American Standard of Perfection

The cover of the 1930 edition

The American Standard of Perfection is the official book of breed standards of the American Poultry Association. It classifies and describes the standard physical appearance, coloring and temperament for many breeds of poultry recognized in the United States, including chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese and guinea fowl, but not pigeons.

The earliest book of breed standards for the poultry fancy in North America was published in 1867 as the Standard of Excellence, under the auspices of the American Poultry Society; the first such work to be published by the American Poultry Association – which was constituted in 1873/1874 – was the American Standard of Excellence in 1874.