Capons

[iajewel]

I reaslize that with the cornish x rock crosses people don't capanize like they used to. I was wondering if anyone was caponizing thier dual purpose breeds for better weight and tenderness with a longer growth period?

 

[greyfields]

You can caponize dual purpose or homebred crossbreeds in order to improve their performance. You are still looking at a 4 month period to get them to size, but they will be much larger than a non caponized bird of the same breeding.

The real question is, though, if you could raise a Cornish Cross for a shorter duration, for less feed and for less cost, is it moral to put a bird through the caponization process? Even under the hand of experts, a given % of birds will get an infection and die from it. It's not like banding a lamb or bull calf, it's internal surgery.

I bought a capon once at a high end grocery store. It was no different from a bird I could produce at home without putting the animal through the distress. I choose not to support the notion of doing so.

 

[iajewel]

I have yet to have one die or get infected, but then again I also invest in Iodine.
For me the diffrance in the Cornish crosses is I have to buy them. The Large breed birds like my Barred rocks come with hartching season, They are vertually free. So while I can pay .89 -1.00 a bird from the hatchery, then have to brood the chicks myself, buy feed etc.. for a bird that grows a bit faster.
I prefer the free birds that I don't have to take care of, they have a mother, I don't have to buy feed for, they run on open range, and all I have to do is make one tiny slit and pull the trigger on my iodine bottle.. and poof.. Not only that but the Capons then will brood more chicks, actually doubling my chicks produced as the Capons will act as hens while the real hens keep on laying.

Yes.. I could buy a incubator, and comertial meat birds, but I would rather spend my money on things I can't get for free.

 

[Bassleg]

ajewel, I would love to see your process as I will be in the same boat soon.

 

[iajewel]

I bought a book many years ago by Loyl Stromberg called "Caponizing" and it covers everything from modern to tribel africal methods. Its a great book.. I have found .. remember this is for me.. that to go to the dollar store and buy a pack of cheap fingernails, cut the "V" in the pinkie nail as discribed in the book.. and using this method works best for me. It allows one insistion insted of two, and for me, allows more control.
There are many methods in the book and Im sure you will as the other poster said, loose one or two when you are learning. I have not lost one to infection, but my first birds weren't pretty.. all lived yes, I was lucky but you have to understand you are learning and allow yourself to learn.
You can buy 25 white egg layer cockrel chicks from McMurray's for 11.00.. I would go that rout as its a cheap way to learn and after 25, you should be an expert

Have fun, let me know how it goes.

 

[Carolina Chicken Man]

Very interesting.

My wife has worked in the livestock business and we were just talking about this, she has castrated conservative estimate "tens of thousands" of pigs. She's also done hundreds of steers, but I they clamp them instead of surgically removing the testicles.

I'm sure she could do this.

I personally don't see where it's any more or less moral than castrating any other type of livestock.

 

[greyfields]

The testicles are internal in a chicken. You have to make an incision below the spine to go in then cut them out. It's on a different order of magnitude for banding calves or cutting pigs where the testicles are external.

 

[iajewel]

It really isn't that different. I think the difference is that when you grow up on a farm you learn that the bottom line is to utilize each animal to the greatest capacity. This doesn't mean you can't give them a high quality of life.. It does mean that if they are born male, you can't use them all and soon learn that you have to make choices to keep your house, your children and family doing the best you can. Not everyone has a town job. Not everyone grew up in the city and thought a hobby farm would be fun.
Im not saying one is better then the other, what Im saying is that culturally, one person may have learned to look at farm animals differently then another coming from a different background.
I can also tell you it took my own sons longer to heal from a circumcision then it has a chicken to heal from being caponized.
If in doubt, visit a person in your area that is caponizing and see how its done. Also realize that many have not a few, but a hundred or more extra roosters a year that need to be dealt with. This is a positive alternative for some people.
I also have Texas Longhorn cattle and have done both the clamp, and cut methods of castrating, as well as my share of barrows. I agree that there is no difference. If you have ever gone up in side a baby pig, you know what I mean.

 

[wclawrence]

iajewel,
Very well said indeed.
Can you make a video of the procedure? I am going to get the stromberg book on caponizing, but a video would be superb.
I too have a lot of extra roosters each spring and would love to make them useful instead of... you know... the ax

 

[iajewel]

I haven't even thought about making a video. I sure could. I won't be doing it untill April or May but will certianly make a video when I do.. Great idea.. Thanks.