GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[CindyinSD]

You are welcome, I am glad that my suggestions were helpful.

I would not say that capons of a said breed grow "significantly larger" than a standard rooster of the said breed, but a full grown capon is certainly larger and significantly more plump than it's intact counterparts.

The main idea behind caponizing is not growing large birds, the main idea is to improve the quality of meat. In the past farmers lacked the the luxury of refrigeration and hybrid meat birds. Many people outside of USA and Europe still prefer fresh meat, but keeping so many intact roosters is not feasible. Also capons fetch higher price than say a Cornish cross or an intact rooster. A capons meat is tender like that of a young bird, but at the same time it's flavourful like a full grown chicken.

So in conclusion, yes, capons are somewhat larger than a standard rooster of the same breed, but most are not "significantly larger", but they are significantly more plump. We caponize a cockerel for the same reason we castrate a pig, a sheep, a goat and a calf. A hog, a wether, a steer is not necessarily much larger than a boar, a ram, a buck or a bull, but they are more plump, their meat is better and they are easier to manage and you don't have to butcher them when they are young.

Thanks! Very helpful.

 

[Kabootar]

Thanks! Very helpful.

Keep us updated on the progress of your capons. Also keep us informed about your poularde project. What a neat project to have!!!

 

[CindyinSD]

Will do. They're all very lively. I'm thinking I may block their doorway open just enough for them to come and go, so they can experiment with some outside time while having a refuge from the occasional "bigs" that make their way into the fenced back yard.

 

[Acre4Me]

They're all very lively. I'm thinking I may block their doorway open just enough for them to come and go, so they can experiment with some outside time while having a refuge from the occasional "bigs" that make their way into the fenced back yard.

Its been a month, so how are the young capons? We've been discussing trying to do capons for a while, and looks like a potentially good time to do so - this year. Where did you get your instruments. I see kits here and there for sale, but some don't have reviews and often the pics aren't very good - some pics don't even include everything listed in the description!

Thx.

 

[CindyinSD]

They've been doing great. Alas a skunk got into the coop last night around 1:30 a.m, (camera) and killed at least two of my little pullets and two others I couldn't identify b/c no heads. It will be dead soon. But yeah, aside from being all huddled in their coop today, they've previously been free ranging all day in the backyard, having fun.

No health problems that I've been able to detect. Their combs are pale compared to their male broodmate (as is expected), who was spared and is now crowing. If I left any testicular tissue in there, it will continue to grow. Secondary sex characteristics will develop, but more slowly. If that happens, it will result in a bird that needs to be harvested at some defined point to preserve tenderness, unlike a capon, which can be allowed to live as long as desired and will remain succulent (I've read--not yet had the chance to try.)

I haven't taken the time yet to see whether I'm missing four pullets or two pullets and two capons. Been shopping for a skunk trap and another fence energizer, plus other things that need doing.

 

[Sara L]

They've been doing great. Alas a skunk got into the coop last night around 1:30 a.m, (camera) and killed at least two of my little pullets and two others I couldn't identify b/c no heads. It will be dead soon. But yeah, aside from being all huddled in their coop today, they've previously been free ranging all day in the backyard, having fun.

No health problems that I've been able to detect. Their combs are pale compared to their male broodmate (as is expected), who was spared and is now crowing. If I left any testicular tissue in there, it will continue to grow. Secondary sex characteristics will develop, but more slowly. If that happens, it will result in a bird that needs to be harvested at some defined point to preserve tenderness, unlike a capon, which can be allowed to live as long as desired and will remain succulent (I've read--not yet had the chance to try.)

I haven't taken the time yet to see whether I'm missing four pullets or two pullets and two capons. Been shopping for a skunk trap and another fence energizer, plus other things that need doing.

I hope you get the skunk! We set a live trap once trying to get a raccoon that was raiding our chickens. We were told marshmallows were good bait for raccoons, but apparently they were better bait for skunks. Caught one the next night and had to figure out how to deal with it without getting blasted.

Make sure you attach a rope or cord to the trap so you can move it from a distance in order to take care of the skunk. A towel or tarp to throw over the trap to redirect some of the spray works well too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I cut a piece of plywood a little larger than the base of my trap and wired it on to help stabilize it, make it heavier so it's not as likely to tip over and the critter cannot get to the bait from underneath or trip the trap. Then I built this shell to set over it so the only way a critter can get to the bait is through the front door. I've caught skunks, raccoons, possum, feral cats, large rats, rabbits and even a groundhog once. That groundhog surprised me, I don't think it was the bait that got it but curiosity. It checked out the dark hole. Same with the rabbits, they were not after the bait but just checking out the dark hole. I've caught rabbits with no bait.

It's always quite exciting when I carefully slide the shell back just enough to see what's inside. If is is a skunk it's easy to go up to the trap and put tarp over it before I move it.

 

[CindyinSD]

I hope you get the skunk! We set a live trap once trying to get a raccoon that was raiding our chickens. We were told marshmallows were good bait for raccoons, but apparently they were better bait for skunks. Caught one the next night and had to figure out how to deal with it without getting blasted.

Make sure you attach a rope or cord to the trap so you can move it from a distance in order to take care of the skunk. A towel or tarp to throw over the trap to redirect some of the spray works well too.

Great advice! I didn't catch anything last night. I had to use canned cat food (also highly recommended online) because TSC carries it. I think I'm probably the only one using their curbside pickup service. DH insists--he's scared. We don't need groceries and I'm not gonna make some poor Walmart employee carry out a bag of marshmallows for me, or I'd get both and see which one works best/first.

Got all the poultry surrounded by electric fencing now, so I think they're safe. I can personally attest that it is Hot! I'll definitely get a rope on the traps though--and make sure I place them so I can get a clear shot.

Looks like the other two dead birds are my younger cockerel and another pullet. I intended to get zip-ties on my capons to make sure I could tell them apart, but forgot. Just knowing they're males (the combs don't shrink--they just fail to get bigger (so far) or turn red) I can tell they're all still with me. So I'm down three pullets and a cockerel. I have 46 chicken eggs in the incubator, 31 had started showing by the 3rd day--I think I'll still be able to feed all the people I'm responsible (or semi-responsible) for--hoping the chicken feed doesn't run dry.

 

[CindyinSD]

Thanks, @Ridgerunner ! That shell looks great, and tbh, I didn't think about the trap getting turned over. I have loads of scrap plywood that will be perfect for modifying traps.

 

[Ruthster55]

The attached pdf shows the testes of a 2-week-old cockerel (!) and also shows a tool that looks rather similar to Pennington forceps.

The authors improved their times from 5 minutes+ down to a half-minute.