GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Dandelioness]

Hey, folks -

From the perspective of using caponizing as a responsible part of one's breeding program (where your culls are utilized to full potential).

When do you choose who will be a capon and who will propagate the next generation? And how do you determine it at that age?

The time we tried it, a couple summers back, we bought cockerel chicks expressly for caponizing. But I'm hatching out a few clutches of eggs this year and wondering how and when you choose who to keep.

 

[dfr1973]

Hey, folks -

From the perspective of using caponizing as a responsible part of one's breeding program (where your culls are utilized to full potential).

When do you choose who will be a capon and who will propagate the next generation? And how do you determine it at that age?

The time we tried it, a couple summers back, we bought cockerel chicks expressly for caponizing. But I'm hatching out a few clutches of eggs this year and wondering how and when you choose who to keep.

For me, at this early stage, it is rather easy to pick out the cockerel I wanted for my breeding program. He was just that much of a stand-out in the small batch: bigger, rounder, typier, and earlier than the others. I am also keeping what you'd think would be an obvious cull: a single-comb Wyandotte cockerel, to use as a test breeder for my pullets to determine if any of them are carrying the simple Mendelian recessive gene for single comb. After the test breedings, he'll go in with my red broiler pullets for a meaty line. He isn't as big as Azar, but he's well-built enough I lamented the single comb until I had the idea of test breeding to discover which have the "hidden" recessive. The cockerels are just shy of 11 weeks, but I wanted to select for early and good growth.

As for what to select for, and when ... that will depend on what your goals are. If you are just wanting to raise up meaties, I'd personally do selection no later than 20 weeks, preferably before 16, so you can "push" then for early growth in case you have a hankering for a tender fryer.

My opinion may change next year, or in five years, depending on how this strategy works for my flock.

 

[Kassaundra]

Hey, folks -

From the perspective of using caponizing as a responsible part of one's breeding program (where your culls are utilized to full potential).

When do you choose who will be a capon and who will propagate the next generation? And how do you determine it at that age?

The time we tried it, a couple summers back, we bought cockerel chicks expressly for caponizing. But I'm hatching out a few clutches of eggs this year and wondering how and when you choose who to keep.

I do obvious things I know I don't want in a breeder first. If I am on the fence I give them a few weeks and caponize a little older, but before the testes get the big growth spurt. If I had some at that point I was still on the fence about I would just let them grow out and process the looser when they got obnoxious to the girls or to loud for me.

 

[dfr1973]

This morning's caponizing attempt has been cancelled due to back spasms. Looks like Saturday morning is my next window. I even plucked those boys last evening - had everything ready as well.

 

[farmhand]

This morning's caponizing attempt has been cancelled due to back spasms. Looks like Saturday morning is my next window. I even plucked those boys last evening - had everything ready as well.

Sorry about your back.
How big a deal is plucking needed feathers? Would a shaver work? Or am I just wincing too much about this whole process? I don't even butcher anymore although I did for years. This thread has me interested in this process.

 

[dfr1973]

Sorry about your back.
How big a deal is plucking needed feathers? Would a shaver work? Or am I just wincing too much about this whole process? I don't even butcher anymore although I did for years. This thread has me interested in this process.

I think a shaver would go dull about two feathers in. As for plucking, I was only plucking on the right side, and only just enough feathers as necessary. My cockerels have the bad habit of plucking each other, out of ornreyness or meanness, so they really get ruffled when you pluck them because they think they are getting picked on in the pecking order kertuffle. That, and hubby was helping restrain them on my lap - either way they did not like it, although it isn't harmful. I imagine it's about as unpleasant as plucking hairs on us would be.

I am caponizing most of these for meat, although I am hoping to have at least one that decides to mother chicks. If I do, he'll be named Mr. Belvedere. Yeah, hubby really rolled his eyes and groaned at that one.

As for the back - I have been living with this for over a decade but still get quite frustrated when it interrupts things that require prior planning, like a 36-hour fast for the birds. It's the whole timing bit that has me put out the most ... I would have been less of a grump if it happened yesterday or tomorrow.

 

[Kassaundra]

Besides a razor going dull very soon, you also wouldn't get the whole benefit of the purpose of the plucking. You would get the top of the feathers out of the way, but not the shaft part close to the skin or just under the skin, and plucked feathers grow back between molts and broken, cut or shaved feather will not.

 

[chrissyr]

I can't remember a good age to do this. I have cockerels about 2-3 months old. Is it time?

 

[chrissyr]

And what brand/size do you all recommend for scalpels? I got some off amazon that said surgical, but they may be too big. I think #10 and rounded. Just don't think they are going to be efficient

 

[Poco Pollo]

I can't remember a good age to do this. I have cockerels about 2-3 months old. Is it time?

And what brand/size do you all recommend for scalpels? I got some off amazon that said surgical, but they may be too big. I think #10 and rounded. Just don't think they are going to be efficient

I prefer to caponize between 6 and 8 weeks. 3 months is not too late, but it is harder on the bird.

#10 will work. Scalpel blades will cut deep, and they don't know the difference between chicken of human, so use caution.