Caponizing

[Minniechickmama]

wow that guy is aptly named.

 

[bluere11e]

SunnySideUp did a few Capons the year before last. I had the honor of processing one of them for with her last April. I was amazed at the size and the amount of fat in this bird. I hope that the next batch of little roos I get I can have her show me how..

 

[Minniechickmama]

I think this is a much better alternative to CRXs for those of us willing to do the dirty work and wait a little longer to grow them. I may even have my kids take them to the fair this year as their meat projects. It won't hurt to try, especially if we already have them here.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

just a question, have you tried the CX?

 

[RaeRae2]

Are you serious? A capon can set on eggs and hatch them out?!

Or did I misunderstand what you meant? Please elaborate on this, I am fascinated!! LOL

I am very fascinated with this concept. When I was a little girl, my grandpa did this and I remember them as big birds. I am sure some is due to the fact that I was small. I do remember he used them as Broody " hens" . He always swore they could hatch more babies because of their size and they are really good mamas. Good memories. I never watched him do it but I remember he always had a pot of boiling water at the ready for the ones that he missed on..

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have heard from others also that you can use the capons as a broody. Which is very cool.
I am a breeder with 16 LF breeds and 3 Bantams. I need something to do with all the extras, and I think this is a very good way to go with some of the obvious lower quality males.
I have raised the CRX. They are gross to have around. Filthy things that would die if you did pour feed in front of them. They do taste good, but when I have all these extras already, why not make good use of them?
Seems like a win-win.
My kids have shown the CRXs at the fair, but I have been looking for a better solution for us. I have some crosses out here that I think are going to be absolutely perfect for this new venture.

Here is one that will be my first attempt:

And yes, he has Cornish in him, in case you didn't notice the legs on this one!

 

[cutechick2010]

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.

 

[RaeRae2]

ME NEITHER. I think they should go to an avian vet and be sedated for surgery. But then I am a vegan and don't think of my chickens as "livestock." They are family pets to me, even though I do live on a farm, and was raised on a farm, I take a very dim view to treating livestock with less care than you would the family dog. Not condemning anyone, just offering my opinion.

 

[cutechick2010]

Out of curiosity, since you are vegan I take it you don't eat the eggs from your chickens either?

ME NEITHER. I think they should go to an avian vet and be sedated for surgery. But then I am a vegan and don't think of my chickens as "livestock." They are family pets to me, even though I do live on a farm, and was raised on a farm, I take a very dim view to treating livestock with less care than you would the family dog. Not condemning anyone, just offering my opinion.

 

[RaeRae2]

No, but not because I think there is anything wrong with it. I think it is perfectly fine to eat eggs from happy backyard chickens

I just don't like eggs! Never have. They are disgusting and freak me out. LOL! Well, I should clarify - I like to see the different colored shells. I think eggs are beautiful, but as far as eating them, no. Forget it. I can bake with them if absolutely necessary but 99% of our eggs are fed to the dogs, given away, or disposed of if I forget to collect them. I might use 1 or 2 eggs every couple of months. I know other vegans who have backyard chickens so they CAN eat eggs. The problem most vegans have with eating eggs is the factory farmed hens that are crowded, debeaked, stressed, sick, fed antibiotics and high production feeds, and dead before a year old....

I was actually thinking of getting the poor laying breeders so I didn't have to deal with eggs, which I may end up moving to at some point in the future after all.