GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Poco Pollo]

Just hauled out my book. My edition is from the middle '50's and it was written for the commercial producer. It says to caponize when the birds are two weeks old and the testicles are the size of a grain of wheat. I think this was before the CornishX were developed and caponizing was the way to go to produce a plump meat bird. It also has a section on using hormones to produce a meat bird instead of caponizing. This last was new to me.

Obviously, you are caponizing for different reasons and what is in my book does not really apply to you. Since you are caponizing an older bird the two incisions make a lot of sense. That's how they castrate elephants by the way and for the same reasons. (Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing that piece of useless information in). As for finding someone to teach me how to caponize, I think I am out of luck. I have yet to talk to anyone locally who has even heard of caponizing, let alone done it. How did you learn? Were you lucky enough to find someone to teach you, did you find a video, or did you just have a book in one hand and the chicken in the other and have at it? Anyway, I admire your courage.

The best time (for the bird and for the operator) to castrate a chicken varies based on the stature and vibrancy of the chick and the skill level of the operator. 4 to 8 weeks is what I prefer, because in that age range the chicks recover quickly and I rarely have to mark any as slips. A box of chicks (25 - 50) stays with me about a week so I can prep them (3 days) and check for and treat wind puffs before they go home. I only do older birds if owners are willing to accept the risks. I tell them this: I had my tonsils out when I was four. Mom has pictures of me eating with the family (regular food) the next day. If I had the same operation today, I’d recover much slower. Older birds don’t bounce back the way chicks can. Older birds have a lower survival rate. I reduce the risks whenever possible.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Sedation? Pain control during procedure? How and how much,

The chick is on the table for five minutes. He eats and drinks immediately after being placed in a recovery cage. He is sore but is able to walk, run, and interact with peers immediately after being caponized (if it’s done correctly). In two days the incision site is healed shut, and the chick can be returned to his grow-out pen. Anesthesia is expensive and extremely hard on birds. A chick weighs next to nothing, so dosage is hard to determine, and it takes time to measure and administer, and a second person must be present to monitor as the other operates. Farmers (FARMERS) raising capons castrate hundreds at a time. The part the chick complains about the most is when I pull a few feathers if they’re growing where the incision needs to be. I don’t sedate because it’s not necessary and it’s impractical. I don’t administer pain meds for the same reasons. I’m a farmer. I have to practice common sense and balance the pros and cons. It’s better for the bird to have a swift and sure operator than a drawn-out operation with sedation. Side Note: I helped band calves and found the screaming and obvious pain associated with that process to be unnerving. Google emasculator and tie-bander.

 

[Poco Pollo]

How did you learn? Were you lucky enough to find someone to teach you, did you find a video, or did you just have a book in one hand and the chicken in the other and have at it? Anyway, I admire your courage

I read everything I could find in print and online, and then I dispatched roosters I was putting in the freezer and tried to follow the U.S. instructions. Operating on cadavers cave me confidence, but the methods described seemed inadequate. I saught help from a friend in China. He helped translate instructions from Chinese veterinary books and helped me find appropriate tools. I practed on deceased birds until my hands learned the motions for using the wire tool, and then I moved on to live birds who were headed to freezer camp anyway. Full capons got to spend time in a fattening pen, and slips and bleeders went into the freezer as was their intended destination anyway.[/quote][/QUOTE]

 

[Poco Pollo]

My three guests had their left sides done today. No complications, except that two of the cockerels had enormous left testicles, so I put a spoon tool under the testicle before using the wire tool.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

I am loving this thread (and liking the posts the stood out to me for one thing or another). I know some of the posts are OLD, but I have enjoyed this.

I had said I wanted to learn caponing some years back. This thread showed me how to practice and gave lots of “best practices” ideas. I have most everything, lacking a rib spreader and a dedicated table. So, what is the proper name of that little spreader that looks at first glance like a camping can opener? Do we know of any place to order just it? And in small and large?

I know. I just want everything.

 

[Poco Pollo]

It’s a rib dialator. The best are from China. All the US tool sets I’ve used are poorly constructed and many of the tools simply don’t work. I am looking for a new contact in China to place a tool order. Most of the Tao Bao shops selling capon tools are too expensive or won’t sell capon tools to US buyers. I’ll post when I’ve found someone who can help me. A seller on eBay has the large rooster half of a good double set. He told me he only had the large tools. the rib dialator in that set is truly for roosters.

 

[jcinadr]

Just posing in, was active once upon a time in this thread.

Lost my old tools. Had bad luck replacing them from Alibaba-per seller due to postal regs-lost about $75 on that. Replaced with US tools, but they were terrible.

If you can get a new source, I really want a new complete set.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Just posing in, was active once upon a time in this thread.

Lost my old tools. Had bad luck replacing them from Alibaba-per seller due to postal regs-lost about $75 on that. Replaced with US tools, but they were terrible.

If you can get a new source, I really want a new complete set.

. I was able to reach my original contact. I hope to have a price list and pictures of available tools soon.

 

[ChickenMamaSue]

Well, I finally did it! I successfully completed my first two capons, and the third ended up being a slip. I figured that the feather pulling likely adds to stress they experience during surgery, so a day before I even separated the boys, I plucked them. It saved so much fuss during the actual procedure days later. I was so excited that I actually completed it, and none of my birds died! I did practice on a cadaver a couple weeks ago which, if anything, helped with MY nerves!!

24 hours later i have some wind puffs. Can I use a sterile sewing needle to pierce it? Should I leave it? They're all still eating and drinking with enthusiasm. I have them separated still in a clean, dry container. I just want them to make it!!! Should i offer asprin today to help with pain, or let them sleep it off?? OKAY I PROMISE THATS IT

Thanks everyone, gonna continue going through the hundreds of pages on this post. I just love learning all I possibly can!

 

[Maeschak]

Well, I finally did it! I successfully completed my first two capons, and the third ended up being a slip. I figured that the feather pulling likely adds to stress they experience during surgery, so a day before I even separated the boys, I plucked them. It saved so much fuss during the actual procedure days later. I was so excited that I actually completed it, and none of my birds died! I did practice on a cadaver a couple weeks ago which, if anything, helped with MY nerves!!

24 hours later i have some wind puffs. Can I use a sterile sewing needle to pierce it? Should I leave it? They're all still eating and drinking with enthusiasm. I have them separated still in a clean, dry container. I just want them to make it!!! Should i offer asprin today to help with pain, or let them sleep it off?? OKAY I PROMISE THATS IT

Thanks everyone, gonna continue going through the hundreds of pages on this post. I just love learning all I possibly can!

Fantastic job!
I've never done it before so I can't help you with your questions,
I just wanted to congratulate you! I have a set of tools myself and really need to move forward in the learning process... you have given me a bit of impetus. Thanks!