4-H Livestock Projects General Information

A Premise ID is required to exhibit at the Boulder County Fair and Colorado State Fair for livestock animals. Premises identification will provide quick and accurate traceability of livestock and locations in the event of an animal health concern, which will help maintain the health of all Colorado livestock. For this program, a premises is defined as a location or site where livestock are born, handled, housed, managed, marketed, processed, or exhibited. Premises ID is managed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. 
 
4-H members with livestock projects (beef, dairy, goat, horse, sheep, swine, poultry, and rabbit) should obtain a Premises ID. It is also required for other livestock shows. If you don’t have a Premises ID, you can obtain one by calling the Colorado Animal ID coordinator at 303-869-9130 or go online to Colorado Location Identification (LID) Registration Form.

All 4-H members participating in animal projects must have a completed, signed, and approved Animal Care and Housing Form for Colorado 4-H Livestock Projects on file at the Extension Office. This form will be provided in two ways:

4-H online: You will complete this information when enrolling for those who have their animals at their place of residence.

Print and fill out a hard copy form and submit it to the 4-H office for those who have their animals someplace other than their residence. If your animal project is not housed at your place of residence then you will need to print the Animal Care and Housing form, and fill out both sides of that form. This gives us additional information about your specific situation and helps with the approval process. Please provide detailed information or we may send the form back for you to adjust.

Note: Forms must be completed and turned into the Extension office by the last Thursday in April, as this is the deadline for Animal IDs.

All first-year members or first-year Senior(14yrs or older) participants in a livestock project (including all market, breeding, dairy, poultry, rabbit, excluding dog, cat, cavy, and horse) are required to attend an MQA training to be eligible to show or sell at the Boulder County Fair and Colorado State Fair. This year Boulder County will be hosting an in-person opportunity for members to complete this requirement. 
 
There will be other trainings across the state, as well. Other shows may have requirements to take the training more frequently or to take a YQCA national training. It is the youth’s responsibility to know what the shows require. To compete at the Boulder County Fair, youth need to take the MQA training once as a first-year member, and once as a 14-year-old member or older. 
 
Boulder County MQA Training 
Monday, April 20, 2026, from 4 PM to 7 PM 
Boulder County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Building 
 
Families may arrive any time between 4 PM and 6 PM to start the training. Training takes about an hour to complete.  This training is very interactive. Parents are encouraged to participate in the learning. Please allow youth the opportunity to show exactly what they know on the test. 
 
If you have any questions regarding the MQA training, you can contact Lisa Wallace at lwallace@bouldercounty.org | 303-678-6384.

• Lease an Animal Score Sheet
• Companion Animal Score Sheet
• Dog Score Sheet
• Livestock Score Sheet
• Horse Score Sheet

Animal ID Virtual Workshop: Watch the informational video of 4-H Staff going through the process for adding a couple animals in 4HOnline. We answer some common questions and guide you through the visuals of entering animals. 

New for 2026: 4-H Barn Buddies!
Love animals, but don’t have a farm? This program is for you! The Barn Buddies: Animal Science Explorers project is a brand-new way for youth to get hands-on experience with animals without needing to own one. We pair curious learners with experienced 4-H mentors for a season of discovery and fun.

What You Will Do
Learn the Basics: Attend at least six hands-on meetings to learn about animal care, handling, and nutrition.
Get Hands-On: Work directly with an animal alongside your mentor.
Show Your Stuff: Participate in a special Showmanship Class and create a display board for the Boulder County Fair!

How to Join
We are looking for both learners and leaders to kick off our first year:
Mentees (Ages 8 to 18): Ready to learn about animals? Applications are due March 1.
Mentors (Ages 11 and up): Experienced in 4-H and ready to lead? Applications are due March 18.

Want More Details?
Reach out to Brenda Kwang at 4hinfo@bouldercounty.org.
We are so excited to welcome you to the barn!

Use Padlet for re-homing animals from fair, selling meat or processed animals, etc. Use the template and please be specific about your animals.

Animal‑related workshops, jackpots, sales, and other opportunities are starting to roll in for the season. To keep everything easy for our 4‑H families to find, all updates are posted on the Animal Opportunities Padlet. Families can add the Padlet to their phones or tablets so the latest information is always just a tap away. If you would like to have something added, please send it to Dawn and she will upload it.