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

[Kolbeslayadayinn]

One of my Chantecler boys and 2 of my Wyandotte girls

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

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.
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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.
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**
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Last year's calendar:

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View attachment 4110398	View attachment 4110399	View attachment 4110400	View attachment 4110401	View attachment 4110403

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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
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[TheChickenGirl16]

One of my Chantecler boys and 2 of my Wyandotte girls

I see one Blue Wyandotte, what is the other one?
I’m only asking because I am collecting Wyandottes, and would hate to miss one!!

 

[AliBia]

First photo: Copper Marans and Olive Egger chicks.
Second photo: Hybrid chicks
Third photo : Hybrid chicks

 

[RamonaMom]

Question - I don't know about other folks, but my images are within the required limits on my computer but when I check them on the site they are smaller. Does the webpage downsize images? I know many social media sites do... Thanks!

 

[arianna7]

 

[Maty]

Hello friends sorry I've been out for a while glad to be back. Love the pictures, Here are mine.

 

[casportpony]

Entry #1
This is Hershey, our Chocolate Orpington Roo. He's a delight for us!
Ramona
FYI - this image is 3000 x 2000 on my computer. Not sure why it didn't upload at that size?

Entry #2
Another perspective of our Chocolate Orpington Roo, Hershey. This image is 3401 x 2301 on my computer, although it didn't upload at that size. Does your site downsize the images?

Entry #3
Last one of our Chocolate Orpington Roo, Hershey.
Ramona
This image is 3155 x 2104 on my computer.

Question - I don't know about other folks, but my images are within the required limits on my computer but when I check them on the site they are smaller. Does the webpage downsize images? I know many social media sites do... Thanks!

That's a great question. BYC does resize the images. This one is 4300 x 3440 before I attach it:

BYC resized it to 2000 x 1600:

At this stage of the judging, we are verifying that each image is 2000 pixels wide or 2000 pixels tall. If it isn't, we assume that the original was not uploaded, and the entry is disqualified with the reason in the comment column M of the spreadsheet listed as "too small".

Does that help?

 

[RamonaMom]

That's a great question. BYC does resize the images. This one is 4300 x 3440 before I attach it:
View attachment 4206384
BYC resized it to 2000 x 1600:
View attachment 4206386

At this stage of the judging, we are verifying that each image is 2000 pixels wide or 2000 pixels tall. If it isn't, we assume that the original was not uploaded, and the entry is disqualified with the reason in the comment column M of the spreadsheet listed as "too small".

Does that help?

Yes, that is a lot of help! Thanks for taking the time to answer. One of mine is listed as portrait, but all 3 of them are actually landscape, if that matters? Thanks for putting all of the time and effort in on this huge project! It is a bit overwhelming just looking at the spreadsheet! :-o

 

[casportpony]

Yes, that is a lot of help! Thanks for taking the time to answer.

You're welcome!

One of mine is listed as portrait, but all 3 of them are actually landscape, if that matters?

Oops! Thanks for finding my mistake. I will fix it. The only thing that really matters is column M! All three of yours are qualified.

Thanks for putting all of the time and effort in on this huge project!

You're welcome! The calendar contest is my favorite contest and I love doing the work!

It is a bit overwhelming just looking at the spreadsheet! :-o

It can be overwhelming for me, too, and I'm the one who designed it!

For anyone having trouble viewing the spreadsheet, if they ask, I can show them their entries like this:

Spoiler: casportpony's Entries

#	Member	Original	In Template	Post URL	Status	Comments
148	@casportpony			post	not an entry	not an entry
149	@casportpony			post	not an entry	not an entry
244	@casportpony			post	not an entry	not an entry

Edited to add:
Or I can screenshot like this: