Caponizing my roooo?

[nuthatched]

Additional info: I would be using a professional veterinarian and not doing this myself.

Very few vets will bother performing surgeries on birds, too risky putting then under anesthesia.
So they will do it without any anesthesia, if you find one who will do it at all.
Roos usually only get aggressive through improper raising.
Everything else isn't really an issue though if you can't have roosters, the town won't care if he's crowing or not.
Have you put him on Craigslist? Rehoming or eating him is a better option than putting him through a risky surgery.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

There are so many absolutely lovely roosters in the world, it's just not worth keeping a not lovely one around. Eat him/give him to someone to eat, and get a lovely one.

Due to the different timeframe that cockerels and pullets reach sexual maturity, you may have issues if he is with his hatch mates as pullets. Cockerels are sexually developed long before pullets are. Doesn't mean they know how to behave yet! The best success you'll have to raising a 'for keeping' cockerel is in a mixed flock of mature hens of various ages, and an already mature rooster. Otherwise, I'd recommend raising your pullets till they start laying and add an already fully grown rooster to your flock.

 

[fluffycrow]

There are so many absolutely lovely roosters in the world, it's just not worth keeping a not lovely one around. Eat him/give him to someone to eat, and get a lovely one.

Due to the different timeframe that cockerels and pullets reach sexual maturity, you may have issues if he is with his hatch mates as pullets. Cockerels are sexually developed long before pullets are. Doesn't mean they know how to behave yet! The best success you'll have to raising a 'for keeping' cockerel is in a mixed flock of mature hens of various ages, and an already mature rooster. Otherwise, I'd recommend raising your pullets till they start laying and add an already fully grown rooster to your flock.

Up till now this cockerel hasn't shown signs of aggression

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Up till now this cockerel hasn't shown signs of aggression

Sorry yes, I should have said, if he does become aggressive. You really won't know for sure until he is 6 months old or more.

 

[fluffycrow]

Sorry yes, I should have said, if he does become aggressive. You really won't know for sure until he is 6 months old or more.

I agree. And I agree with what you said above. I just think that in this scenario, it's better to give him to someone who can keep him intact. He's still young, with a clean record. He's also a pure RIR, which have been becoming increasingly popular, so I think it'll be easy (comparatively to say a mixed breed cockerel with a questionable past) to find him a home

 

[Little Tala Bug]

For what its worth, neither of my roosters have ever shown aggression to me, my housemates, or our dogs (well, one of them gave the newest dog a slap once, but the dog was harassing the hens and being a total arsehole so he deserved it).
I have handled both roos and their hens extensively and gotten into close quarters with them millions of times and they just ignore me or beg for treats. My oldest rooster even does the happy herding dance to his favourite dog.
If you're good to your roo and he sees you as a source of treats and kindness, he is often very gentlemanly.

 

[Sussex19]

We got a rooster in our newly hatched RIR chicks about 6 weeks back. We are looking to rehome him but understand that is hard.

I have been thinking about having him neutered or caponized. He shows no aggression now and is a cool dude but he hasn’t gone through puberty yet.

Pros?
Cons?
Stop the crowing?
Stop the aggression toward the hens?
No fertilized eggs?
Stop aggressive acts on wife kids and I?

Really open to idea and thoughts here. God bless and thanks for the help.

JB

Have you asked your vet if they can do it? I would think vets that are happy to would be far and few between.
A good rooster doesn't have aggression towards either his hens, or to people. Fertile eggs taste just the same as any other eggs, so unless you are vegetarian and it goes against your beliefs, there is no reason not to eat them.
With the crowing, I believe I have read that capons still do crow in many case, but I would think it would reduce it.
I think it comes down to what you think is best for him, in that neutering a cockerel is a lot more invasive that say a cat, because their 'bits' stay up in the body, near all the other important organs. Personally, I would not do it, and look at either keeping him as he is, re-homing him, or eating him. But I do keep my chickens more as livestock, so that is where my point of view is coming from. If I kept them all as pets, I might feel different about it.
Re-homing is possible in some cases, so maybe try that while you are deciding, just in case the right person is there at the right time??
Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Folly's place]

And, if you find someone who is willing to perform this surgery, it needs to happen VERY SOON! I agree with rehoming him, if you can't have a rooster, and that it's too soon to really evaluate his temperament.
Mary

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

My aunt sells chickens like this. She says that they sometimes make good brooders. Now, I do not have proof, just throwing out an idea

 

[Kabootar]

From my understanding capons still crow, especially when they have already started crowing. No, he won't fertilized eggs after he becomes a capon. Not every male is going to be aggressive towards humans, so if your fear is that he'll be aggressive then I wouldn't go ahead with caponizing him. The procedure can be dangerous, especially if it's your first time doing it. Of course you can go to a vet, but I don't know if they'd specialize in chickens or know enough about the procedure to accept doing it

Capons don't crow. When a capon crows it's called a 'miss' and itay fertilize hens.