Happy and Healthy Chickens Photo Contest entries due June 24

The Delaware Department of Agriculture is inviting Delawareans to enter their best photos of backyard poultry for its 2016 Happy and Healthy Chickens Photo Contest. The top image will be published in the 2017 Delaware Agriculture Calendar, and winners in each age category will receive a poultry-related prize pack and have their photograph published in DDA’s #FarmFriday social media series.

For more information, submission guidelines and entry forms, go to de.gov/agphotos. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware. Landscape orientation is preferred; portrait-oriented photos, if selected, may be cropped for presentation. Entries must be in digital format and submitted electronically. A maximum of three entries per person can be submitted via email to dda.marketing@state.de.us. The deadline is Friday, June 24.

Judges will look for photographs that best exemplify the contest theme, Happy and Healthy Chickens. Judges will also be looking at technical criteria including resolution, clarity and composition. The photos should accurately reflect the subject matter, with nothing added or removed from the photo. Age categories include: 5-7 years old; 8-10 years old; 11-14 years old; 15-21 years old; and 22 years and above.

Hundreds of Delawareans keep backyard chickens in small flocks. Benefits include fresh eggs and a reduction in weeds and pests.