When you say it is really big, do you mean the comb & wattle or the size of the capon? If it’s a larger comb, it’s probably a slip. Capons have a look that looks like a beautiful rooster with the smaller head of a hen. Combs and waddles by 5-6 + months can turn red with maturity but usually stay...
Slips exhibit in-between behaviors of a capon and a roo. Weaker crow, may fight, try to mate, but all at a lesser extent. If fully disconnected, you might be ok, but the best way to notice if you have a slip is by the comb and wattles. Pay attention if it starts to turn pink to red and starts to...
Capons usually grow even bigger than a regular rooster, so the hawk might be less likely to attack. The larger size can be a little more intimidating to some smaller predators. What I've noticed is that capons aren't afraid to fight back to defend themselves, but they do lack that aggression...
It's definitely not as cheap as meat chickens, but imo worth it for a small homesteader / family farm. Biggest reason is because capons can be kept together in a flock peacefully, whereas roosters will fight and oftentimes you can only keep one. Plus the meat (in my opinion anyways) is far...
Interesting because that has not been my experience. IMO capons have been far superior in taste. I've had side by side comparisons as well and heritage capons have been superior in flavor and texture. The meat had a firmer texture but also was fattier. Much more rich, with a deeper chicken-y...
Yes they do keep most of their rooster appearance. Their saddle and hackle feathers grow longer. Capons seem to groom themselves very well and their feathers are pretty shiny. They have smaller spurs. The only thing henlike is the smaller head with lack of comb and waddle.
Rhode Island Red capon at 19 weeks.
Initially I really liked this breed because it grew so quickly, feathered quickly and was very rigorous, but at a certain age (maybe around 16 weeks?), growth started to slow down, and instead of getting fatter, RIRs seem to get leaner and have more of a...
I haven’t raised one side by side but a lot of the older poultry books (actually almost all sources) do mention that capons do grow larger and weigh more than a regular rooster.
Yes, they grow larger than a cockerel that is not caponized. The lack of testosterone causes them to gain more fat and grow bigger, it’s not just that they matured longer. Historically eunuchs were known to grow much taller. If you google why are eunuchs taller, it’ll give a better explanation...
Pretty much does stop them from crowing. I’ve had a couple capons that let out a half crow, but those turned out to be slips or were trying to mimic the roosters in the distance. Roosters will crow the entire day, whereas the capons I’ve had, it seems like only the dominant one would let out 2-3...
...They are decent/ good foragers, but i wish they foraged more. The breeds that forage a lot seem to have much better flavor once processed.
*side note, I purposely aimed at taking a picture of these two capons together to point out a comparison. The BO capon on the left is a slip. I’m certain...
Post pictures of your capons. I’ll start by posting a few of the capons I’ve raised.
Please include the breed, age, and if it’s a processed picture, the weight.
Tasting notes are also welcomed.
Seems to be uncommon to find pictures of heritage breed capons and I’m trying to figure which...
Here’s a picture of my barred rock capon at 23 weeks. You can see some of the black pinfeathers, but i think I did a pretty good job of cleaning it up. :)
Took a good amount of time to grow out my capon so I took my time to thoroughly pluck as well. Lovely yellow skin. Not as plump as a...
Some do, and some don’t. Most of the capons that I have that crowed were slips. In a flock of them, seems like the most dominant one is the only one that crows, but i think it’s due to other crowing roosters in the distance within my area. From what I noticed, the crow isn’t as loud and it’s...
My thoughts exactly! And imagine if that capon was raised the traditional French way. Pasture raised (to build up flavor and gaminess) and then finished with corn and milk to mellow and smooth those flavors out.:drool
Coq au vin. You’ll just have to look for an older traditional recipe that uses a rooster. Most of the recipes online nowadays are adapted to using reg chicken.
A homegrown Cornish cross is not better than a Bresse in taste. They do not even compare in taste and texture. French Bresse is considered the worlds best tasting chicken for a reason. They are known to have more marblized fat. I raised one a few years ago and did a side by side comparison and...
Depends what your definition of best meat birds is. If you’re looking for fastest growing with the most meat, then Cornish cross. If you’re aiming for quality and taste, I’d say go with Bresse. Cornish cross need to be protected, since they are rather slow and clumsy, whereas Bresse are a little...
3 months is not too late. You can caponize at any age but the quality of meat is better when it’s caponized younger before testosterone gets into the body. For older birds it may be better to use a lasso / thread to remove because the testicles are larger but also much more softer and prone to...