GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[dfr1973]

Good job, dfr1973!

I thanks for sharing your experience so we can all learn together. I'm at least three months away from my next try, so I have been rooting for you!

Has anyone thought of consolidating the how-to, helpful hints, and troubleshooting info on this thread? The world needs a better caponizing handbook!!

Thanks Dandelioness and Poco Pollo ... as for consolidating the info, I will be keeping track of my own experiences and whatnot on my blog under the label "capons" which should make it a little easier to find in one spot. I use my blog as my personal "notebook" for chickens, gardens, and other stuff of use here on my little 2.5 acre playground. If anyone else finds it helpful, then all the better.

Poco, the problem with visualizing where to cut is behind my eyes, not in front. I now have a headlamp, and was even working in a ray of sunlight at the time ... and I was having this same problem last month on the carcasses I practiced on. I look, I feel ... and then cut one rib too forward. Next time, I'll cut to the left of where I think I ought.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Poco, the problem with visualizing where to cut is behind my eyes, not in front. I now have a headlamp, and was even working in a ray of sunlight at the time ... and I was having this same problem last month on the carcasses I practiced on. I look, I feel ... and then cut one rib too forward. Next time, I'll cut to the left of where I think I ought.

Use your thumb to find the back edge of the rib cage, between the ribs and the thigh. If you can't find this edge, your bird is not stretched sufficiently, so adjust you bird a little. Once you are able to identify the rounded end of the rib cage, use your thumbnail to find the space between the last rib and the next-to-the-last rib. By applying light pressure above this space, one ought to see an indentation as the light pressure causes the last rib and its neighbor to separate slightly. On birds younger than ten weeks, the indentation will be obvious. On older birds, more pressure is needed, and sometimes holding one's thumbnail in the space is the only way to know for sure that the incision will be in the right spot. If you're cutting downward, keep your thumb above the incision. If your cutting upward, keep your thumb below the incision.

Here is a photo Kassaundra took. She's marked the valley between the last rib and the thigh.

 

[dfr1973]

If you can't find this edge, your bird is not stretched sufficiently, so adjust you bird a little.

Hmm. This may be part of the problem. I'll try stretching the little bugger out more next time. Looks like Sunday morning for the next attempt.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Hmm. This may be part of the problem. I'll try stretching the little bugger out more next time. Looks like Sunday morning for the next attempt.

How old are your boys? I think the cut is the hardest part, second guessing and all. Good luck on your next try.

 

[dfr1973]

How old are your boys?

I now have two 10-wk olds, and the rest are 8-wk olds. I finally decided which two cockerels to keep intact from my 10-wk old batch, traded one and a 8-wk old pullet to my neighbor to share the fun, so the remaining two cockerels are capon candidates ... and I will probably try on them Sunday. They have a more laid-back personality than the red broiler boys.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

That's a good age to work on. Good luck for Sun!

 

[BigBirdJano]

Wondering where to get the best equipment for this? @Poco Pollo If I read the thread right you ordered some earlier this year? Will you be doing it again?

 

[dfr1973]

The forecast changed (spring in the deep south - this is normal) so my plans have changed. Looks like Tuesday morning will be better.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I feel ya, mother nature has set back butcher plans for almost two weeks here. We also have wonky Springs!
Was going to do him today but the Cleaning bug hit me!

Let us know Tues how it goes!

 

[Kassaundra]

I have broodies setting on eggs, so I'm several weeks out, probably about 2 or 2.5 months.