GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Deerfield Acres]

This morning's score: two new capons and a possible slip. The last teste I took out looked like it *might* be missing a small piece, but I didn't see anything when I looked inside again.

This is slowing getting easier.

dfr1973 Nice work!



So I was all ready to go this morning and did my dead bird and decided to abort the mission at this point.

These birds are 4 weeks old and WoW! are those ribs close together. How does anyone keep from cutting the ribs when they are making that first incision? A slight wobble and I was into bone. I forged ahead on the dead bird but I cut some bone in doing so. Then, getting those Weitlaner spreaders inside that bird took a LOT of pressure, and those are awkward to use. Not something I can't get used to but sheesh! So I got through the membrane okay, everything looks familiar and I found the first easily. That thing was teeny! Oh my gosh! I was so intimidated and the bird was dead! The next hurdle was that the teensy thing was attached firmly along the entire length. It was narrow but long. At any rate, I tugged and I pulled one end, the other end, and it was the middle that finally came free. So I finally grabbed the right side and made no progress getting it to come loose. Grabbed the left side and pulled. It came loose but the thing came apart in the middle. AAAccckkk! Being as how the bird was no longer living anyway, I fished around in there until I got the silly thing out but I don't know how all of that would have turned out, had it been alive. Then I couldn't locate the other one, so I turned it over and tried again with the cutting between those teeny tiny ribs. Got in and found the teste easily enough and managed to get that one out without so much frustration but it wasn't fully attached along the length of it, either. So in my great wisdom, I decided to try again at 8 weeks when things are a bit larger.

So my main questions from this experience are:

1. Does no one else have any trouble with those tiny ribs, i.e., not slicing into the bone on either side or end?

2. Is it normal for a testicle to be that firmly attached along the full length of it? I hope I don't see that again. This thing didn't look like a little bean, it looked like a bean someone made out of craft clay and then stretched it.

I've seen it recommended that birds be done at 2 - 3 weeks and I thought that was way too small but my birds look substantial enough and are almost fully feathered out so I thought it shouldn't be too bad. Oh! And now from the withholding food routine, I have feather pickers! Anyone else have the birds go feather crazy while withholding feed? I hope to heaven it doesn't continue.

 

[dfr1973]

So my main questions from this experience are:

1. Does no one else have any trouble with those tiny ribs, i.e., not slicing into the bone on either side or end?

2. Is it normal for a testicle to be that firmly attached along the full length of it? I hope I don't see that again. This thing didn't look like a little bean, it looked like a bean someone made out of craft clay and then stretched it.

1. I am just not brave enough to try that young. I think 10 weeks is the youngest of my group, but I will try some at 8 weeks a bit further into the month.

2. Dunno if it's normal or not, but so far all these chicks from Ideal I have done have had some very attached testes. Wait, I take that back ... one of the cockerels today had ONE side not as attached as the other.

 

[Kassaundra]

dfr1973 Nice work!



So I was all ready to go this morning and did my dead bird and decided to abort the mission at this point.

These birds are 4 weeks old and WoW! are those ribs close together. How does anyone keep from cutting the ribs when they are making that first incision? A slight wobble and I was into bone. I forged ahead on the dead bird but I cut some bone in doing so. Then, getting those Weitlaner spreaders inside that bird took a LOT of pressure, and those are awkward to use. Not something I can't get used to but sheesh! So I got through the membrane okay, everything looks familiar and I found the first easily. That thing was teeny! Oh my gosh! I was so intimidated and the bird was dead! The next hurdle was that the teensy thing was attached firmly along the entire length. It was narrow but long. At any rate, I tugged and I pulled one end, the other end, and it was the middle that finally came free. So I finally grabbed the right side and made no progress getting it to come loose. Grabbed the left side and pulled. It came loose but the thing came apart in the middle. AAAccckkk! Being as how the bird was no longer living anyway, I fished around in there until I got the silly thing out but I don't know how all of that would have turned out, had it been alive. Then I couldn't locate the other one, so I turned it over and tried again with the cutting between those teeny tiny ribs. Got in and found the teste easily enough and managed to get that one out without so much frustration but it wasn't fully attached along the length of it, either. So in my great wisdom, I decided to try again at 8 weeks when things are a bit larger.

So my main questions from this experience are:

1. Does no one else have any trouble with those tiny ribs, i.e., not slicing into the bone on either side or end?

2. Is it normal for a testicle to be that firmly attached along the full length of it? I hope I don't see that again. This thing didn't look like a little bean, it looked like a bean someone made out of craft clay and then stretched it.

I've seen it recommended that birds be done at 2 - 3 weeks and I thought that was way too small but my birds look substantial enough and are almost fully feathered out so I thought it shouldn't be too bad. Oh! And now from the withholding food routine, I have feather pickers! Anyone else have the birds go feather crazy while withholding feed? I hope to heaven it doesn't continue.

I wouldn't do the very small birds w/ those retractors, I would wait to about 7ish weeks for those, there is a little trick of kinda putting one edge in then rotating slightly for the other edge, but still they are big for those real little guys.

My birds mostly have been attatched along the whole teste, that is why most of my experience has been the grab and pull method w/ the long tweezer type tool. The ones that you can loop are a breeze compared to the firmly attatched ones.

I have never sliced through the bone, but most of us have knicked it for sure.

I have never had an issue w/ feather picking after fast. Did you fast for more then 36 hours?

 

[Deerfield Acres]

I wouldn't do the very small birds w/ those retractors, I would wait to about 7ish weeks for those, there is a little trick of kinda putting one edge in then rotating slightly for the other edge, but still they are big for those real little guys. I did get to experience the rotating the retractors in trick on the dead bird, I was just thinking how impossible it would be with a live bird of that size experiencing it. So I did learn that much and feel like I can manage it okay once they are bigger.

My birds mostly have been attatched along the whole teste, that is why most of my experience has been the grab and pull method w/ the long tweezer type tool. The ones that you can loop are a breeze compared to the firmly attatched ones. Ah, so they aren't all loopable! That's a real bummer.

I have never sliced through the bone, but most of us have knicked it for sure. Okay, so knicking could happen. Hopefully, not quite so unavoidable when they are a bit older?

I have never had an issue w/ feather picking after fast. Did you fast for more then 36 hours? Started them fasting on Wednesday evening for caponizing today. Just checked them and didn't see any more picking now that they are full to bursting. I hope I don't see it again.

These birds seem more high strung than I am used to. That's why I withheld food for a shorter period of time. But then, I've had more Sussex than anything else. These are White Rocks and they are wild and crazy birds. When we top off their feed during the day, it's a riot to the feeders that weren't empty when we took them up. I've never seen birds try to trample each other to get to me over the sprouted wheat I sometimes give for treats. They act as though they get them every single time I walk in the room. They are eating properly fermented, Organic, non GMO feed and their feeders are never empty. It's just a lot of drama with those birds. Many have thick legs so you wouldn't think there was too much leghorn in there. Half are from Cackle Hatchery and the other half from McMurray.

 

[Kassaundra]

The flightier high strung birds are a challenge, Poco even has to do them (leghorns) one side at a time w/ a week or so rest between, and she is the most skilled, peaceful caponizer I know.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

I never thought of White Rocks as being flighty, but I've never had them before either. Oh well, another 4 weeks and I will try again. Should be a challenge for sure, but the show must go on. I will just plan on doing the two sides separately a week apart.

I used lavender on the first 10 birds and when it only made them drowsy, I decided to work on a non-living bird first. I think those birds would have to be up to their necks in lavender for it to actually put them out. The max I used on the largest bird was 5 drops in a bit of carrier oil and still, just drowsy. It was the Young Living brand so def a therapeutic grade and not cheap.

 

[Neuport]

Deerfield - How long had your chicken been dead? If dead long that might make things more difficult.

Also, you should be able to press the loop down around the testicle and slide the outer tube down This will cause the loop to gather the connective tissue under the testicle as you tighten it. That worked with both the young and old EE's I've done.

I picked up an 8 week old White Leghorn today that I plan to do tomorrow evening. He is well developed and crowing already. I'll try to get some pictures and possibly video of what I mean.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Deerfield - How long had your chicken been dead? If dead long that might make things more difficult.

Also, you should be able to press the loop down around the testicle and slide the outer tube down This will cause the loop to gather the connective tissue under the testicle as you tighten it. That worked with both the young and old EE's I've done.

I picked up an 8 week old White Leghorn today that I plan to do tomorrow evening. He is well developed and crowing already. I'll try to get some pictures and possibly video of what I mean.

Freshly dead.

I tried a couple times to pull it over the right hand side, tighten and pull to the left and I could tell the connective tissue was gathering under but thought it was going to burst the teste, so I stopped and tried pulling the sides loose with the forceps, whereupon I burst the teste. Next time I will continue on.

I'm so glad you're going to do the White Leghorn and one at the same age I'm planning to do the Rocks. Please show what works well for securing the bird also. For some reason that makes me even more nervous now that I know how rowdy these birds even "under the influence".

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Keep trying @Deerfield Acres . I admire those of you that give this a shot without the hands on instruction!

Congrats @dfr1973

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Big thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement!!!