Caponizing

[bluere11e]

I don't know, I guess I don't understand the point of caponizing. Does it really make them get that much bigger, and that much faster? Am I correct in that you don't do any kind of sedative or anything before doing this? I am honestly not trying to be rude or cause drama, I raise meat birds and other animals myself, I just can't imagine doing major surgery on an animal that is wide awake and feeling everything.

I usually look at videos of things I am intrigued by on YouTube.. I pulled up a video of someone caponizing a young roo.. They didn't have the proper equipment and it was obvious the little roo was feeling a LOT of pain. I am a carnivore. I LOVE MEAT.. I process my own birds and rabbits and have no problems dispatching a marauding predator or hunting feral pigs. I have a problem with prolonging pain an in any animal. Just because we eat them ,doesn't mean we shouldn't treat them with the respect and a pain free life or death as well.
I did look at a few more and all of the ones that I saw had no anesthesia used. All of the roos in all of the videos show extreme pain and distress... Because I don't have access to Isoflorane, halothane, ethrane, ether, or anything that will temporary knock a roo out. I have decided that, although I was considering caponizing some roos, that I will not subject any animal to that kind of pain, so I can have tastier meat.. I'll do just fine with my fat little meaties.. I wish there was n easier way

 

[Minniechickmama]

I understand that caponizing is not for everyone. Everyone has their own reasons.
I am a small hatchery. I prefer to sell my birds as chicks as straight run to get rid of unwanted males that way. This year, I am looking at close to 200 extra males I will not be able to sell until they are big enough to eat. I lose money that way. I hate to just kill a little chick that is healthy just because I have too many, and because I need to grow enough to find the best ones to keep for the following breeding season.
The other reason for trying this isn't all because of the length of time it takes to grow decent sized eating birds when they are purebreds, but because once a cockerel reaches sexual maturity, it emits hormones into the meat that makes it takes less desirable to me and my family. I would rather take my obvious male culls and try caponizing to have a more desirable tasting bird.
I promise, I am going to take care and inflict as little pain on these little guys as necessary to get the job done.
FYI, as I have seen it, most livestock that is castrated is not put under or sedated in any way when they do the deed. This is actually less invasive that say castrating a pig.
The other alternative would be for me to raise them big enough to pick my best then chop the heads off the rest and put them in the compost. So, which do you think is a better way to treat them. I prefer to make use of what I have that just throw them away.
Just sayin'

 

[Flyboy718]

I got 4 Cornish x chicks yesterday...do I need to caponize my roo's?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I would like to caponize, but...I'd like to find a way to do it with a sedative too. They seem to recover just fine, but *I'd* fell a lot better. X)

 

[naillikwj82]

Flyboy718- No you do not need to caponize CX birds, they are processed before maturity starts and are already big birds.

Punk-a-doodle- I cannot fathom why you would add to the stress levels trying to sedate an animal that small. Dosing would be too critical, and I suspect you would lose many more birds in the process.

Minniechickmama- Stay your course, it is a good method. Remember this will also eliminate much fighting amongst the teenagers, reduce noise, and again I repeat taste delicious.

j

 

[cutechick2010]

I have not watched videos of a bird being caponized, I will do so once my kids have gone to bed in the name of objective-ness. (If that is even a word? LOL). I have eaten mature roosters before, I guess I never noticed any flavor that was much different than the 10-12 week old Cornish Xs I have done.
Like I said, I have not watched it being done, just read descriptions. But having processed enough chickens to know how deep inside the testicles are, and knowing that you have to use a rib spreader, etc. to do the surgery, I just can't imagine how it could be anything other than INCREDIBLY painful.
You are right that male pigs, cattle, goats etc are not generally given meds for castration. Where I find it different is that for one thing, all of these animals have their testicles on the outside of their bodies, no surgery just to get to them. I have banded young male goats, they typically have very little reaction and don't seem to feel it very much. They have gone back to playing normally within a couple of minutes of the band being put on, I am assuming they go numb quickly. I have also had a pig done by the cutting method, and the vet turned him upside down and had the cuts made and the testicles removed in literally about four seconds. Also, with the pigs and the steers, one of the big reasons for castrating is of course personal safety. If I felt secure that a pig or steer I was raising could never get out of it's pen, or would not become aggressive before butchering time, I wouldn't do that to them either.
I decided to start raising my own meat animals partly because I feel the meat is healthier, but another very big part of it was that I want to know my food was raised and killed in the most humane, stress free way possible. Factory farming is cruel, plain and simple, and I didn't want to perpetuate it.

I hate to just kill a little chick that is healthy just because I have too many, and because I need to grow enough to find the best ones to keep for the following breeding season.
The other reason for trying this isn't all because of the length of time it takes to grow decent sized eating birds when they are purebreds, but because once a cockerel reaches sexual maturity, it emits hormones into the meat that makes it takes less desirable to me and my family. I would rather take my obvious male culls and try caponizing to have a more desirable tasting bird.
I promise, I am going to take care and inflict as little pain on these little guys as necessary to get the job done.
FYI, as I have seen it, most livestock that is castrated is not put under or sedated in any way when they do the deed. This is actually less invasive that say castrating a pig.
The other alternative would be for me to raise them big enough to pick my best then chop the heads off the rest and put them in the compost. So, which do you think is a better way to treat them. I prefer to make use of what I have that just throw them away.
Just sayin'

 

[cutechick2010]

I got 4 Cornish x chicks yesterday...do I need to caponize my roo's?

They will mature so much faster than other breeds, they will be big enough to process probably before you can even tell the hens from the roos! LOL Mine are well over a pound each in weight right now at 25 days old.

 

[cutechick2010]

The other alternative would be for me to raise them big enough to pick my best then chop the heads off the rest and put them in the compost. So, which do you think is a better way to treat them. I prefer to make use of what I have that just throw them away.
Just sayin'

Just a side note-it's a shame we don't live closer together, I would take your intact culls! LOL Yummy! *rubs tummy*

 

[Minniechickmama]

This will be my first time ever trying to do this whole thing. Who knows? Maybe it will be so unpleasant for me that I won't want to do it

. I feel though that it is worth trying at least once to see.

naillikwj- Thanks for the support.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Quote: Huh? We anesthetized birds at the aviary for certain procedures, and at my current job, I've seen quite a few mice and rats put under. I've seen one rat die, several wake up before desired, but most go through just fine. Usually gas is used for small critters.

EDIT: *Not* saying other people have to do it.