Calling all experienced caponizers!

[newduckie]

Reading the posts here was why I was hesitant to even post that we were going to do it yesterday. We did however do six birds. All six are alive and kickin’. I will admit I was very hesitant to be there because I can’t stand to see anything suffer. I was amazed that they didn’t seem bothered by it at all. When the insidious was made they didn’t even flinch. I had always read that chickens don’t feel pain the way we do and I didn’t buy that. But then I have seen birds with such devastating injuries and still eating and drinking and thinking it was impossible for them to be moving. After yesterday, I am convinced that there is something to this tho. I am not saying they didn’t feel anything, but they didn’t feel the normal pain we would feel. None of them even made a peep during the surgery and I watched their faces and talked to them thru it. I didn’t make any insions, but I did Remove the testicles on a couple. I know it is a controversial topic and I expect to be hounded about the cruelty of it all. I was hesitant to do it but I won’t be anymore. I now have six roosters that won’t have to die just because they are roosters.

 

[newduckie]

I think it's supposed to be 24 food, 8-12 for water. Basically overnight without access to water if you plan it right. Make sure they are in a wire cage off the floor so they can't get at their poop, they will be hungry enough to eat it and you want their intestines empty so the surgery goes easier.

I thought it was excessive too. But we waited for a day that was supposed to have a couple of cool days. We put them in a place that was cool early in the morning and did the procedure early the next morning. They all did fine.

 

[newduckie]

Again, just because that’s how things used to be done, it doesn’t make it right today.

I’m sure you must understand to some degree how this can be seen as cruel.

I’m certain you wouldn’t want to operated on wide awake. Although chickens aren’t the same as us it can be agreed upon that they do feel pain just like us.

I think you would be hard pressed to find any farmer or rancher who uses any type of anesthesia of any sort of livestock when they castrate. Baby calves get caught, tossed onto their side and the cuts are made and it is done. Same with baby pigs. Heck, there are still sheep farmers who just pick them up and bite them off and spit!!!I agree with the fact that they feel it, but they don’t suffer for long and the cost is prohibited from having a vet do them. I am convinced tho that chickens , while they must feel it on some level, they don’t suffer. Not a single one we did yesterday even flinched, none made any noise at all.

 

[newduckie]

Im also interested in learning how to caponize. Have watched several instructional videos and definitely will execute this plan. Yes I may loose a bird but bet i learn something valuable.

I have also been disappointed that others want to ruine this thread because they dont believe in it. I'm soooooo sick of others trying to bestow their beliefs onto others who obviously have other ideas.

They are hoping to get the thread shut down by starting an argument or just want to troll because they are butt hurt about how others do biz on their own farm.

Lol I like your analogy about sending chicks in the mail as being cruel and it probably is. Farming livestock is and always be cruel to some people.

The trolls have probably scared some experienced caponizers from posting here.

I was so scared to do it yesterday as we had only watched videos also. It is really pretty straight forward. We did six birds and have six alive and well today. We did run into one problem and I am not going to go into it on here because people will FLIP out! But I encourage anyone who wants to try it to do it.

 

[trescloudy]

I think you would be hard pressed to find any farmer or rancher who uses any type of anesthesia of any sort of livestock when they castrate. Baby calves get caught, tossed onto their side and the cuts are made and it is done. Same with baby pigs. Heck, there are still sheep farmers who just pick them up and bite them off and spit!!!I agree with the fact that they feel it, but they don’t suffer for long and the cost is prohibited from having a vet do them. I am convinced tho that chickens , while they must feel it on some level, they don’t suffer. Not a single one we did yesterday even flinched, none made any noise at all.

Thanks for sharing that experience. Gives me more confidence. I think that most of us who have gutted and butchered wild game or livestock probably have the skill necessary to accomplish this.

People saying caponization is cruel are actually promoting broiler farming which promotes an entirely even more cruel situation to livestock. I'm not against raising broilers though, have some right now myself but in reality capons suffer far less than broilers do.

People eat meat and chicken is healthy if done properly. Whenever and wherever livestock farming occurs there will be those who find it cruel. Most of the time they dont understand the whole process or the cost involved etc. or are just plain animal lovers who want to impose.

Thank god i live in a country that we can still grow our own meat in, BUT... we cant let those few animal rights activists ruine it for us. The meat industry also wants and pretty much has taken a lot of the profit out of the game for meat chicken farmers. We get it from all sides. Activists need to understand what they are promoting. In the end they want us to live in a world where we arent allowed to eat any kind of meat. That's a real thing in some countries. Just a stones throw away there is Cuba. Not allowed to eat meat there. Not the world I want to live in.

Too many people want to control what others do in this world and it keeps getting worse every day.

 

[Mosey2003]

This is the thread you want to be following, it has the newest posts and updates

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/graphic-pics-of-my-day-learning-to-caponize.675898/

 

[Nicky S]

I was so scared to do it yesterday as we had only watched videos also. It is really pretty straight forward. We did six birds and have six alive and well today. We did run into one problem and I am not going to go into it on here because people will FLIP out! But I encourage anyone who wants to try it to do it.

I know this is an old post, but I am researching caponizing our cockerel (currently 5 weeks) - my husband is a skilled veterinary surgeon but doesn't treat birds usually. Would you be able to share with me the problem you ran into - is there a way to message me privately? We are caponizing to keep our little guy, not eat him, and I am just trying to gather all the information I can to be as prepared as possible. Your post was very encouraging!

 

[Wrkber]

Sorry, I was referring to @bag12day 's comment. I should have made that more clear. I completely understand why you would want to caponize a dual purpose, but can't figure out why you would do it to a meat breed that will grow out fast caponized or not. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding them.

From reading French cookbooks, capins are considered to produce meat that is more delicious and has a better texture.