JEFFERSON CITY – In order to exhibit market livestock at the 2026 Missouri State Fair, DNA must be collected via hair follicles. Nose prints and blood samples will no longer be accepted.
DNA Sample Deadlines:
- Market Steers:postmarked by March 15, 2026
- Market Barrows:postmarked by May 15, 2026
- Market Lambs and Wether Goats:postmarked by June 15, 2026
Where to pull hair from each specie:
- Cattle: Switch of tail, poll or neck
- Swine: Coarse hair from body, tail area, between toes or inside ear
- Sheep: Coarse hair from hoof or body area
- Goat: Coarse hair from hoof, neck or tail area
Instructions for pulling hair and placing in envelope:
- Pull hair with root follicles attached.
- Hair should be dry.
- If hair has excess dirt and debris, please brush out if possible.
- Do not cut the hair, the roots contain the DNA for testing.
- Use fingers or pliers to grasp approximately 8-10 hairs close to the skin and pull.
- Repeat until you have approximately 20-30 hairs with root follicles attached.
- Place 20-30 hairs with root follicles attached in a regular #10 envelope. Seal envelope.
- Clean hands and/or pliers before sampling another animal.
Instructions for envelope:
Before labeling, please verify that the ID of the animal matches the ID label on the hair sample envelope.
Envelope should include the following:
- Exhibitor name
- Exhibitor address
- County of residence
- FFA Chapter or 4-H County
- Animal ID (Registration ear notch, NUES tag*swine only*, Registration tattoo, AIN/RFID tag) Registered steers will also be required to have a AIN/840 tag. Entries without the proper animal identifications listed will not be accepted.
Agriculture Teachers or Extension Agents must provide a signature to certify that the hair sample was taken from the entered animal in their presence and that the animal entered is owned by the exhibitor. The DNA sample and data collection form (paper copy and/or electronic form) must be returned to the Missouri State Fair by the Agriculture Instructor or Extension Agent and sent to:
Missouri State Fair
Entry Department
2503 W. 16th Street
Sedalia, MO 65301
For more information, visit the Missouri State Fair website. For questions, contact Rhiannon Birdwell, Competitive Entry Supervisor at Rhiannon.Birdwell@mda.mo.gov or (660) 530-5616.