Health Regulations

Livestock Health Requirements

  1.  All animals entering the grounds, including those showing in petting zoos, children’s barnyard animals, Old McDonald Farms, etc. must meet the requirements of their particular species.
  2. Arkansas livestock (except for Arkansas sheep, goats, horses, steers and rabbits) must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection issued within 90 days prior to exhibition showing the following:

Arkansas Cattle

  1. Negative Brucellosis test within 90 days prior to exhibition for females and bulls 18 months of age and over. All heifers that have calved or are bred must be tested. Animals originated from a Certified Brucellosis Free Herd, and Certified Free Herd number is shown on certificate are exempt. If Arkansas is a Class Free State; Arkansas cattle are exempt from testing.
  2. All heifers that are 4-12 months of age shall be vaccinated before entering show.
  3. Heifers that were born on or after Jan. 1, 1985 that are twelve (12) months of age and are not official calf hood vaccinated will not be allowed to show (unless they are from a Brucellosis Certified Free Herd).

Arkansas Swine

  1. Animals 6 months old or older to be tested negative for Brucellosis within 90 days of exhibition or originate directly out of a Validated Herd, with Validation number and date of last test shown on certificate (barrows exempt from brucellosis testing, but must be Pseudorabies tested.)
  2. Animals to be tested negative for Pseudorabies regardless of age within 90 days of the exhibition on a test approved by the state veterinarian or originate directly out of a Qualified Pseudorabies Free Herd with Qualified Herd number and date of last test shown on certificate.
  3. Free of other contagious, infectious, and communicable diseases (erysipelas, atrophic rhinitis, etc.); otherwise, they will not be allowed to show and will be released from the fairgrounds.
  4. All hogs should have an official federally recognized USDA 840 ID tag in one ear. The old, button Arkansas premise tags should not be used as they are not official USDA tags. The tags do not have to be electronic. If someone purchases a hog and it has a premise ID tag and that tag has an official USDA seal on it, it is acceptable.

 Arkansas Sheep

  1. All sheep must be tagged with Scrapie Identification Tag upon arrival on the fairgrounds. If your sheep are from a Certified Scrapie Free Herd advise superintendent to be penned accordingly.
  2. Sheep will be inspected on grounds. No sheep showing symptoms of foot-rot, wool fungus, sore mouth, sheep pox or scrapie will be allowed to be penned or shown.

 Arkansas Goats

  1. All registered goats entering fairgrounds must be accompanied by a registration certificate (in exhibitor’s name) with matching permanent tattoo.
  2. All unregistered goats must be tagged with Scrapie Identification Tag upon arrival on the fairgrounds. If your goats are from a Certified Scrapie Free Herd advise superintendent to be penned accordingly.
  3. Goats will be examined on the grounds. No goat showing evidence of abscesses and certainly draining abscesses, scrapie or hoof rot will be allowed to be penned or shown.

Arkansas Rabbits

  1. Rabbits will be inspected on grounds. No rabbits showing symptoms of disease will be allowed to show.

Arkansas Horses

  1. Negative EIA test required within the past twelve (12) months for all animals over six (6) months of age. Nursing foals under six (6) months of age are exempt from testing if accompanied by negative tested dams. Photocopies of the test papers will not be accepted; carbon copies are acceptable.

Arkansas Poultry

  1. All in-state poultry, which includes domesticated game birds, quail, pheasants, peafowl, guineas, and turkeys, present at exhibition in Arkansas shall have originated from U. S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean or equivalent flocks or have had a negative pullorum-typhoid test within ninety (90) days of the movement to the exhibition (pullorum-typhoid testing on fairgrounds during the fair is prohibited.) This information will be documented on a NPIP Form VS 9-3, 90-Day Certificate, NPIP Flock Certification Form or similar certificate that will accompany the poultry during exhibition.
  2. All non-certified birds must be banded (leg or wing band), with a sealed band. Wraparound plastic bands are not acceptable. In-state waterfowl are exempt from pullorum-typhoid requirements.
  3. Any poultry showing evidence of infectious or contagious disease or insect infestation will not be permitted to exhibit.
  4. Record Keeping – The sponsor of the exhibition shall compile a list of all poultry present at exhibition. This list shall contain the name and address of each owner, the number, the species, breed, variety, type, sex, and pullorum-typhoid status of all poultry present. A copy of this shall be retained by the sponsor of the exhibition for at least twelve (12) months.