GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Kassaundra]

I lost one of the chicks I picked up this week. So, though it is a few weeks early, I took this as an opportunity to practice.

Result: 4 days is way too early as my tools are ridiculously oversized.
Had this been a live bird, this would have been a slip almost for sure (I removed both testicles from one incision) and most likely a loss.

That said, here is my set up.
I used an old cake pan with a few layers of paper towels.
This was set upon a heating pad to warm the working surface.


Based upon others' discussions here, I assembled my own caponizing tool set.
I chose the 3.5" Gelpi Retractor (eBay for $5 or $6) as I thought they would be sufficient spreaders and would provide more space.
They are very sharp , so I ground down the tips (see right) and rounded them off with a file.


I also made an extractor tool as was shown & demonstrated earlier.


I removed feathers (though the skin is quite fragile). After studying images in this thread and others, I cleared the area and made the incision. I did use Isopropyl alcohol to wet the feathers and area first. This also may help make blood vessels more visible in live birds, as previously mentioned.

Below is the incision with spreader. The spine/back of chick is at the bottom of picture.
The testicle is at the bottom of the incision adjacent to the muscle/red tissue.
To the right is a close up of same image. I was able to find the other (right) testicle after rupturing the dividing membrane, but it was difficult to find and harder to remove. Tools were just huge relative to body cavity.



This shows just how tiny these organs are at 4 days - like a small grain of rice.



This was my first attempt with caponizing - and I found it incredibly valuable to practice and learn on a sacrificed/lost bird first. I was pleased that the incision inside the last rib opened right to the left testicle, though it was closer to the spine than I even expected. Once located it was fairly easy to remove with the extractor
.
I will probably proceed with my other four birds at 3 weeks of age. I think the extra size will be a dramatic improvement. Though contending with actually movement will be something new.

Definitely want to thank Kassaundra and the other posters for the discussions and suggestions.

Awesome, great job. You did several right things, definately take every opportunity to practice on the dead ones first. The size (older bird) and fasting will make a great improvement on your visibility and removal. I think locating the right spot the cut is a good 80% of how successful the procedure will be, I also think it is the hardest part, closely followed by locating that second teste from only one cut.

 

[zionjudah]

Kassaundra, this thread is awesome. Great pics and instructions.

I hope im not switching gears too much. I bought the kit from china a while back and paid more money than what is being charged now. Mainly because he didn't have all the kinks with paypal worked out and shipping was horrible. I plan on caponizing for A LONG TIME so i dont regret it too much. The tools are really incredible. The spreader actually locks in place and is curved just right to hold everything in place until you are done. The scapel is on the same piece as the extractor and though it took me a while to get the hang of getting the cut just right, it does a great job of getting through skin and muscle with one motion. I had more blood show up with the regular scapel I got in another kit so I dont use them much. I found that incisions from the chinese set seemed to heal faster beleive it or not. It may have been because the incision was rough rather than a precision fine cut. I may be way off but i read somewhere that a tear sometimes heals faster than a cut. not sure about that one. The tool where you attach the wire (he sent me a spool of thread) works great to get past the second membrane. And once you are past you use the wire to extract both from one side.
I have done pretty close to 150 capons so far and after using several different kits, the chinese one seems to be the best. One difference for me is that i was instructed by him to cut just past the last rib, not between the last two. I have been caponizing mine at around 5 weeks and have had no problem finding the testes first thing.
One thing that i have found really useful outside of the chinese kit is the pick that i got with the strombergs kit to Carefully get through some of the membranes.

A question I have is has anyone seen a difference in weight on birds they have let fast 36 hours compared to those who didn't fast as long before surgery?

I notice a huge difference in how much easier it is to caponize after 36 hours but saw a post where someone mentioned it taking some weeks to catch up to other birds because of the long fast. Thoughts?

thank ya'll for all the information

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks for the personal experience input. I have wondered if the Chinese kit is worth the money last time I looked it was around $75 is I think, it has been a long day so not sure if I am remembering right.

 

[Kjordanov]

For many of the same reasons you don't take beef cattle to the vet to be killed, or why one doesn't bring livestock to the vet to be dehorned or castrated. 

The concern is a valid one to me.  I have reasons for using capons in the future, and plan to use an inert gas such as nitrogen to anesthetize the chickens while performing this surgery (but bringing to a vet seems...unlikely let alone unreasonable.  Most vets aren't going to want to see meat birds...or any chicken).  That said, I support others who choose to go without a method of sedation.  The high success rate/low death rate of those experienced with caponizing is a sign to me that this is an acceptable method for personal farm use.  Bring it to a commercial scale, and my opinion changes for several reasons.

But castrating (most) livestock can be done in a fairly pain free way without having to cut open their skin (banding). Dehorning can also be done with banding. Our goat was dehorned with bands and she looks and feels great! Personally I think this method of castration a rooster is scary but I can see why you would do it (vets are expensive and not always easily accessible). But what I don't understand is why you would have to neuter/castrate a rooster in the first place. If its a meat bird, let them enjoy their nackers, they're gunna be slaughtered in 6-10 weeks anyways right? And if its not a meat bird I still don't see why you'd have to neuter them. So what if your eggs have sperm in them lol added nutrition!

 

[r devries]

But castrating (most) livestock can be done in a fairly pain free way without having to cut open their skin (banding). Dehorning can also be done with banding. Our goat was dehorned with bands and she looks and feels great! Personally I think this method of castration a rooster is scary but I can see why you would do it (vets are expensive and not always easily accessible). But what I don't understand is why you would have to neuter/castrate a rooster in the first place. If its a meat bird, let them enjoy their nackers, they're gunna be slaughtered in 6-10 weeks anyways right? And if its not a meat bird I still don't see why you'd have to neuter them. So what if your eggs have sperm in them lol added nutrition!

Not much eating on a 6-10 week old heritage breed rooster...
Not my picture but a good example.

 

[Kassaundra]

But castrating (most) livestock can be done in a fairly pain free way without having to cut open their skin (banding). Dehorning can also be done with banding. Our goat was dehorned with bands and she looks and feels great! Personally I think this method of castration a rooster is scary but I can see why you would do it (vets are expensive and not always easily accessible). But what I don't understand is why you would have to neuter/castrate a rooster in the first place. If its a meat bird, let them enjoy their nackers, they're gunna be slaughtered in 6-10 weeks anyways right? And if its not a meat bird I still don't see why you'd have to neuter them. So what if your eggs have sperm in them lol added nutrition!

Not everyone can keep roos until they are big enough to eat (not cornish crosses) there is fighting and crowing, and harrassing the females, none of which a properly caponed (castrated) roo will do.

 

[Kjordanov]

I've had many roosters before and never had a nasty Roo. Except for one but he was just nasty to people. So he got his head chopped off and that's that. Lol

 

[daviechik]

Purely innocently asking because I'm clueless, what is the benefit of caponizing? Why is it done? (Especially if you intend to use said bird for meat later anyway)

 

[Kassaundra]

Purely innocently asking because I'm clueless, what is the benefit of caponizing? Why is it done? (Especially if you intend to use said bird for meat later anyway)

It is used to give enough time to grow dual purpose roos to a good usable age, w/o any crowing, fighting, mating issues and w/o any toughening to the meat from the effects of testosterone. Also can be used for those who can't have roos (or don't want the negative problems that come w/ roos) but have grown to love thier baby chick that was supose to be a girl but turned out to be a boy (as long as it is done before they start crowing or behaving like roos)

 

[naillikwj82]

Besides the behavior modifications due to no testosterone production, the main benefit is really the change in meat quality. They have a greater distribution of fat throughout the flesh. With the subdued behavior they are less active (couch potatoes), the meat is more tender on a 12 month capon than a 22 week rooster. Since they grow to the full wieght of maturity, and stay tender, you process when needed, not keeping in a freezer for 3 months or more. For me they are absolutely the best of poultry, bar none!
jeff