Evaluating the Chicken: Checking for Faults and Meeting the Standard of Perfection
Once you have your top contenders, you will want to check over each one to see how it compares to the Standard of Perfection. The Standard of Perfection stems from the American Poultry Association, which is the oldest livestock organization in North America. The APA determines the standard for which poultry will be exhibited and judged.
You are looking to see if the chicken matches the standard. Some of the things that you are looking for is to see if the chicken has the right leg color, matching toe nails, proper comb and ear lobe coloring. This is what is referred to as checking for “faults”. Faults are a type of disqualification. It means that it is something contrary to the Standard of Perfection. You need to check over the bird to check for scaly legs and other parasites. You will need to get them treated in time for the big day.