Swine tag orders for the 2025 Texas Spring Major Stock Shows opens on September 1, 2024. Tag orders placed between September 1 – September 30, 2024 will be $15.00 per tag. Tags ordered October 1 - November 7, 2024 will be $18.00. Please note that tags can only be ordered by the county validation chair.

New: The maximum amount that a county can charge for a tag over the original cost is $5.00.

Tags ordered in September will begin shipping during the second week of October 2024. These tags will be shipped from DataMars, and the shipment will also contain the newly revised hair envelope which includes the ear notch drawing.  All other documents can be found and downloaded at https://www.texasffa.org/swine-validation. Tags ordered after October 1, 2024 will be shipped from the Texas FFA office on or after November 7, 2024.

Validation of 2025 barrows and gilts showing at the 2025 Texas Spring Major Stock Shows must occur within the presence of the swine validation committee between November 1 and November 30, 2024.  Under no circumstances should tags be handed out.

All materials and any unpaid orders must be postmarked by December 7, 2024 to the Austin office.  To ensure timely receipt and posting of your payment, please DO NOT include your payment in your validation materials box.

VALIDATION SCHEDULING DEADLINE:  October 15th - make sure to email your forms to tammy@texasffa.org.  If you haven't done so already, make sure to get your form emailed to Tammy ASAP!

***IMPORTANT*** County validation chairs are highly encouraged to print the order invoice immediately after placing an order and submit for payment.  This will prevent the county account from being blocked for the next ordering cycle.

Please see the chart below in the FAQ section regarding validation/tagging requirements for the 2025 Texas Spring Major Stock Shows. 

The 2025 Texas Spring Major Stock Shows Validation Checklist and all remaining  documents have been updated.  You can find them at the bottom of this page. Please make sure you are using the current version of the forms, and that all materials are complete and included when mailing in your validation materials.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to review the Swine Validation Workshop presentation and watch videos covering the validation process and validation paperwork presented at the 2023 and 2024 ATAT Conference!***

2025 Texas Spring Major Livestock Show tag orders begin September 1, 2024. To submit your orders, please visit http://validate.texasffa.org/ .

County Validation Chairs Please Note:  Your county swine validation account balance must be in good standing, or you will not be able to order 2025 Texas Spring Major Livestock Show tags.  Please make sure all balances for previous orders are paid prior to the September 1, 2024 opening date.

County validation chairs will need their county password to login to the system to place orders, print forms, submit tag/ear notch corrections and complete the student tag information. If you do not know your county's login password, please contact Tammy Glascock (tammy@texasffa.org)).


The swine validation system will close December 7, 2024 for all data input. After that date, all changes to the online tag assignment system will be done through the State Swine Validation Coordinator (tammy@texasffa.org).  All forms contain instructions regarding this change.

The gilt registration paper upload system http://validate.texasffa.org/gilt will close on January 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. All registered gilt information and paper upload must be completed by the deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS!  Please note that state validation tag numbers are required in order to input required information into the data system for the registered/purebred gilts.

2025 Texas Spring Major Livestock Show Validation Process Information

Only the Swine Validation Chairman from each county may order tags.

COST:    September 1 - September 30, 2024                      $15.00 each
                 October 1 - November 7, 2024                                    $18.00 each
               
                    ***All orders will ship 2-3 day priority mail.***

New: The maximum amount that a county can charge for a tag over the original cost is $5.00.

ORDERS/SHIPPING: Address on order form should be SHIPPING address, please NO PO BOX addresses - we are not able to verify delivery to PO Boxes other than received at the post office. Orders received in September will ship the second week of October. Orders received in October/November will ship by the end of the second week of November- please keep this in mind when scheduling your validation dates!

VALIDATION: All official validation and tagging should occur on or before 11:59 p.m. November 30, 2024 in the presence of the County Swine Validation Committee.  Under no circumstances should tags be handed out for offsite tagging.

REMINDER:  It is the duty of the county chair to input all swine tag assignment information into the swine validation website.  http://validate.texasffa.org/

Materials Must Be Postmarked by December 7, 2024.

NEW THIS YEAR

We are no longer using an EAR NOTCH FORM. We are only using a DNA Hair Envelope.

Hair envelopes
 - Must have Last Name, First Name (printed and signed).
 - Filed NUMERICALLY and secured with rubber bands please.
   

Signed Ethics Policies
 - Signature page only
 - Filed alphabetically and secured.
 - PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE TO VALIDATION FORMS

Signed Committee Forms
 - This form is located on the swine validation website http://validate.texasffa.org.   Click on 2025 Texas Spring Major Livestock Shows Validation. Once you have logged in please scroll to the bottom - the Committee Forms are at the bottom of the forms section.  Per the Swine Validation Guidelines, there must be a minimum of three members on the validation committee.  Any forms returned not meeting this requirement will not be accepted and must be corrected and resubmitted to complete validation.

Tag Assignment Form
 - Please include a printed copy of the tag assignment form with the rest of the validation materials. Once all exhibitor information is entered, click on 'print tag assignment listing' in the upper right corner of your screen. This form will be used as the master materials check-in list for your county.

Mail all required materials to:

Texas FFA Association
ATTN:  2025 Swine Validation Program - (your county name)
614 E. 12th Street
Austin, Texas  78701

I need a replacement tag but my county does not have any extras - what do I do?

Don't worry!  Replacement tags can be purchased at shows upon check-in for $25.00 each. We are now accepting cash, credit and debit. CHECKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTD.

If a tag is lost, can I go to a breeder or a veterinarian to get an 840 replacement tag? 

No! Any lost tag must be replaced with a tag issued from Texas FFA and fall within our series of numbers. If you use a tag obtained from a breeder or veterinarian as your validation tag, you will be DISQUALIFIED from validation. NO EXCEPTIONS!

What shows are participating in the 2024 Swine Validation program?

Participating shows include the Hill Country Grandstand, Fort Worth Barrow Show, San Antonio Jr. Gilt Shows and Barrow Shows, Texas Elite Gilt Shows, San Angelo Gilt and Barrow Shows, Houston Gilt and Barrow Shows, Rio Grande Valley Gilt and Barrow Show, Rodeo Austin Barrow Show, State Fair of Texas and Heart of Texas.

Is validation required for registered purebred gilts and/or crossbred gilts?

All gilts, registered and crossbred must be state validated in order to show at any of the 2024 participating in the Texas Swine Validation Program. Full validation includes the uploading of registration papers with an ownership date on or before November 30, 2024 and a litter registration) on or before November 30, 2024.

Have any rules changed for the 2025 Texas Major Livestock Shows participating in the Swine Validation Program?

Please reference all stock show rules for barrows and gilts. Barrow weights have changed at some shows. Registered gilt rules have changed as well and will be showing by weights at some shows. Please reference the links listed above for stock show rules.