GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[McButterpants]

When I did my birds I pulled the skin from the neck/ wing area down towards the thigh. The theory being that after the operation the cut in the skin would not line up with the cut in the muscle tissue. The "problem" is/ was that after releasing the spreaders the cuts did in fact line up leaving an open cavity - this is why I sutured. Should I have just waited for the skin to return to its original position or did I not pull far enough or from the wrong direction. I have read about super glue and been reluctant to try it because I want to eat the birds and didn't know if the glue would have an effect on the finished product. I did spray a little liquid bandage over the stitches for some of the birds, but now see that as wasted energy. The cuts all healed fine, I did have some "wind poofs" which I popped with a #11 scalpel. At this point I have removed all stitches, have no more wind poofs and they chickens seem to be doing great. I do think the stitching was more stressful on the birds though and would like to avoid that in the future.

 

[Kassaundra]

When I do my first live one, still working on the dead ones for practice I plan on using superglue instead of sutures. I don't eat skin anyway and just plan on a small dot right on the skin. I asked my mentor about using the liquid bandage or superglue, she had not tried the liquid bandage b/c of price and just had never tried the superglue, but was interested in my results when I do try. My first batch are still to young so it will be a couple of weeks yet.

Mcbutterpants, I noticed that too in the birds she did, and she pulled the skin over before the insiscion was made too, I think that is why she stitches.

 

[jrsckn]

Liquid bandage would be good but only if you can get the veterinary strength, over the counter liquid bandage is useless for anything imo.

 

[McButterpants]

I did use an over the counter LB purchased from Walgreen's and by itself I don't think it would have done anything as you say. I used it in conjunction with 2-3 sutures to close any small gaps and help provide a good seal. From everything I have read this isn't necessary. I am trying to keep suturing to a minimum as it is far and away the most time consuming part of the process. I did another 10 birds yesterday- all survived. I did find that on some of the birds when the tension was released the cuts didn't line up (meaning the 2 incisions were not in the same place ), but there is still exposed flesh of the rib cage, just higher up than the cavity incision. Does this gap heal by itself, with skin growing over the rib flesh? I will continue to suture for now, but if anybody has an answer or pictures it would be great if they could post them here.

 

[galanie]

In the chinese capons video, he never sutures any. It could be that with experience you can use a smaller incision and it heals fine. I say this because he is doing them in like 20 seconds each and the incision looks smaller than the ones that have sutured.

 

[Kassaundra]

In the chinese capons video, he never sutures any. It could be that with experience you can use a smaller incision and it heals fine. I say this because he is doing them in like 20 seconds each and the incision looks smaller than the ones that have sutured.

His timing is quite impressive, I couldn't even find the first one by the time he was completely finished!!!!

 

[dbcooper02]

I stretch the birds out on the table but don't pull the skin in either direction before making the incision. I find when I release them when I'm finished that the opening in the skin ends up back in the thigh area and the incision between the ribs is completely covered. The skin incision scabs over and heals up just fine in a few days. I see no need for sutures or gluing in my experience.

Re: MacGuyver's tool photos from a few pages back.
That toe punch would have been used to mark the birds that had been caponized. Comes in real handy months later in a mixed flock when you need to know if a particular bird is a cock or a slip.

 

[MacGuyver]

I stretch the birds out on the table but don't pull the skin in either direction before making the incision. I find when I release them when I'm finished that the opening in the skin ends up back in the thigh area and the incision between the ribs is completely covered. The skin incision scabs over and heals up just fine in a few days. I see no need for sutures or gluing in my experience.

Re: MacGuyver's tool photos from a few pages back.
That toe punch would have been used to mark the birds that had been caponized. Comes in real handy months later in a mixed flock when you need to know if a particular bird is a cock or a slip.

Well, that makes sense.

 

[McButterpants]

Is anyone having any luck with removing both testes from a single incision. I did this on some of my birds- and I believe these are the some that will end up being slips. There seems to be a membrane almost dividing the 2 testes, I'm having trouble getting past this internal membrane to remove the far side gland. For now I've all but given up and am doing both sides of the bird, which seems to be working fine. I know the guys in the Chinese video remove everything from a single incision, which would be less stressful and quicker. How are they/ you getting past this membrane without rupturing the artery along the backbone?

 

[MacGuyver]

Is anyone having any luck with removing both testes from a single incision. I did this on some of my birds- and I believe these are the some that will end up being slips. There seems to be a membrane almost dividing the 2 testes, I'm having trouble getting past this internal membrane to remove the far side gland. For now I've all but given up and am doing both sides of the bird, which seems to be working fine. I know the guys in the Chinese video remove everything from a single incision, which would be less stressful and quicker. How are they/ you getting past this membrane without rupturing the artery along the backbone?

The lady who taught me could do it that way. I cannot.