GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Kassaundra]

brand new to this forum and chicken raising so forgive me for my lack of understanding on some things. So, caponing is basically castrating a a rooster and making it basically a non laying hen? I live in the burbs where I cant have a rooster so it not being able to crow would be great. However, if it can no longer fertalize eggs, nor can it lay eggs, what would be the point? Why not just get a hen?

Caponizing a male makes it infertile so cannot father chicks. The reason to caponize would be to keep a pet roo you have got attatched to like in your situation where if it crows you would have to get rid of it. Or if you are growing the males out for meat and want a sustainable flock and not want to keep purchasing Cornish cross from hatcheries, but still want to harvest a larger bird that is more tender meated then a full roo.

The reason for pollardizing a female, which means it would no longer lay eggs at all would be for meat. If you do not need anymore layers say, but you have all these young chicks you hatched out for meat, why have the female put all that energy into making an egg producing "machine" inside when she could put that energy into making meat for you to harvest.

 

[BCMaraniac]

brand new to this forum and chicken raising so forgive me for my lack of understanding on some things. So, caponing is basically castrating a a rooster and making it basically a non laying hen? I live in the burbs where I cant have a rooster so it not being able to crow would be great. However, if it can no longer fertalize eggs, nor can it lay eggs, what would be the point? Why not just get a hen?

When I describe caponization and pollardization, I liken it to neutering and spaying a cat or dog. The reasons for doing the procedures are typically different, however. With the exception of caponizing a pet rooster, caponization serves several purposes:

1. It results in a bird that is more docile and less susceptible to fighting with other cockerels...with the added benefit of decreased or absent crowing.
2. It results in a bird that can typically be housed with hens and not exhibit reproductive aggression toward them.
3 It prevents the stringy and tough texture of meat that is typical for an adult rooster.
4. Because of each of the above benefits, the processing of the capon can be delayed until it has grown and accumulated more muscle mass and fat, resulting in a
larger, more tender bird(some breeds of capons can end up the size of a small turkey)
5. Although not as much of an issue as a generation or two ago when incubators and refrigeration was not readily available, if at all, and all chicks were raised by broody
hens during the spring/summer, the capon can be harvested throughout the winter as a meat source for a family.

Pollardization of a young pullet basically turns her into a meat chicken rather than an egg layer. Because she has not gone through the sexual maturing process, she will continue to grow as she accumulates additional muscle mass and fat. A castrated pullet, which is called a poulard, is considered by many to be the best chicken of all in terms of tenderness, juiciness and flavor.

While I cannot personally compare the meat qualities of these birds, I hope to be able to do so over the next few month, since I have caponized some of my cockerels, and am planning my first attempts at pollardization tomorrow.

OH, before I forget,

. I believe you will find this site to be informative as well as providing comradery that may be lacking in your unpoultrified(is that a word?) friends. Do not hesitate to ask questions, thinking that they are dumb. There will be someone here more than willing to answer them. Owning and caring for chickens is a journey, not a destination.

 

[KFCCHICKENUTAH]

Thank you both for the education! I can see another upside as Ive seen some beautiful roosters that would make great additions to a flock.

I have 4 layers(which should begin laying in a month) and am almost ready to butcher my cornish x meat chickens. Its been a crazy experience since I bought the layer chicks at easter. I honestly thought (probobly like most people at easter) that theyd be easy to care for and something that wouldnt take more than a couple minutes a day. Boy was I wrong. Its not hard, but it takes a while and a routine to make sure its done right and the chicks are happy and healthy. Im glad we did as my chicks are docile and friendly. They like to be held and petted. My layers are funny birds, we feed them crickets and they go crazy for them. We bought them layer feed but they dont like it. Is there something else we can use? Its layer crumbles.
My meat birds are crazy. I dont kids have much interaction with them except when they get fed. They were 2.5 lbs at about 6 weeks. Our butcher told us to use a different feed with a high protein. Two weeks later and theyve more than doubled in size. Should be go to go in about 2 more weeks. Ive never killed one before so Im going to see if the butcher will let me participate. I do have to say those meat chickens are dumb, dumb, dumb.

 

[oldrooster]

brand new to this forum and chicken raising so forgive me for my lack of understanding on some things. So, caponing is basically castrating a a rooster and making it basically a non laying hen? I live in the burbs where I cant have a rooster so it not being able to crow would be great. However, if it can no longer fertalize eggs, nor can it lay eggs, what would be the point? Why not just get a hen?

cows and pigs are operated on in a similar fashion for similar reasons, larger bodies and lesser amounts of hormones to make the meat taste better.

 

[BCMaraniac]

cows and pigs are operated on in a similar fashion for similar reasons, larger bodies and lesser amounts of hormones to make the meat taste better.

Absolutely, as are meat goats and lambs(often so they can run together, be less aggressive, and to prevent pregnancy in the younger female lambs.....improvement in the quality of meat in castrated lambs is subject to opinion)

 

[Zootopia]

Ok so tell me, how much different would it be to do Guinea Fowl? First thing that comes to mind is that I'd need to be prepared for male or female since it is nearly impossible to tell them apart, especially at that young.

 

[Maggiesdad]

This is interesting...

 

[Angelicisi]

Too keep the meat of the bird more tender, let the bird grow to a decent eating size, for those without restricted numbers, on occassion a Rooster is a sweetie for a pet.. for me it would have to be one of these reasons. I've read the meat is even better in neutered hens. So, for some, like myself these processes are great to know. I love having options for my animals. I have a pair of chicks from a group of chicks I bought unsexed I believe are roos, if they don't find a home soon I will keep them as capons* until they get nice and big and then eat them. No waste, home fed meat that had a free range life instead of a stranger's cage and soup pot...lol can't even find a stranger with a soup pot to take these two sweets lol

brand new to this forum and chicken raising so forgive me for my lack of understanding on some things. So, caponing is basically castrating a a rooster  and making it basically a non laying hen? I live in the burbs where I cant have a rooster so it not being able to crow would be great. However, if it can no longer fertalize eggs, nor can it  lay eggs, what would be the point? Why not just get a hen?

When you order chicks also,
rooster chicks are inevitable - even if you specifically order pullets - quite often you end up with one or two boys. Frankly its really hard to find a rooster a home here, people will pick up for free to eat them but if you raised him, spent the time n money on him, process him for your own family.

You probably don't want a fertile roo around anyways...chicks are addictive - watch out for chicken math! Nobody warned me :/ lol

 

[Kassaundra]

This is interesting...

That is interesting, never even thought about guineas, since I live in town they are a little on the noisy side for me.

 

[Zootopia]

That is interesting, never even thought about guineas, since  I live in town they are a little on the noisy side for me.

Well I think I'll try it, gonna have to take a look at ovaries too so I'll know what I'm looking for.
Ok so, what about Ducks?