CHAPTER XXIX 

 JUDGING 



Judging defined. Judging poultry and poultry products is esti- 

 mating their value according to commonly accepted standards of 

 quality. The quality value of a thing and its money value are not 

 correlated, though the prices of different grades of goods (as of 

 eggs, dressed poultry, and exhibition stock) at any time and place 

 should (and generally do) vary as the qualities of the grades. What 

 are called qualities are attributes of the thing itself ; money value 

 is determined by many external factors. Of two fresh eggs, iden- 

 tical in every quality, one, in Kansas or Texas, may be worth two 

 cents, the other, in Boston or New York, worth five cents. The 

 unknown novice who happens to produce a bird of surpassing 

 merit may congratulate himself on disposing of it for five, ten, or 

 fifteen dollars. The same bird, in the hands of a breeder of wide 

 reputation, may bring ten times as much. In judging poultry and 

 its products, money value is not considered at all, though in selling 

 them, prices may be adjusted to quality. In judging pure-bred poul- 

 try for external qualities the standards used are those adopted by 

 the American Poultry Association or, in case of non- Standard vari- 

 eties, those adopted by specialty clubs or agreed upon by the breeders. 

 In judging eggs and dressed poultry on exhibition the standards 

 are determined by market requirements and preferences, and are, 

 for the most part, unwritten standards, their specifications, when 

 printed, being in general terms and not specific as to details, as 

 in standards for fancy poultry. 



Objects of judging. The objects of judging are (i) to determine 

 the relative quality of specimens exhibited in competition, (2) to 

 determine (with or without competition) their approximate value 

 as compared with an assumed ideal, or perfect, standard, and 

 (3) to give training in observation and analysis of characters, 

 perception of types, etc. 



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