DEPARTMENT 10 – YOUTH SWINE
Superintendent: Matthew Magnus
Weigh in: April 25, 2026, 9:00 – 11:00 am (must be on feed at least 98 days before the fair)
Fair Check In: First Sunday of Fair - 8am to 12pm
1. Exhibitors may tag two (2 )feeder pigs. They may exhibit one (1) hog.
2. All swine are required to have a SCANNABLE USDA identification tag. The fair will provide the
tags. You must indicate on your pre-entry form how many tags you need and if you plan on
coming to weigh in. lf not coming to weigh in, your tags will be mailed to you Pictures are
required to be emailed by 11:00 am April 25,2026 to be signed up if not weighing in.
3. Any animal arriving at the fair without a scannable tag will be turned away.
4. Your exhibit's tag # will be the last five (5) digits of your official scannable 840 tag number.
5. Weigh-in will be at the exhibitor's discretion. You can weigh your hog and participate in the
rate of gain contest if you choose.
A. If you choose not to weigh-in pictures are due to the Clare County Fair Livestock email by
11:00 a.m. April 2thᵗʰ. Take pictures with the tag in the ear of the front and side of the hog, with
the ear tag visible. Pictures must be properly labeled with the exhibitor's name, the tag# (your
tag# will be the last 5 digits of your USDA#), entire USDA ID#, and whether it is a gilt or a
barrow. (If your pictures are not deemed acceptable you will be given one more opportunity to send
the proper pictures. If not received by the given date, you will be disqualified.
B. All pictures must be emailed by the weigh-in date at the given time. Each exhibitor must be in a
separate email with the EXHIBITORS name in the subject line
In the body of the email:
RFID tag# CCF tag#
Gilt or barrow
C. If you choose not to weigh-in you will be required to participate in two (2) Educational
Workshops that will be offered. If you do not participate, you will be disqualified.
6. A minimum of two pigs per pen. (Example: John and Jane Doe bring 1 pig each (totaling 2 pigs
as a family), they are allowed 1 pen as a family. 2 pigs per pen. If John, Jack, and Jane bring a
total of 3 pigs, they are allowed 2 pens. 2 pigs in one of the pens and 1 in the other.
A. Any pens not used after the final check in has closed will be open for community tack only, No
swine will be allowed in these pens.
7. Swine must weigh at least 220 pounds to show and compete in market class. Animals that do not
make weight may compete in showmanship and open class only.
8. Hogs will be penned by family, 2-3 per pen. No single hogs to a pen unless there is only one
exhibitor in the family.
9. If your hog exceeds 300 pounds at fair weigh in, you will only be paid through the auction a
maximum of 300 pounds.
10. Weigh in will determine the Rate of Gain Gilt and Barrow.
11. The swine show is a non-terminal show.
12. Home grown animals must be born and raised on the exhibitor's property and indicated as so on
your on-line entry form.
13. Swine Showmanship ages:
Senior 18 - 19 years of age
Senior Intermediate 16-17 years of age
Intermediate 15 years of age
Pre-Intermediate 13 - 14 years of age
Senior-Junior 12 years of age
Junior 10 - 11 years of age
Pre-Junior 8 - 9 years of age
Beginner 6 - 7 years of age
Developmentally Disabled
14. Seniors and Juniors will compete separately for Overall Senior Champion and an Overall Junior Champion.
15. Classes may be combined or divided at the superintendent's discretion.
SWINE ONLY
Adopted by the Clare County Fair Board April 14, 2020
In response to announcements from commercial pork processing plants indicating that they will be eliminating the purchase of pigs that have been fed ractopamine from their markets, the Clare County Fair will be a ractopamine free fair, beginning in 2020.
This feed additive is not illegal for use in the US or Canada but no major pork packer in the Midwest will accept or purchase swine that have been fed ractopamine.
This decision is driven by the restrictions placed on pork products destined for export markets.
This change is necessary to allow buyers of the pork projects at the fair to have access to resale markets.
Ractopamine is a feed additive sold under various common names such as Pay lean, Explode, XXL and Lean Maximer, among others.
It is important that youth exhibitors are aware of what is in the feed that they are purchasing for their projects. Reading the feed ingredient label and having conversations with your feed supplier will help identify any feed additives that may not be allowed.
Additional rules as they will appear in the 2020 Clare County fair book:
Pigs fed ractopamine (in feed or top-dressed) at any time during their growth will not be allowed to be exhibited or otherwise to be onsite at the Clare County Fair.
All exhibitors and a parent/guardian will be required to sign an affidavit stating that at no time has their pig(s) been fed ractopamine. Exhibitors or parents not completing this affidavit by weigh-in day at the fair will not be allowed to unload their animal(s) upon arriving at the fair.
MSU Extension is researching testing procedures to see if hogs have been fed this additive. The fair will look at the available testing of swine and reserves the right to test every swine animal or spot test animals.
MARKET SWINE
Enter all Barrows in class BBB and all Gilts in class GGG, they will be placed in the proper class after weigh-in.
PREMIUM A.....$6.00 B…..$5.00 C…..$4.00
1000 – Light Medium Weight Barrow 1006 – Light Medium Weight Gilt
1001 – Medium Weight Barrow 1007 – Medium Weight Gilt
1002 – Heavy Medium Weight Barrow 1008 – Heavy Medium Weight Gilt
1003 – Light Heavy Weight Barrow 1009 – Light Heavy Weight Gilt
1004 – Medium Heavy Weight Barrow 1110 – Medium Heavy Weight Gilt
1005 – Heavy Weight Barrow 1011 – Heavy Weight Gilt
Grand Champion Barrow Grand Champion Gilt
Reserve Champion Barrow Reserve Champion Gilt
Supreme Overall Hog
SWINE SHOWMANSHIP
PREMIUM 1st.....$13.00 2nd …..$11.00 3rd…..$9.00 4th – 15th …..$6.00
1012 – Senior 18 – 19 years of age 1017 – Junior 10 – 11 years of age
1013 – Senior Intermediate 16 – 17 years of age 1018 – Pre-Junior 8 – 9 years of age
1014 – Intermediate 15 years of age 1019 – Beginner 6 – 7 years of age
1015 – Pre-Intermediate 13 – 14 years of age 1020 – Developmentally Disabled
1016 – Senior Junior 12 years of age
Champion Senior Showman Champion Junior Showman
SWINE RECORD KEEPING
Livestock record books are mandatory for all youth selling at the Clare Co Fair. Books need to be turned into the Clare Co Fair office by 8pm, Sunday of fair.
PREMIUM A……$5.00 B……$3.00 C……$2.00
1021 – Senior 16-19 years old 1023 – Junior 10-12 years old
1022 – Intermediate 13-15 years old 1024 – Beginner 6-9 years old
