++ calf data needs to be updated

NOTE: Animals need to be identified May 15. Hard copy submissions to the county Extension office must be received by the close of business 4:30 PM on May 15, or if mailed, be postmarked NO LATER than May 15, 2020. If you are self-entering, data entry into 4HOnline must be completed by 11:59 pm, May 15, 2020; you will not be able to complete identification after that point.

© 2020 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats upon request. 1

Special Circumstances If your family cannot self-enter the ID information: 4-H Family brings in or mails completed ID worksheet and other required items, including signature(s), to County Extension office, on or before the close of business on May 15. This ID worksheet will be kept on file in the Extension office. Within one week, Support Staff or designated volunteer enters info online into your family’s 4HOnline account. After that, your family may view the information in 4HOnline to check for accuracy. The user guide, Reviewing and Printing Animal ID Data, is available on the Animal ID web page to walk you through the process. The County Extension Office must be notified of any discrepancies by May 22, 2020.

In the case of a missed deadline: Minnesota 4-H has a “member exemption rule”. Every 4-H member has one-time forgiveness during their 4-H career for missing a deadline for enrollment or competitive event participation. In this case, Minnesota 4-H will waive the consequences for that missed deadline. ● The exemption is one-time per 4-H member, and may be used only one time in a 4-H member's career. ● If a family misses a deadline for all eligible children, the family may choose to use the exemption for each child, or select which children would use their exemption at this time. ● The one-time exemption form must be submitted with the late enrollment or late registration form to the Extension office. ● For Animal ID deadlines, the 4-H member has one calendar week after the deadline to turn in, to the Extension Office, the animal ID form and the one-time exemption form. (The animal must be owned by deadline.) ● When a 4-H member uses their exemption for a late ID, then the animal(s) being ID'ed may only be shown by that 4-H member at a 4-H county and/or state 4-H event. The late ID'ed animal(s) cannot be exhibited by another sibling at a 4-H event during the current 4-H year. ● If the member chooses not to use the member exemption for the missed deadline, the (animal) exhibit may still participate, but would only be eligible to exhibit for blue, red or white placing and related ribbon premiums. The exhibit would not be eligible for purple ribbons advancement to the state fair or state trip. Animal ID information should still be submitted to the extension office within one calendar week of the missed deadline.

Assistance and Support for Online ID’ing using 4HOnline ● A user guide is available online via the Animal ID web page. ● For assistance with the online ID process, contact your county extension staff at [email protected] or 763-765-3075 ● In addition, an ID helpline will be available on the following days: o Thursday, May 14 - 4:30 - 9 p.m. - 701-331-9930 o Friday, May 15 - 4:30 - 11:59 p.m. - 320-766-1176

On rare occasions, 4-H animals will lose the official Minnesota 4-H ear tag or other identifying tags. If this occurs, you will need to contact Danielle Ganje immediately at 763-765-3075 so that the tag can be verified and replaced. Do not wait until county fair if this occurs.

Livestock Quality Assurance Training Options Minnesota 4-H supports livestock quality assurance and animal science ethics. All youth participating as a state fair 4-H livestock exhibitor in beef, dairy, sheep, swine, poultry, rabbits, meat goat, dairy goat, and lama must complete livestock quality assurance training. A. Certification is required for state fair grade/age-eligible youth. Must be completed before their home county fair qualifying show July 6, 2020.

2

B. The training accommodates multi-levels of learning for all ages. The level of training required is determined by the grade/age of the youth at the time the training takes place. C. Counties that have a swine marketing agreement with a packer that requires livestock quality assurance certification may require swine members (grade 3-13) to certify. D. Minnesota 4-H youth must participate in one of the training options to be eligible for Minnesota 4-H state fair shows. Minnesota 4-H recognizes two training options: 1. A face-to-face 3-hour livestock quality assurance and ethics training from Minnesota 4-H. These will be offered in multiple locations statewide. This certification is valid for three fair seasons. Cost is set by the county/regional host. 2. An online 1-hour youth quality care of animals training offered via distance learning. This certification is valid for one fair season. Cost: $12; pay at registration with a credit card. (This is a national program and registration fee pays for the national training system.) This training promotes responsible care of animals, making informed decisions in animal care and providing safe consumer food products. Youth will receive a certificate of completion. Additional information concerning any Livestock Quality Assurance training in our area will be listed in the upcoming 4-H newsletters.

Species Specific Information Beef, Sheep, Swine & Meat Goats: 1. 4-H Family picks up MN 4-H ear tags and tag applicator from the County Extension Office. 2. 4-H Family puts a tag in the animal's ear by May 15 and completes the information worksheet (located HERE under each species). 3. Family returns ALL unused and/or damaged ear tags to their extension office. *Animals showing as Registered Breeding Beef & Registered Breeding Sheep do not need a MN 4-H ear tag

Dairy: 1. 4-H Family completes the ID worksheet (located HERE under each species) for all NEW project animals. All dairy animals must be identified with an official form of identification: Official Breed Assn. Ear Tag, Official Breed Assn. tattoo, State 4-H ear tag (available from Extension Office), USDA tag, Copy of the Breed Assn. ID paper and/or photo (if exhibits distinct markings). Registered animals with pending breed association registration information by May 15 must update this information as soon as registration numbers are received. If you enter as “pending”, you will need to provide updated information to your local Extension Office to update prior to County Fair. If an animal is leased, the lease information form must also be scanned and uploaded in 4HOnline (bring hard copy to County Extension Office by May 15 if unable to scan). The lease information form is available on the Animal ID web page (z.umn.edu/mn4hanimalID). If using a photo as an official form of identification (because the animal has distinct markings), you will upload the photo in 4HOnline no later than May 15. 2. EXISTING project animals that are being carried over from last year to this project year must be re-activated by May 15. Families expecting an existing animal to be eligible in future years must reactivate the animal yearly even if not planning to utilize as a project animal in the current year. 3. Instructions can be found in the document Detailed Guide - Animal ID Data Entry by Families, page 5, on the Animal ID web page (www.4-H.umn.edu/animal-ID). 4. All leased and newly ID'd dairy animals must upload a completed lease information form that matches the animal's name, breed, birthdate, official ID and registration form. If a new lease information form for a previously ID'd animal needs to be updated to reflect changes in the animal's owner, etc., families must submit the new lease information sheet to Extension staff (families are not able to upload lease information sheets to previously ID'd dairy animals). The lease information form only has to be submitted the first year. It becomes a permanent document in this animals’ identification record and does not need to be renewed each year the dairy animal is carried as a 4-H project. All that is required in subsequent years is to reactivate the dairy animal by May 15.

3

NOTE: Existing dairy animal ID’s can be viewed but not edited because of the “first freshening” rule. If changes are needed to a dairy animal (including changes to the associated exhibitor/member) contact your local Extension Office.

Dairy Goat: 4-H Family completes the ID worksheet (HERE) for all NEW project animals. Registered animals with pending breed association registration information by May 15 must update this information as soon as it is received. If you enter “pending” you will need to provide updated information to your local Extension Office to get it updated prior to the County Fair.

Lama: One lama can be ID'd by multiple members. In those cases, the same animal should be entered under EACH member ID'ing that animal.

Horse: One horse can be ID'd by multiple members. In those cases, the same animal should be entered under EACH member ID'ing that animal.

Poultry: Pigeons and Doves – all pigeons and doves need to be officially ID’d through the 4HOnline system using a permanent leg band by May 15. The 4-H family is responsible for obtaining permanent bands and banding the birds. Again, this is only for pigeons and doves. ● For all other poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, guineas,) there is no identification worksheet or information that needs to be submitted. ● Leased poultry projects - a “Minnesota 4-H Animal Science Lease Information Form” must be turned in to your County Extension Office by May 15. The form is available online (z.umn.edu/LeaseAnimal) or at the county office. ● Be sure to read the Poultry Information Sheet. It contains info on hatch dates and health requirements.

Rabbit: If a Doe is properly ID'd by May 15 the market rabbits born to that Doe will be considered ID'ed if they are tattooed at county fair check-in time. Cloverbud Animal Science Specifics ● Cloverbud may show their own animal or another 4-H’ers identified animal. ● The Minnesota Board of Animal Health requires all animals at exhibitions to have an official ID (tag or tattoo) this includes Cloverbuds. Cloverbud ID information does not need to be included in 4HOnline. ● Cloverbud entries may be included in county fair pre-registration for stalling/penning purposes. ● More information on 4-H Cloverbuds can be found in the Cloverbud Information Sheet

Additional Information for your Reference ● 2020 Animal Science Identification Requirements for Minnesota 4-H details specific dates and requirements unique to each animal science project area. ● 2020 Information Sheets for the species your family is currently enrolled in, can be found on the Minnesota 4-H Animal ID website. These have been compiled by 4-H State Committees and includes processes, procedures and information unique to the specific projects at the Minnesota State Fair. ● Video: Minnesota 4-H Animal ID’ing in 4HOnline provides the steps to follow in 4HOnline when ID’ing a Minnesota 4-H project animal. ● 4HOnline animal ID User Guides: quick start guide for using 4HOnline to ID animals or a detailed guide is available to walk you through the process of self-entering your animal identification information.

Important - All ownership and registration papers WILL BE checked at the 2020 County Fair.

4

If you have any questions about online animal identification or anything else in this letter, please contact Danielle Ganje at 763-765-3075 or [email protected].

Danielle Ganje Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Sherburne County

5