Caponizing a roo

[ChickenWhisperer3]

Does anyone happen to know a vet that will caponize (Castrate) a rooster? I tried one but they dont. Any suggestions??

 

[Acre4Me]

It is incredibly dangerous, your boy will likely die. And it just leaves you with a sad, confused chicken that won’t lay eggs and will grow very fat and lazy.

So very wrong.

A caponized male chicken will live a longer life. They don't crow, they don't fight. Chickens aren't humans and certainly don't have human emotions - so, they will not be "confused" and certainly not "sad". It is said a capon actually eats less than an uncaponized male. They don't get "fat" - but they do grow larger than an uncaponized male, but have tender meat if butchered, even at an older age.

Many, many animals of many kinds are castrated/neutered on the farm, and the animals live a fine life.

 

[DobieLover]

LOL. The VAST majority make it through the procedure.

Oh, you can have an opinion, but you might want to learn the *facts* about capons and why there is such a thing. In addition, it may help you to understand why animals, in general, are castrated or neutered as well.

The VAST majority of WHICH male animals?

Yes, many male animals are castrated. But those particular males have their man berries OUTSIDE their body cavity and the surgery to remove said berries is relatively straight forward and performed probably hundreds of times by a vet. To caponize a cockerel requires body cavity penetration and is not something that is routinely taught to veterinary students as it is no longer a highly sought after procedure. Hence, much higher risk of death due to the procedure.

 

[NatJ]

Does anyone happen to know a vet that will caponize (Castrate) a rooster? I tried one but they dont. Any suggestions??

Very few vets treat chickens, and even the ones that do treat chickens are unlikely to caponize one.

If you really think you want your cockerel caponized, I suggest you get a list of every vet within driving distance, and start calling them on the phone. Ask first if they treat chickens, because most will just say no. If they say yes, then you can ask if they will caponize a cockerel.

If you find a vet that will do it--talk to that vet about how risky it is, then decide whether to have it done.

If you cannot find a vet to do the operation, then you will have to make a different decision for your cockerel.

 

[aart]

In addition, it may help you to understand why animals, in general, are castrated or neutered as well.

Castrating mammals is much different than caponizing poultry.

 

[DobieLover]

purely an assumption. It would also be an assumption on my part to say it will likely live. No one, so far, in the history of the human race has found a crystal ball that worked. However, odds are that it lives.

as for “caring more” about the bird.... quite the assumption, as well. Many care about the birds, will caponize so the birds lives.

I did not write that I cared more about the bird than the OP did.
I wrote I cared more about the bird than the OPs desire to caponize it. Big difference.
It's time to move on now.
This is one of those black and white topics that elicit dispute and that is counter productive. The OP has both sides of the argument now and will make a decision on whether or not to pursue this surgery. No need to further debate as I will not change my opinion and you will not change yours.

 

[ladybrasa]

So I’m just throwing out things for consideration.
From what I understand, caponizing is better at a younger age, because the testicles are more friable as an adult, meaning they break apart very easily. Apparently if a bit of tissue is left behind in an adult, a testicle might grow back. If the rooster has already learned crowing, caponizing might not help. There is a big learning curve Even finding the testicles, so should be done by a vet with good experience (or practice on a dead bird). As with any surgery, hemorrhages can occur and there is major vessels near the testicle, again leading back to vet experience. Chickens can be maintained on fluids during the procedure to minimize risk. Special tools are ideal to use working in small spaces. There are pain meds for chickens while they heal. As with all creatures who have been spayed or neutered, they tend to gain weight more easily. As with any surgery going into the body cavity, the surgical risk is always higher.

It seems to me that the surgical risk is tied to lack of experience and learning. A cat or dog spay is no less risky but is done millions of times by vets who have the procedure down pat, extensive research, and proper tools. I wonder if there was a wide call for neutering roosters and it became more than a ‘strange’ request by occasional chicken people for pets, that the procedure would overall be safer, because it would then be taught, standardized, and such?

IMO, I think it would be great if you could take a pet rooster to the vet and get him neutered, Like your pet cat and dog. Animals do not have the same attachment to their ‘junk’ like humans do. But it seems we aren’t their yet. Also to point out, I am not against caponizing for meat or home procedures. I wouldn’t do it myself, and I wish there was a way to give the birds some sort of analgesic or sedative, but that’s not the reality unfortunately.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

A cat or dog spay is a LOT less risky. Their testicles aren't next to the abdominal aorta and subject to death by bleeding out almost instantly if the aorta is nicked.

I investigated having our little guy caponized. I actually called Dr. Pol and asked if they do roosters (they don't). I want to keep him because my husband loves him, but I don't want a crowing, spurring, UPS-guy-chasing bird. I am not going to risk it though, especially without access to anesthetic drugs.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm going to chime in here; capons have been done in large numbers years ago, before Cornishx birds were developed, as a big meat bird. The surgery was done by the flock owners, on young cockerels, without any anesthesia. With practice, lots of practice, and likely a fair number of failures early on, most of the birds were done fast, and did live. If there's any actual data on survival rates, I'm not aware of it. We all are making guesses...
Now if a person wants the procedure done with anesthesia, by a veterinarian, it will be difficult to find anyone comfortable doing it. An avian veterinarian, and there are some, with experience doing abdominal surgery on birds, would be who to call, and then it will be $$$ because it's dealing with an expert.
If enough 'pet chicken' owners are interested in actually spending on veterinary care for their birds, including the big ticket issues, then there will be more veterinarians who will be available.
Right now the five doctor small animal practice I'm most familiar with, gets maybe three or four calls PER YEAR concerning chickens, and none involving major surgery.
My own birds; very short anesthetic episodes, fine, and anything longer that 20 minutes, not fine. The birds need actual positive pressure ventilation while anesthetized that long!
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

It is like anything else, a lot of practice, makes it better. Once I read on here, that a person practiced on several chickens that he had already decided to butcher. After dispatching the bird, he did the casteration before processing the bird for food. Gave him a lot of experience, gave him time to get the tricks down, and realize the tools he would need, how to set it up that would work for him.

This is how I would learn to do this if I wanted. As for it being abdominal surgery, a lot of heifer calves are spayed with a similar surgery. People tend to be horrified by the thought of no anesthetic, but think, have you ever cut your self with a sharp knife? It hardly hurts at all, bleeds a bit, but unless it is quite long, usually heals up with a bandaid and some time. In no way does it stop you from eating or going about your normal life.

There are dangers to anesthetic too.

Mrs K