This article has been copied into the current Education library so it remains available even after the old site is retired.
Exhibition poultry judging in the United States uses either the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection or the American Bantam Association’s Bantam Standard.
Training and the Written Standards
Licensed poultry judges complete an apprenticeship program and must pass written and hands-on tests when they complete that program.
Both Standards contain areas in which individuals may interpret the written description with some latitude when evaluating birds. Judging is not an exact science, and comparison judging can make the process even more confusing to many exhibitors.
Why Results Can Change
A first-place bird at one show may not place at a different show for a variety of reasons. A different judge or different competition are just two of them.
The bird is compared with the written Standard and with the quality present in the class on that day. A change in competition can therefore change the placement even when the bird itself has not changed.
Return to the Description
Always return to the written description in the appropriate Standard. Study it and learn to form your own opinions when evaluating stock, whether you are sorting birds at home or exhibiting at a show.
Walk through the class, look for yourself and compare your stock with the competition. It is not as valuable as hands-on evaluation, but it remains an excellent learning tool.
This page is a lightly edited presentation of Edgar Mongold’s original educational post. Spelling, punctuation and headings were adjusted for readability. Only Edgar’s original material is included; replies and comments by other people have been omitted.
Originally published in the pre-cutover Poultry Showcase MEGA Exhibition Poultry Education Series. The current site preserves the original contributor attribution and structure.
