GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[Squamate Farmer]

Well I successfully caponized a another male today.

Congrats!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I have three boys ready for caponizing tomorrow. I also plan to process my first capon tomorrow for Sunday dinner! I will post with the results, I can't wait!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

I have three boys ready for caponizing tomorrow. I also plan to process my first capon tomorrow for Sunday dinner! I will post with the results, I can't wait!

 

[Neuport]

I look forward to the Sunday dinner review. Am curious to know the breed, age at caponizing, age at processing, what type of growth feed, and finishing feed, if any, you used. I just have the 3 capons so far and they are on the same grower feed with the layer flock right now.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Well this weather put a damper on my plans. My husband is going to clear out a spot in the garage for me to process him and I will do the 9 week olds here in a bit. I caponize inside anyway so that isn't an issue.

The fellow I plan to process is a Buff Brahma/White Rock mix. He is from September hatch and was caponized in Oct at Poco's Clinic. He was my first succesful capon. My capons are in with my main layer flock so they eat the all purpose layer that I get at my local feed store. He got big fast, by 4 months he was at the size he is now. I can't wait to see how he maintains the tenderness that capons are know for. I also have a younger capon (5 months) that is full sized that I may go ahead and do if I have time.

 

[Neuport]

Cool, thanks for the details and keep us posted.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Sounds good, tarabellabirds.

My birds will be 7 weeks old on the 18th and I'm planning to do a few at that time and more on the weekend when all the kids are out of school and can watch/assist. That is, those that are interested. I'm looking forward to a much calmer group of birds.

 

[LindaB220]

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".

Just saw this post. I have white rocks. Not hatchery kind that have mixed in leghorn genes. They are so docile and sort of siddel out of the way when I'm around. NO Drama. I have 21 babies. Most are a black australorp with some white rocks and a mixture of a hatchery Barred rock and my good White rocks. I have another 30+ whites and barrs in the 'bator now. I'm going to do some more reading on this again. It's the first time I
ve every had males that are young. I did have 11 males last year that were Sapphires CCL X leghorn. Wild as they come. Wouldn't waste my time trying on anything leghorn. I'm too untried. ha!!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Quote: I hear that! I'm too untried as well, but I have what I have so I'll just have to soldier on. Besides, it should be very easy once I get past 50 wild birds, shouldn't it? I certainly won't be untried once I'm finished with them!

My patience, especially! I planned to learn on my Buff Sussex birds (not hatchery) who are so laid back they are barely breathing, but their hatch was infertile due to their fluffy backsides, so I went to Plan B, (buying hatchery) rather than wait patiently for another hatch. That's how I got myself into this predicament.

Impatience.

I'm so happy Neuport survived caponizing a White Leghorn, on both sides no less, and lived to tell about it. Gives me hope! Thanks for the support Neuport, it really made a difference in how I feel about tackling the job. I think half the battle is telling yourself you can do something and then not looking back.

 

[Neuport]

Educate yourself as well as possible, prepare your equipment, and proceed with confidence. It sounds like that is how most of us have learned.

I'm 5 for 5 after today and all doing well. No crowing and pleasant to be around.

I am still tweaking the snare. I'm happy with the Weitlaner retractor.