Animal Identification
It is that time of year to identify your animals for your 4-H Projects. The deadline to do so is Thursday, April 30. Please do not wait until the last minute.
Deadline: April 30th
For Non-Market Animals
To declare your project animals in 4-H, all non-market animals must be identified by the last Thursday in April of the current year. This is done through 4-HOnline enrollment.
Included animals are:
- Dairy Cattle
- Breeding Beef
- Dog
- Horse
- Dairy Goats
- Breeding Goats
- Utility Goats
- Breeding Sheep
- Cavy
- Cats and Rabbits
By submitting this identification, the member declares they have ownership of the animal and are providing primary care of their 4-H project.
Note: Poultry projects are excluded from 4HOnline animal identification procedures.
For Market Animals
Market animals do not need to be done by the 4-H member online. The 4-H Office Staff will input your information for your market animal projects once they have attended the required in-person animal ID events.
Breeding Swine Deadline
Breeding swine are due by May 1.
Identification Process
Please check the links for the County Use Forms specific for dairy cattle and review the directions for each species project listed.
Information You Will Need
In general you will need the following information:
- County use form: Required for dairy cattle only.
- Photos: Required to identify your animal. Read the directions for each animal to see what specific photos you will need.
- Animal information: Names, tags, and similar identification data.
- Premise ID: See below for information.
- Scrapie tags: Required for sheep and goats.
- Vaccination proof: Required from a vet for some species, such as a rabies certificate.
- Breed registration forms.
- Brand inspections: Required for beef.
To get started, go to 4-H Online.
Please work on this information quickly to see if you have any questions. Contact Lisa Wallace if you have questions.
Important Tagging Information
Premise ID Information
4-H members with livestock projects should obtain a Premises ID. Livestock includes beef, dairy, goat, horse, sheep, swine, poultry, and rabbit. It is also required for other livestock shows.
If you do not have a Premises ID, you can obtain one by calling the Colorado Animal ID coordinator at 303-869-9130 or by completing the Colorado Location Identification Registration Form. Note: Ask for your Colorado LID and your National Premise ID number.
Scrapie Tags
For sheep and goat members, request your Scrapie tags and tagger by calling 866-USDA-TAG (866-873-2824).
You will need tags if you are planning on exhibiting or selling any female sheep or goats. Tags are also required if you own any sheep or goats older than 18 months old in Colorado. It is recommended to have tags in place by Market nomination day so you are prepared for fair. These are required to be eligible to show or sell goats or sheep at the Boulder County Fair.
Note: You will need your National Premise ID number to get these tags
Additional Information
- County use form – Dairy Cattle ONLY this year
- Photos to identify your animal
- Animal identification information/names/tags/etc.
- Some species- vaccination proof
- Breed registration forms
- Brand inspections- beef
4-H Online Animal Identification
n order to declare your project animals in 4-H, all non-market animals (Dairy Cattle, Breeding Beef, Dog, Horse, Llama/Alpaca, Dairy Goats, Breeding Goats, Utility Goats, Fiber Goats, Breeding Sheep, Breeding Swine, Cavy, Cats and RABBITS) must be identified by the last Thursday in April of the current year by uploading information on 4-HOnline enrollment. By submitting an animal ID, the member is declaring they have ownership of the animal and are providing primary care of their project or is an official Lease-An-Animal 4-H project. NOTE- Poultry projects are excluded from 4HOnline animal identification procedures. The 4-H Office Staff will also input your information for your market animal projects once they have attended the required in-person animal ID events.
NOTE: If your animal was a baby (under one year) last year, please update their photos in 4-H Online when you register them again this year.
NOTE: If your animal was a baby (under one year) last year, please update their photos in 4-H Online when you register them again this year.
- Goat Directions
- Cat Directions
- Dog Directions
- Horse Directions
- Sheep Directions
- Cattle (Breeding Beef & Dairy) Directions
- Cavy Directions
- Rabbit Directions
- Swine Directions
In general you will need the following information:
- County use form (Only for dairy cattle and baby goats)
- Photos to identify your animal
- Animal identification information/names/tags/etc.
- Some species- vaccination proof
- Breed registration forms
- Brand inspections- beef
All members must complete an Animal ID on 4HOnline for each non-market animal in their project. Paper IDs will NOT be accepted. Animal IDs must also include uploading pictures, brand inspections and/or vet records if applicable.
If you have changes to make after you have verified your animal ID or need help uploading documents, contact Lisa Wallace at the Extension Office (303) 678-6238 or email lwallace@bouldercounty.org.
Members showing at the Boulder County Fair or Colorado State Fair are only eligible to show the animals they have ID completely (including required pictures/records) on 4-H Online by the deadline. Market animals and poultry and rabbits are the only ones exempt from the 4honline identification.
Many 4-Hers wonder whether they should ID all the animals they own or just concentrate on one animal they plan to show. This is a personal preference for each individual 4-Her. Usually, 4-Hers are only working with one animal at a time, others have more animals they own, but don’t necessarily plan to show. Either way, all animals that have been ID as a project animal are required to be in your Project record book. Leaders and record book judges will check this before fair and when project books are turned. If all the animals aren’t included, the 4-Her will be ineligible for fair and/or receive an incomplete on their records.
Deadline to participate in Fair: The last Thursday in April (unless animals born after this and meet species ownership requirements).
Upload these completed forms into 4-H Online under County Use Form
- Log-in to 4-H Online using your family email.
- Click View next to members name.
- Select animals on the left side navigation.
- Click on the “add New Animal” blue button toward the top.
- Under Add an Animal, choose an Animal Type.
- Click “Add Animal”.
- Fill out the information (note the red required sections).
- Add attachments (Horse – photos of right side, left side and front; Dog – one photo, copy of vet records). (NOT all have a requirement for “county use form”, but some do. Please check your species listed on this page)
- Click on “Submit”.
- Read the requirements for each animal and the needed documents. You will most likely need pictures of you with your animal showing any distinguishing marks of the animal.
- You may need proof of ownership (bill of sale or brand papers).
- When filling out the online form, the titles of the areas in BOLD: are required. Other areas are not required to be entered manually. Please follow the direction forms for each species as that is what you will need to enter online (Even if it is not bold, boulder county may require it).
- Upload the Animal Identification form under the “COUNTY USE FORM”.
- Upload the Animal Identification form under EACH animal (it can have multiple animals on the form).
- Cavies go under “Small Pet”
- Dairy Cattle – Upload the Registration Papers or the Brand Release form for proof of ownership. These are uploaded under “Dairy Cows Registration Papers.”
- If animals are born after the last Thursday in April deadline, you will need to follow the directions on the form and turn in HARD COPIES of the forms on those animals to the Extension office. No other hard copies will be accepted (must also follow ownership rules and deadlines for that species).