WHILE JUDGING: COMPARE EACH FINDING WITH THE RELEVANT BREED STANDARD IN ALL CATEGORIES

DISQUALIFICATIONS: When showing birds in a poultry show, a disqualification refers to a defect or deformity serious enough to prevent the bird from being judged. This would include any signs of disease or evidence of faking. General defects that result in disqualification include wry tail, split wing, and twisted feather. There are breed-specific disqualifications as well, such as the wrong comb for the breed being shown, a white feather on a black-feathered breed, etc. These defects can be passed from parent to offspring, making these birds poor choices for a breeding program.

There are many things that will disqualify a bird and the Breed Standards and chapter of the handbook will help the breeder and the judge to know these problems, they are well defined in the breed standard for each breed and variety. One problem that might cause a disqualification is faking, such as someone trying to darken a tip of a white feather with black ink or perhaps there are toes missing on a five toed breed, etc. Most deformities are hereditary; others are the result of faulty nutrition, disease or injury.

Most Judges will check each bird for ‘disqualifications’ first. Many of the breeds have specific other disqualifications. Any bird on which a disqualification is found will be returned to its pen, with the Judge making a note in the Judges List as to why he has disqualified it.

If any of the disqualifying conditions noted below are found, the judge shall disqualify that specimen and state the reason on the judging sheet. In any case where evidence is doubtful the bird shall be presumed to be acceptable.

CUTTING FOR DEFECTS: In any case it shall be understood that the cuts are for general defects only, i.e., those applying to all breeds or a number of breeds. Individual breed or variety defects, other than those specified, shall be considered in comparable fashion to other defects, i.e., according to the severity of the defect.

Judges in their evaluation of competing specimens shall pay careful attention to the point cuts herein set forth for various sections.

The point cuts for defects in any section determine the importance to be attached to such defects in relation to the total value of that section as set forth in the “Scale of Points”. The specific cut for any defect shall be assessed according to the severity of the defect, always within the maximum and minimum limits set forth and in any case the total not to be exceeding the point value of the section.

FAKING: Faking is a deliberate attempt to deceive the judge or a prospective purchaser. Evidence of faking shall be reason to disqualify that bird. All Judges officiating at any show shall cooperate in the enforcement of this provision.

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