GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Beer can]

For those who ordered tools: The package should arrive in Haskell tomorrow. I'll repackage and issue shipping invoices as quickly as I can. Grandkids are here until Monday night, but that shouldn't slow me down.

Saturday, I took four grandchildren to a poultry sale/swap that was two hours from the farm. The kids were troopers. They handed out drink coupons and sat in lawn chairs while crazy Granny talked to everyone who walked past. I didn't sell a single capon, though. People asked, "How much are your barred rock and black australorp hens?" I told them they were looking at a cage of capons and explained the tiny combs and wattles, but I don't think the information sunk in. One lady left and came back an hour later, just to "look" at the birds that I'd "mislabeled".

"I'm positive," I told her. "Those are males. If you buy them thinking they will lay eggs; you'll be horribly disappointed." She rolled her eyes and left.

That's pretty funny Lol!
Awesome on the tools, perfect timing. I'm still not sure which of my young'uns are boys or girls, no clue on the giant's or giant silkie crosses on sex yet, all cockerels on them will be capons. Naked necks I bought I can see some cockerels, definite taller combs and bigger wattles and already picked one, maybe two, I want to keep 'intact'. All others will undergo the 'procedure'.
Also have the ugliest chick ever, giant/polish cross does not make for a pretty chicken IMHO, Lol! Hoping it's a cockerel. (only hatched it cause I wanted a few white eggs for candling)

 

[AtlantaChick]

Reporting back on caponizing round two - out of four birds, we successfully removed 5 testicles! Unfortunately, the only successful full capon was our first, and he crashed a half hour after we finished. Likely something to do with us poking around in him for a full 30 minutes. :/

Our second and third each had one ball removed intact. For number 2, I managed to detach the second testicle but dropped it and lost it in the body cavity, and my friend broke apart the second testicle on number 3.

And then I nicked the artery on number 4, and that was the end of our caponizing adventure.

We're both down to try again, but as my friend said, only if the birds fall into our laps. Neither of us particularly wants to seek out or pay for young roos for the express purpose of "deftly ****ing around with their organs."

So I've put up the scalpels and tools until the next round of straight run chicks or hatched eggs next spring. Next up - brushing up my butchering skills for when the two slips start to crow. Wheee!

 

[jcooper3]

Hi all,

I think that my11 week old BO pullet might actually be a cockerel. I will be posting photos on a sexing thread to ask for people's opinions. I live in the suburbs and can't legally own a roo, but I am in love with this bird. This bird is affectionate, docile, and beautiful. I must keep it at all costs!

In the event that my beloved "Clementine" is actually "Clem", I want to get him caponized. I don't want to operate myself, and I suspect that I will have trouble finding a vet to perform the procedure.

In there anyone in California who is experienced at caponizing, and who is willing to perform this procedure on Clem? I am willing to bring him to you, and I can serve as a surgical assistant. Of course, I am willing to pay a reasonable fee as well!

Thanks much,
Jen

 

[countryjack]

What did you do to close the incision? Curious procedure

 

[Poco Pollo]

What did you do to close the incision? Curious procedure

The top layer of skin is pulled back towards the tail before the incision is made, so that after the testicles are removed, the skin returns to its normal position, which is ahead of the opening into the body cavity. The cut in the skin will not line up with the cut through the muscle, so there is no need to stitch the incision site. In two or three days, the incision will be closed and healing.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Invoices didn't go out for shipping yet. For those expecting one, please check your PayPal accounts tonight.

 

[Bigshooter]

I got this message from Poco Pollo.

"Tools are here but we got hit by a storm a few days back and we are without power. Power lines are down around our town and we have lines on the ground at our farm. Can you post this for me to let others expecting tools know what's causing the delay?"

 

[QueenMisha]

I got this message from Poco Pollo.

"Tools are here but we got hit by a storm a few days back and we are without power. Power lines are down around our town and we have lines on the ground at our farm. Can you post this for me to let others expecting tools know what's causing the delay?"

Good to know. @Poco Pollo hope you and your flock are safe and get power back soon.

 

[chant]

For those with older caposn (at least 20 weeks or so old) would you mind taking a look at the linked (from wikipedia) photo and tell me if, of the 3 standing in a row from left to right, if the one on the left (or #1 of the 3) is a capon or a slip? None of mine are crowing, not even the 2 I tagged as slips when I caponized them. Some of their waddles and combs are about as big as a hen's but I'm not sure what normal is supposed to look like and/or if it's different on different breeds.

My entire flock ended up with some sort of respritory issue that came on fast and took hold of everyone except my older hens (about 3 yrs old) and roo. They were railing, sneezing, running noses, and pale combs. I did a round of antibiotics, probiotics, and for good measure went ahead and de-wormed just in case. 1st with Wazine17 and after checking the deposited matter found that some - but not all - did indeed have some round worms; so 7 days later we did another round with wazine. And, 7 days after that did a round with Valbazine and dusted everyone.
The comb colors are coming back on most of them. But I'm not sure what size is normal for a capon? I've tried google images and using different search engines and just not getting many photos of live capons... found lots of recipes though.

The breeds in question I have caponized are: Breese, golden sexlinks, RIR, a legbar, a bielefelder, and a barred rock. Is the pale combs normal for young capons or how long is it supposed to take for their combs to turn red as opposed to a coral color?

Thanks

 

[Poco Pollo]

Power is finally back on at the farm. PayPal is not working on my old phone. Water got in during the downpour. We may have internet tomorrow. Our ISP is in Taft, and they are still without power.