Replying to subscribe to thread - great work, everyone.
A friend and I were trying this with that horrible nasco set - literally the week you started this thread! We couldn't even find the testes, but the landmarks & specific food & water restrictions, as well as the one-legged restraint could be why.
Anyhoo, we had three survive out of four, but they were intact & were butchered when they started trying to crow. Previously, we had scoured the internet for blogs or other information online. After our operation, life got in the way until we could find a better retractor and light source. Here it is a year and a half later, and I found this thread last week! I just knew there had to be an underground internet community of caponizers somewhere!! I'm so glad I found you guys!
I have some good breeding stock I'd like to hatch out for layers/meat. Some of my roos are really broad breasted and meaty, but of course they would fight like the dickens before they get that size in a group. Marans and RIR are my broadest guys. I love having meat on the hoof (or claw, as it were), it saves on freezer costs, the labor of a large scale butchering day, etc.
I wish more people could see the benefits of capons - and maybe pollards - but I guess I'll just have to spoil family and friends for now.
It'll be spring/summer before I can give it another go, but I'll be sure to add my experience to the thread in order to help others along. So glad I found you guys!!!