Register for the 2026 Coastal Plains Chicken Project!

Please note: Registration and payments are due by December 10, 2025.

Click here for Registration Form: 2026 CP Registration

What is the 2026 Coastal Plains Chicken Project?

First you pre-order chicks from us. Prior to getting your chicks, you will need to attend a brief orientation that goes over keeping chickens and specifics about the project. Depending on whether you get laying hen or broiler chicks, you will pick them up either the beginning of February or the beginning of March (more information to follow). Take your birds home and the fun begins!

Throughout the project, youth will have a project book that they need to fill out about how they are taking care of their birds. We will offer a chicken showmanship class as well, generally at the beginning of April.

The 2026 Coastal Plains Chicken Show will be on May 5th, 2026, at the Lenoir County Livestock Arena. Youth will have the opportunity to show their birds in two classes. This will conclude the project. If you have laying hens, you get to take your birds home and wait for fresh eggs! If you have broilers, you will leave them with us at the show and they will be donated to local food banks!

Any questions about the Coastal Plains Chicken Project can be directed to the Lenoir County 4-H Agent, Abbigail Wells at 252-527-2191 or abbarbe2@ncsu.edu. Any livestock questions can be directed to the Lenoir County Livestock Agent, Kaelyn Mohrfeld at 252-527-2191 or kmohrfeld@ncsu.edu

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Can We Choose the Type of Chicks We Receive?

Participants can either order broilers (which are meat birds) or laying hens. Birds are $5 each and participants must order a minimum of 2 birds of the same breed.

The laying hen breed selected this year is the Red Star Hen. The laying hens will go home with the youth after the show and are theirs to keep! These hens will usually start laying fresh eggs around 6 months of age.

The broilers will be left with us after the show on May 5th. They will then go to their new homes at local food banks.

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What is Required for My Youth to Participate? 

• Registration and payment need to be turned in to your county before December 10, 2025.
• Youth need to be enrolled in 4-H by registering on 4-H Online. Youth will need to register or re-enroll in 4-H Online in January 2026.

Register with 4-H Online

Any questions about Lenoir County 4-H or 4-H Online can be directed to Abbigail Wells or Joel Dixon at 252-527-2191 or by email at abbarbe2@ncsu.edu or joel_dixon@ncsu.edu.

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Resources for Participating

You can find rules, more information, etc. on the project website here: Coastal Plains Chicken Project Website