American Standard of Perfection

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First published in 1874, the American Standard of Perfection is the official breed standard for poultry fancy in North America. Produced by the American Poultry Association, the Standard of Perfection (sometimes merely called "the Standard") classifies and describes the ideal physical appearance and temperament for all recognized breeds of poultry, including chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese.

The Standard is used as the text by which birds of these species are judged at poultry shows, and those who participate in competitive showing selectively breed their birds to meet the requirements of the book. Consequently, these birds are called "standard bred" poultry.

The first edition of the book listed 41 breeds, and todays versions have nearly 60. There are 19 classes of poultry as recognized by the American Poultry Association. Ten of these classes are devoted to chickens, of which 6 are classes of large breeds and 5 are bantam classes. There are four duck classes divided by weight. There are also three classes of geese organized by weight. There is only one class of turkeys, which includes all breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association.

[edit] References

• Ekarius, Carol (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. 210 MAS MoCA Way, North Adams MA 01247: Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58017-667-5. 
• Heinricks, Christine (2007). How To Raise Chickens. Suite 200, 380 Jackson St, St Paul MN 55101: Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-76-03-2828-6. 
• Percy, Pam (2002). The Complete Chicken. Suite 200, 380 Jackson St, St Paul MN 55101: Voyageur Press. ISBN 0-89658-731-2. 
• Rossier, Jay (2002). Living with Chickens. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-59228-013-7. 
• Staples, Tamara (2001). The Fairest Fowl. 85 Second Street San Francisco CA 94105: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN 081183137X. 

[edit] External links

• The American Standard of Perfection, full 1905 version from Google Books