Has anyone ever had a roo "caponized"?

[chickensioux]

Just wondering if anyone has ever had this done or is it just too risky for the roo?

 

[patandchickens]

There are quite a lot of threads on caponizing, some quite interesting to read, try 'search'ing.

Mostly the problem sort of boils down to, it is not usually feasible to have a vet do the operation (most just won't, period, and if they did it would be fairly expensive, into the many hundreds of dollars) and it is pretty risky to DIY as a once-off on a pet. If you could find an old-timer well practised in caponizing, it would be less risky, but such folks are no longer abundant.

And apparently most capons still crow, if that's what you were hoping to avoid. Mostly what you would get out of it, assuming the chicken survived (it's major abdominal surgery, since the testes are up in there near the kidneys), is a large *heavyweight* bird that could not fertilize hens. Worth it, perhaps, if you want a 12 lb roaster; maybe not so much if it is just a pet.

But, read some of the other threads, there is good info there.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[cassie]

Caponizing is done when the rooster is quite young. I looked it up in my old poultry book and it says to caponize between two and four weeks of age. After that the testicles are too large and there is too much risk to the chicken. I think the only way a capon would crow is if it was caponized after it was mature enough to crow, and that would be a difficult and risky surgery. Capons will sometimes brood chicks.

 

[deb1]

There are some great threads on this.

I think that caponization has its pros and cons.

pros: many roosters are killed as chicks because they are unwanted. Caponization might save their lives. The meat is supposed to be more tender and you can eat it when the bird is a bit older then with the Cornish XS. Also, some people, for whatever reasons, dislike Cornish XS.

Cons: the learning curve might be steep and you could cause the death of a few chicks. Infection could set in and the chick have to be put down anyway. Plus, some people see this as animal cruelty. Not everyone will be supportive of you doing this.

Personally, I would love to watch someone caponize a rooster just so that I can make a judgment for myself.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Someone made a post showing how to caponize a roo not too long ago....search the BYC search and maybe you will find it.

 

[Akane]

I do think it would be kind of questionable when it comes to animal cruelty. Although some livestock are still sterilized by surgery and without any pain killers. Think about doing surgery on a dog or cat though without anesthesia or pain killers.... Most would consider that cruel. A good majority will still find it cruel to do horses or other large livestock that way. Anesthesia is the biggest cost of neutering pets so if you do agree it's not right to do it without then the cost makes it not worth it to nearly everyone.

 

[deb1]

Here is a thread with pictures. I would still rather be physically present while this was going on.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=210041

 

[deb1]

Quote:
This is one of my qualms and why I want to actually view this being done, not just in pictures, but actually watch as another person did this.

I just feel odd going up to strange chicken farmers asking if they know how to take the testes out of a rooster.

 

[chickensioux]

I was just wondering. Mine is too old now (16 wks) and I would fear the risks. Although I am a Vet tech. I would not consider doing it myself. I called my vet and he would not do it. So I will keep him intact. I love him too much to risk anything.