When I worked for Safeway in the Meat Dept. back in the 80's, we would sell Capons in the Fall\winter season. The came frozen and were the size of a small Turkey.
Turkey was much less expensive and fit my budget better or I would have tried one.
BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.
- Thread starter hellbender
- Start date
When I worked for Safeway in the Meat Dept. back in the 80's, we would sell Capons in the Fall\winter season. The came frozen and were the size of a small Turkey.
Turkey was much less expensive and fit my budget better or I would have tried one.
So you are saying that people in authority should avoid sharing their experiences and perspectives? That does not make any sense. Who would you prefer to listen to? When we ask, what should we expect? When we have a discussion, what should we expect? I am going to say what I think, share my perspective, voice my opinion, share my experiences, and even explain how I came to those conclusions. Should I avoid any such thing in order to avoid offending someone? I do not think so. I have no control over how someone reacts, their feelings, or what they do with that information. That is their concern. I have my own. I have never had anyone hold my hand while I endured conversations with offensive people.
I kill and eat young birds that I produce. I am not dependent on hatcheries, and have no use for them.
I realize that you have a hard time picturing how there could be cost differences between growing capons, and eating birds before their growth slows to drastically. I am guessing that you will figure out what you want to along the way.
And keep in mind, that no one here tried to discourage anyone from enjoying capon. They should. it is a specialty item. A niche item. A unique product.
First of all, LindaB I am truly sorry to hear of your loss. I never know what to say, as words seem inadequate.
Now, on to the subject of capons versus fryers versus the Cornish-Rock fatty babies in the grocery. We need to specify which cockerels we are discussing, because the baby chunks in the grocery are a whole different chicken from a 12 week old Wyandotte cockerel (This is my example, so these are my breeds!). I have raised up a few batches of those Cornish-Rock crosses, and I just cannot personally do that anymore. Even when I had the little chubs out on grass, and moving their tractor every day for fresh grass, there was still a difference in taste between them and the other breeds. Don't get me wrong - those nuggets got enough exercise to make some impressive Logan's Runs. I am still grateful the neighbor's kids weren't there with a camera to record the one pullet who ran *just* fast enough to avoid being picked up. Something I noticed about the CR nuggets, and it was particularly obvious on the last two, is that if you don't slaughter them by a reasonable time they start hit all the infamous health problems, even with a good amount of exercise, fresh grass, and whatever bugs they can catch. They do put on an impressive amount of meat, even if it is not overly flavorful.
The Wyandotte cockerels (or your personal dual purpose or meat breed of choice) get quite flavorful by the time they start crowing, but are often still on the lanky/scrawny side when I finally get tired of the normal cockerel attitude, so I will be caponizing during the 8-12 week old window on the smaller 2/3 of each hatch until I get enough weights for that age to establish a "normal range" and a make-or-break point.
So far hubby and I have only ate a couple slips, not a full capon yet. Uno - the hatchery GLW capon hatched in January, and the only full capon for that batch - will be holiday dinner. We just need to co-ordinate with my father-in-law on which holiday he'll be featured on the big china platter. The slip who nannied some chicks, Cappy, was smoked then crock potted until tender, and I recall posting something here about how exquisite he tasted. All he had was a bit of brining and a couple hours' smoking for seasoning, so the rest of the wonderful flavor was him. (NB: Pollux, the other full capon and one of Luann'es Ams, is nannying one chick right now and will be given some more soon. Castor showed a slip, and was also very tasty.)
I figure since I am breeding, then I might as well be caponizing. Perhaps this winter, hubby will make me a screened-in room to do work like caponizing and processing carcasses, away from the mosquitoes and biting yellow flies, and with a roof to keep out the rain, falling acorns, and whatnot. Perhaps, the two people here who expressed interest in learning to caponize will make it out on a morning where 20% chance of rain doesn't mean five hours' downpour. I could use some accomplices.
Desertchic, since you are interested in caponzing, I say keep trying. I say that as someone who has only two full capons out of 17 attempts, and also someone who has not (yet!) eaten a full capon. The slips have been good enough for me to keep trying.
George, if you are wanting to at least try a slip, I need a week's notice for proper resting and brining. Potential couch-surfers are given fair warning about how much my dog loves company. If you want to risk that, bring rain gear.
Now, on to the subject of capons versus fryers versus the Cornish-Rock fatty babies in the grocery. We need to specify which cockerels we are discussing, because the baby chunks in the grocery are a whole different chicken from a 12 week old Wyandotte cockerel (This is my example, so these are my breeds!). I have raised up a few batches of those Cornish-Rock crosses, and I just cannot personally do that anymore. Even when I had the little chubs out on grass, and moving their tractor every day for fresh grass, there was still a difference in taste between them and the other breeds. Don't get me wrong - those nuggets got enough exercise to make some impressive Logan's Runs. I am still grateful the neighbor's kids weren't there with a camera to record the one pullet who ran *just* fast enough to avoid being picked up. Something I noticed about the CR nuggets, and it was particularly obvious on the last two, is that if you don't slaughter them by a reasonable time they start hit all the infamous health problems, even with a good amount of exercise, fresh grass, and whatever bugs they can catch. They do put on an impressive amount of meat, even if it is not overly flavorful.
The Wyandotte cockerels (or your personal dual purpose or meat breed of choice) get quite flavorful by the time they start crowing, but are often still on the lanky/scrawny side when I finally get tired of the normal cockerel attitude, so I will be caponizing during the 8-12 week old window on the smaller 2/3 of each hatch until I get enough weights for that age to establish a "normal range" and a make-or-break point.
So far hubby and I have only ate a couple slips, not a full capon yet. Uno - the hatchery GLW capon hatched in January, and the only full capon for that batch - will be holiday dinner. We just need to co-ordinate with my father-in-law on which holiday he'll be featured on the big china platter. The slip who nannied some chicks, Cappy, was smoked then crock potted until tender, and I recall posting something here about how exquisite he tasted. All he had was a bit of brining and a couple hours' smoking for seasoning, so the rest of the wonderful flavor was him. (NB: Pollux, the other full capon and one of Luann'es Ams, is nannying one chick right now and will be given some more soon. Castor showed a slip, and was also very tasty.)
I figure since I am breeding, then I might as well be caponizing. Perhaps this winter, hubby will make me a screened-in room to do work like caponizing and processing carcasses, away from the mosquitoes and biting yellow flies, and with a roof to keep out the rain, falling acorns, and whatnot. Perhaps, the two people here who expressed interest in learning to caponize will make it out on a morning where 20% chance of rain doesn't mean five hours' downpour. I could use some accomplices.
Desertchic, since you are interested in caponzing, I say keep trying. I say that as someone who has only two full capons out of 17 attempts, and also someone who has not (yet!) eaten a full capon. The slips have been good enough for me to keep trying.
George, if you are wanting to at least try a slip, I need a week's notice for proper resting and brining. Potential couch-surfers are given fair warning about how much my dog loves company. If you want to risk that, bring rain gear.
This will be my last comment on this line. You are doing the very thing you accused others of earlier, misconstruing comments. I know first hand about raising capons for the table, so am not speaking hypothetically.
OK, I have a pretty basic question: Paula (cream legbar pullet) laid her first egg (age 26 weeks) on Tuesday, late afternoon (best I can tell, around 3 or so). Yesterday, she laid her second egg at 4-4:30p. No egg today. Should I expect her to lay early in the morning and continue to lay later and later each day over time? Take a break? Or do some pullets/hens lay at around the same time every day? Just curious to hear from all the folks on here with so much eggy experience...
Oh, and I can't help it - gotta post a photo (it's a lot lighter than this photo seems to indicate):
(No egg from Lissa yet - she's a week behind Paula and the next one that seems almost ready.)
- Ant Farm
Oh, and I can't help it - gotta post a photo (it's a lot lighter than this photo seems to indicate):
(No egg from Lissa yet - she's a week behind Paula and the next one that seems almost ready.)
- Ant Farm
A lot of times pullets lay inconsistently for a while as their bodies continue to mature.
Thanks!
I've heard read some about the benefits of fall-hatched pullets vs. spring hatched pullets for production. I'm not ENTIRELY sure why this is - whether it's a moult timing thing or a winter thing, or both. Could someone help explain?
(Edit: Or was it that spring-hatched pullets were better? Now I've gone and confused myself...)
- Ant Farm
Last edited:
If you hatch now, the chicks are growing during the short days that wouldn't encourage laying. They will start in spring as soon as the days get longer and will lay all summer.
Spring chicks will grow during the long days. When they are finally old enough and start laying, the days will be getting shorter sooner and they will slow down or stop.
Spring chicks will grow during the long days. When they are finally old enough and start laying, the days will be getting shorter sooner and they will slow down or stop.
Ahhhhh.... Thank you - obvious in retrospect, I guess. I think that's the clearest explanation I've heard of it.
I have five hatchery Speckled Sussex that are 2 weeks old. I had been almost regretting getting them. But being fall hatches, with the info above, I may keep them at least through their first year and set them up as a little laying sub flock and see how they produce.
- Ant Farm
Here's a new line for discussion. Due to changed security practices, most parcels being shipped are x-rayed for content. I guess my question is, are fertilized hatching eggs effected by an x-ray? Could one expect possible deformities or any other effects attributed to an x-ray ?
Sure hope X-Ray doesn't affect shipped eggs. Surely someone can share good information.
Linda...so sorry to hear about your loss...I can't imagine losing one of my children. You and your family have my prayers.
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