Open Contest 2026 BYC Calendar Photo Contest - We Need Your Pictures!

[SunnySid3Up]

Entry #3 my favorite egg layer of ours, she protects the flock when our roosters don't do their job.

 

[Piopio2020]

View attachment 4110384
This contest is brought to you by our BYC Sponsors
(click to view & support them)

2026 BYC Calendar Photo Contest
We Need Your Pictures!
Ends August 31st, 2025

Chickens can be pretty marvelous; they're stunning to look at, with their vibrant feathers and eye-catching combs. For the past 14 years, BYC has been publishing the illustrious 13-month BYC Calendar, which features stunning photos submitted by our wonderful members of their chickens, posing in all their astounding glory.
​

How to submit your pictures for consideration for the 2026 BYC Calendar:

1. Select a HIGH-RESOLUTION picture that is at LEAST 3,000 pixels wide & 2,000 pixels tall that is very clear (not blurry), clean, and post it to this thread. If you aren't sure of your picture's size, use this: Imageonline.co
2. Since the calendar is printed on 11-inch-wide by 8.5-inch-tall paper, pictures should be in landscape mode, not square, and not portrait.
   
   View attachment 4127004

Suggested reading

• Photography Tips from BYC's jolenesdad
• Photography Tips from BYC's mdees88
• Photo Critique Club
• Photography Tips from BYC's TudyBOT

All entries are entered into a spreadsheet as they are submitted. Check this spreadsheet to see if your entry qualifies.

Rules

1. Photos of chickens only; this is a chicken calendar.
2. Limit of 4 submissions per user, so choose your very best pictures!! One picture per post, please.
3. High-quality images are recommended.
4. The picture needs to have been taken by you.
5. POW & caption winners may be entered.
6. You cannot use a photo that won an award in another BYC-sponsored, judged photo contest.
7. We want to see the world through your eyes, not through the excessive use of editing tools. However, basic cropping and poop removal is allowed.
8. By submitting your pictures, you agree that you are granting BYC license to edit and use the images in the calendar, promotions, and for other BYC purposes, etc.
9. Images that have been resized will be disqualified if they are too small to judge.
10. No people in the picture (no faces, fingers, hands, arms, etc.).
11. No screenshots, watermarks, date stamps, text, etc., on the photo. No collages.
12. ALL pictures MUST be uploaded to BYC and not hosted on other image sites, personal websites, etc.
13. All BYC rules apply: Terms of Service (Rules)
14. Entries will be accepted through August 31st, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Remember, make sure you have a clear, high-resolution picture (at LEAST 3,000 pixels wide and 2,000 pixels tall...but a higher resolution is better)! Our system will resize your picture when you upload it, so make sure you have/keep the full-sized image in case your photo is selected.

We're looking forward to seeing your wonderful picture submissions!!!

A few notes:

1. We've been known to send a free calendar to those who get their pics chosen... so, it may happen again this year.
2. Remember, only 4 submissions per member, and make sure you have VERY HIGH-RESOLUTION images that we can use for print!
3. Regarding copyright & license: We are very conscientious about respecting the copyright of other peeps' work. We want to make sure we have your permission to use the photo for the calendar and for other BYC related uses. You retain ownership of your image and can continue to use it however you want. By submitting your pictures to this thread, you are simply granting BYC license to use the images for BYC-related purposes.

Regarding contest timing, judging, etc.

1. All entries are entered into a spreadsheet as they are submitted & marked as qualified or disqualified. All members can view the spreadsheet here.
2. All entries are uploaded to an album in the Gallery.
3. After the contest closes, our team will take a week to filter out submissions that don't fit the calendar requirements.
4. Our team will rate all of the pictures that meet the calendar requirements and select the top 30 pictures.
5. The top 20-30 finalists will be contacted via a conversation and asked to fill out a Google Form. There they will enter the name of the chicken, the breed of chicken, and a snippet about their picture. They will also upload their original image(s).
6. Once the pictures have been uploaded to the Google Form, our team will review them and select the final 13 images that will be printed in the calendar (about a week).
7. The images go into the design and printing process and arrive at our store (about 3-5 weeks).
8. We hope to have the calendars in our store by the end of October!

**Deadline for pic submissions is August 31st, 2025, 11:59 pm**
​

Last year's calendar:

View attachment 4110402	View attachment 4110389	View attachment 4110390	View attachment 4110391	View attachment 4110392
View attachment 4110393	View attachment 4110394	View attachment 4110395	View attachment 4110396	View attachment 4110397
View attachment 4110398	View attachment 4110399	View attachment 4110400	View attachment 4110401	View attachment 4110403

​

Spoiler: Previous Calendar Contests

2025 BYC Calendar Photo Contest—We Need Your Pictures!
2024 BYC Calendar Photo Contest—We Need Your Pictures!
2023 BYC Calendar Photo Contest - We Need Your Pictures
2022 BYC Calendar Photo Contest - We Need Your Pictures!
2021 BYC Calendar - We Need Your Pictures!
2020 BYC Calendar - We Need Your Pictures!
2019 BYC Calendar - We Need Your Pictures!
2018 BYC Calendar - Your Pictures Needed!
2017 BYC Calendar - Your Pictures Needed!
2016 BYC Calendar - Your Pictures Needed!
2015 BYC Calendar - Your Pictures Needed!
2014 BYC Calendar - Your Pictures Needed!
Your Chicken Pictures Needed For The BYC 2013 Calendar
Your Chicken Pictures Needed For The BYC 2012 Calendar
​

​

 

[Birdlove2011]

So this is technically my "5th" entry lol I will narrow down to 4 as August gets closer.

This is Picasso!

 

[ChickMamaCRM]

Hi all, I am so sorry for the confusion. I accidentally have duplicates of numbers 214 and 215. I'm so sorry again, when I looked, my pictures were not showing up and I thought maybe they never uploaded, so I reposted them. So sorry again! Is there anyway I could get that fixed? Right now it is saying that they are disqualified due to a duplicate. If not, no worries at all, as I still have a few qualified. Thank you so much for all the hard work and organization!

 

[ChickMamaCRM]

Hi all, I am so sorry for the confusion. I accidentally have duplicates of numbers 214 and 215. I'm so sorry again, when I looked, my pictures were not showing up and I thought maybe they never uploaded, so I reposted them. So sorry again! Is there anyway I could get that fixed? Right now it is saying that they are disqualified due to a duplicate. If not, no worries at all, as I still have a few qualified. Thank you so much for all the hard work and organization!

Just to avoid confusion-only one set of the 2 pics ( the second set is the duplicates), says "disqualified". I'm hoping this means that only the duplicates are disqualified, and the original photos are still qualified. Is this true? Please let me know if this is confusing and I can try to reword it. Thank you!!

This pic shows all my pics entered. A bunch are duplicates, sorry again for that-not sure how that happened, I'm sure it was something on my part. My apologies!
Thank you all!!!
-ChickMamaCRM

 

[500Chickens]

Entry #2: My Appenzeller Spitzhauben pullet, Muffin

 

[casportpony]

Hi all, I am so sorry for the confusion. I accidentally have duplicates of numbers 214 and 215. I'm so sorry again, when I looked, my pictures were not showing up and I thought maybe they never uploaded, so I reposted them. So sorry again! Is there anyway I could get that fixed? Right now it is saying that they are disqualified due to a duplicate. If not, no worries at all, as I still have a few qualified. Thank you so much for all the hard work and organization!

Qualified Entries:
These are your three qualified entries. They fit the template:

#	Member	BB Code Image	Post URL	Status	Comments
213	@ChickMamaCRM		post	qualified	qualified
215	@ChickMamaCRM		post	qualified	qualified
265	@ChickMamaCRM		post	qualified	qualified

In the template:

213	215	265

---

Disqualified Entries:
These are disqualified because they cannot be cropped to fit the template:

#	Member	BB Code Image	Post URL	Status	Comments
214	@ChickMamaCRM		post	disqualified	cannot be cropped
217	@ChickMamaCRM		post	disqualified	cannot be cropped
264	@ChickMamaCRM		post	disqualified	cannot be cropped

In the template:

214	217	264	264

Each picture is entered into the template (left), and then dragged to fit the template (right).

---

Duplicate Entries:
These are your duplicates. They are already entered in the spreadsheet and the gallery album, so less work to leave them as is. No need to delete them.

#	Member	BB Code Image	Post URL	Status	Comments
216	@ChickMamaCRM		post	duplicate	duplicate of 215
218	@ChickMamaCRM		post	duplicate	duplicate of 214
261	@ChickMamaCRM		post	duplicate	duplicate of 213
262	@ChickMamaCRM		post	duplicate	duplicate of 214

 

[casportpony]

Just to avoid confusion-only one set of the 2 pics ( the second set is the duplicates), says "disqualified". I'm hoping this means that only the duplicates are disqualified, and the original photos are still qualified. Is this true? Please let me know if this is confusing and I can try to reword it. Thank you!!

This pic shows all my pics entered. A bunch are duplicates, sorry again for that-not sure how that happened, I'm sure it was something on my part. My apologies!
Thank you all!!!
-ChickMamaCRM

Read this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...t-we-need-your-pictures.1662043/post-28663071

 

[ChickMamaCRM]

Oh okay!! Thank you so much! I understand now, appreciate your time.

 

[500Chickens]

Entry #3: Appenzeller Spitzhauben Muffin again, on hay bales