1. Dairy Steer Feeder Calves (no heifers) must be born after December 1, 2024. (To show a dairy feeder steer calf in the 2025 Fair, steer must be born after December 1, 2024).Members can tag & show two feeder steers and cannot be replaced after tagging deadline of March 20, 2025.
Finished Dairy Steers must be born after December 1, 2023 (To show a finished steer at the 2025 Bedford Fair, steer must be born after December 1, 2023). Members can tag & show two Finished Steers and cannot be replaced after tagging deadline. TO SHOW YOUR FINISHED STEER IN 2025, Identification of your steer must be recorded by photo ID along with official Bedford Fair ear tag shown in picture. Photo must be both sides of the calf and head shot with tag showing. Pictures & enrollment form are to be submitted to extension office by March 20, 2025, to qualify for the 2025 Bedford County Fair show season finished steer class. You can email your pictures along with your exhibitor name, address and phone # to Dwayne Hay at dxh42@psu.edu. If pictures are not submitted by the deadline, you will NOT BE ELIGIBLE for the 2025 Finished Dairy Steer class.
2. An exhibitor may show two dairy feeder calves and two finished dairy steers each year. Project animal must be tagged by the
4-H Leader or FFA Advisor. Steers must have official Bedford County Fair RFID tags. Fair Tags and project enrollment forms will be available at the Extension Office.
Project enrollment form must be returned to the Extension Office by the tagging deadline. (2025 Feeder Calves & Finished Steers would be due by March 20th, 2025. No late submissions will be accepted.
$10 will be collected per tagged steer (to cover tag cost & blood testing of winners) and returned with the project enrollment form. Checks made payable to “Bedford County Dairy Committee.”
3. Project animal can be any breed of dairy, (Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, or Red & White) but MUST be pure bred dairy blood. No crossbreeding of dairy breeds or beef parentage.
4. All Steers should be dehorned in time to be healed by the show. Feeder Calves should be castrated by May 1. Calves must be either cut or banded – Crimping will not be allowed. Dairy beef must be completely free of testicular development and healed at the show.
5. Feeder Calves weight range is 450 lbs. to 999 lbs. and will be enforced. Calves must be on a grain-fed diet by the Fair in order to show. Calves will be divided in three classes by weight following weigh-in: Light, Medium, and Heavy.
6. Finished Steer must weigh a minimum of 1000 lbs. and will be enforced. Steers will be divided into two classes by weight following weigh-in: Light and Heavy.
7. Dairy Feeder Calves and Finished Steers will be weighed immediately after the Market Steers on Sunday afternoon. Both will be shown on Tuesday at 1 pm or thirty minutes after the Junior Dairy Show has finished. Dairy Feeder Calves will start, followed by Finished Dairy Steers. Showmanship will occur following the Dairy Beef Steer show.
8. Members must declare at the scale whether to sell or take their project animal home. Feeder Calves: the 1st place feeder calf of each class will be eligible to be sold at the Livestock Sale on Saturday (this includes Grand & Reserve Champions). Finished Steers: The Grand & Reserve Finished Steers will be sold at the sale on Saturday. All others will not be sold through the livestock sale. The dairy beef committee will seek a predetermined bid for all feeders to be sold. Rope halters must be left with your steers for loading after the fair.
9. Members are responsible for their 4-H Project Books or proof that the steer is entered in the FFA AET system. Members must bring documentation with them at the time of weigh-in or you will not be permitted to show.
10. All members are responsible for health requirements. To add value of animals for the buyer:
A. Calves are required to be vaccinated against IBR, PI3, BVD and BRSV using one dose of modified live vaccine or two doses of killed vaccine. Examples: Bovishield & Pyramid. Consult your vet about timing and administering of vaccine.
B. It is recommended that calves be given a rabies vaccination.
C. If your steer has symptoms of ringworm within 4 weeks of Fair, you should have your animal treated by a veterinarian and a statement of date/treatment.
D. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is required within 30 days prior to show. Refer to the Bedford-fair.com website for specific animal health requirements. (Animal Health Rues Section 2: Cattle)
11. All Dairy Beef calves and Finished Steers will be housed together in the Open Show Dairy Barn (unless you are a Dairy Exhibitor). You are responsible for your own bedding, water and feed.
12. Fitting Suggestion: Slick Shearing and be sure to get all the hair removed from all locations of the body except for the switch.
13. Each steer must be shown by the exhibitor who tagged it as a calf unless the exhibitor has more than one steer in the ring at a time. A substitute showman who is the same age or younger may be used if the exhibitor has more than one steer in the ring in the same class. Refer to the Bedford-fair.com website for specific showmanship requirements.