A need for free and open access poultry standards had become increasingly obvious in the poultry community in Australia. A group of like-minded enthusiasts who had all observed the lack of information available to general people looking to buy, sell, breed, show or just enjoy their own poultry was clear. People may not have the financial resources to outlay a large sum of money to acquire an official standards book and they may not have a need for most of it. It was clear that a general description of the breed standards that was online, free and accessible for serve the needs of thousands of those in online communities who needed to check details in order to buy the right things, or breed in the right direction. From this need the Open Poultry Standards Australia project was born. 

A few people collaborated and contributed. In late 2020 a Mediawiki site was established that was accessible only to approved editors. These people researched public domain standards and collated sets of standards that would be useful to Australians (and others) desperate for standards. These standards were only collated by an approved team of keen workers and they have been edited in response to genuine contributions from breed clubs as requested in the interests of the breed. 

In 2025 the site is being moved to a static website that is being updated to add new breeds in Australia including extras like the Mandarin and Ancona that may be seen in poultry communities and events that require a standard. 

We take suggestions for new standards from the community. These are examined in terms of the breed history, the breed presence in Australia, the potential usefulness of a standard, and the availability and accessibility of public domain resources.  While we are offering accessible standards, shows themselves set the requirements for what breeds may be exhibited at their events. Many club shows judge to the official Australian Poultry Standards and these can be purchased from the Victorian Poultry Fanciers Association in Victoria. Many agricultural shows allow breeds from the British Poultry Standards and some shows accept an even broader range of breeds. The shows themselves determine what breeds they will accept so when in doubt communicate with your show steward for that information.

If you would like to communicate with us, you can do so by emailing openpoultrystandards@gmail.com.