GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Maggiesdad]

The only problem with that is that they'd be turkeys. I much prefer chicken - also don't crash out for a nap after a big chicken dinner like I do after turkey.

Naps are good....somebody's got to do the eyelid inspections!

 

[Maggiesdad]

So this air is coming from the inside of bird?Not from the cut is that right?I was thinking of sealing deflating cut with something but if the air coming from the inside of the that won't help.Sure this has been address but what happens if don't deflate them?Has anybody had one die from wind puff?

LOL Stick him then wrap him with an Ace bandage - that'll keep him from reinflating.

Seriously, it's not a big deal. It will eventually go down on it's own. My last 10 didn't puff at all. And I've never had a recovery capon die that didn't die on the table. If they stand and go to eating, they're good to go.

 

[Kassaundra]

I've never had one die from puffs (or anything else post procedure) (well except a pellet in the head) If the puff is mild I let it recover w/o deflating, but the big puffs need to be deflated.

The air is coming from inside the bird in it's "lungs" I haven't noticed any rhyme or reason as to why one gets puffed and another does not, but miss aligning the skin helps a lot.

I used to suture w/ cotton thread it did not dissolve at all when I processed them they still had the thread imbedded in the healed skin 8 ish months later. And they puffed too.

 

[rvroman]

Is there anybody in the Dallas Fort Worth area that is able to caponize? I am pretty sure my mom's lavender orpington is a cockerel (hatched the last week of Aprilish).

 

[farmhand]

Has anyone considered hanging birds upside down while working on them to help in keeping them calm? Their chest and wings could be tied to a back plate rather than on a table. There's nothing new so either this just won't work or I don't understand how it is currently being done. I have no experience with this only have read all of this thread.

 

[Poco Pollo]

I'm going to place an order for Chinese capon tools the first week in July. If you are interested in a double set, medium set (new), or a single set, please send me a PM.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Has anyone considered hanging birds upside down while working on them to help in keeping them calm? Their chest and wings could be tied to a back plate rather than on a table. There's nothing new so either this just won't work or I don't understand how it is currently being done. I have no experience with this only have read all of this thread.

I can't see how this would be an improvement over leg extended, tied on it's side. Most of them object more to the plucking of feathers than the incision itself. And once you are in the membrane, their breathing is more labored and they don't waste effort fussing.

I use soft paracord - lark's head knots on the wings and feet, and taut line hitches on the other ends. Easily adjustable for all size birds. And less than 10 seconds to untie.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Wow. We almost had it....

This is our third try at caponizing. Last year we tried twice. The first time we were cutting into leg muscle and just could NOT find the valley. Second time I think? I was in the right spot, but the birds were fussing and I chickened out.
This year I didn't set any eggs, but we had one broody hatch six. Two appear to be cockerels. They're nearly 7 weeks old now. A barnyard cross of Brahma and Jersey Giant, so plenty large enough.

Our only teacher is this thread here. And OH MY how grateful I am for the information!

Anyhow, the first bird today, I thought maybe I was cutting in the wrong place. Again, now I'm not so sure. But I think I saw some lung so we put him back in the cage. Then my partner began to cut on the second cockerel. He was absolutely sure he was cutting in the wrong place, and again wanted to give up. But I said I'd try, and he was in the RIGHT place. I switched places with him and put the rib spreader in. I cut through the fascia and WOW! THERE WAS A TESTICLE!!!

I switched places with my partner again, and he wanted to have a go at getting it out. AND HE DID!!! We thought we were on the way! He could even see the second testicle through this incision. But he couldn't quite get it. So we decided to flip the bird over and try from the second side.

This time I had my partner do the incision, and he was in the proper longitude, but the latitude was too low. He was wanting to give up again, but I switched places with him once more and put the rib spreaders in. Opened up the fascia, and there was the second testicle. But it was a bit high and our head lamp battery was dying on us (even though we'd put in fresh batteries) I tried and tried to get that testicle but I couldn't get the string around it no matter what I did. After about 20 minutes my Partner wanted to try. And he also had a devil of a time with it. After 45 minutes, and noticing that we'd accidentally broken a rob on the poor guy, we decided to quit. `

So, no one's dead. And we got ONE testicle out. That's further than we've succeeded on the previous attempts. We'll try in a week.

Even after all that, though, both birds are eating their fermented feed, acting like nothing happened. Amazing birds.

 

[Kassaundra]

Congrats, practice makes perfect

 

[osbmail]

I got 10 Capons done out of my first batch that have been out on grass for a couple weeks and doing good.I had a batch of 24 chicks that was going to make the roosters into Capons but they got coccidiosis and I lost all but nine.So I won't have to many guys to work On this time.It was poor management on my part but I guess I learned my lesson.I had some lights installed in the brooder so can watch them closer.