Market hog validation tags need to be ordered now

By Sam Womble Bandera County Extension Agent

Time is approaching for all Bandera County 4-H and FFA members to order Market Hog Validation Tags for the 2013 livestock shows.

State validation tags are $10 each, and are good for all livestock shows including the county and major shows, (Bandera, Kerrville, San Antonio, San Angelo, Ft. Worth, Houston, and Star of Texas-Austin.) The deadline to order state validation tags is Sept. 25.

County ONLY validation tags are $5 each, and are good for market hogs that will only show at the Bandera County Livestock Show. County tags may be purchased until Oct. 1 at the Extension Office.

Participants must order a tag for each hog they have. 4-H members need to order tags from the County Extension Office. FFA members need to order tags from their ag-science teachers.

All exhibitors who will be entering a major stock show - this includes the Hill Country Jr. District Livestock Show in Kerrville - must complete the Quality Counts Verification test. Go to the Bandera County Extension Office website at http://bandera-tx.tamu.edu, and select the "Quality Counts" link to take the test.

Exhibitors must get 80 percent of the questions correct in order to pass and receive a verification number and completion certificate. 4-H members will be required to pass the verification test once as a Junior and once as a Senior.

Please contact the Extension Office at 830-796-7755 with any questions.