First Chicks of 2023 Hatch for Children’s Barnyard at FWSSR

A favorite stop at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the Children's Barnyard where kids can see chicks hatch right before their eyes.

The tradition of hatching chickens goes back decades, and it falls on the president of the FWSSR to get the job done.

The story goes it all started back in the1970s with the late W.R. "Bob" Watt. He was the president and general manager of the Stock Show for 33 years. When Watt retired in 2010, Brad Barnes became the new president and general manager. Barnes continued the tradition and is now letting Senior Executive Vice President Matt Carter handle some of the responsibilities that come with hatching the chickens.

Two incubators are in the stock show office. Eggs go in every day, and the Stock Show boss has to turn them several times a day during the 21-day incubation period.

The first chicken of the 2023 #FWSSR is here! Our President & General Manager, Brad Barnes has named it ‘Slick’. That's one slick chick 😎Now what should we name the next one?? pic.twitter.com/Z2cHEnTcbV

All that work pays off with new chickens for kids to see every day of the 23-day show. The 2023 Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo runs Jan. 13 - Feb. 4.

"At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, it's the egg that comes first," cracked President and General Manager Brad Barnes.