How to caponize a rooster Warning Graphic pics

[Tiffrz-N-Kidz]

@PineappleMama -

I am betting that AC would have to consider them "NOT roosters".

Many barns prohibit stallions, but allow geldings.

I am thinking that the situation is similar and there is definitely an argument to be made that capons are very different from roosters.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I don't think that you could rely on caponizing as a certain way to prevent the males from crowing. Perhaps if you did it early enough, and were able to remove every bit of the tissue, the birds would grow up and not crow. These guys that I caponized did eventually develop a crow. Although some of them sounded like strangled loons.

But I don't know why you'd want to keep a capon around if you weren't raising him for the table. He wouldn't contribute much to the flock or your household except to be an ornament. He'd need to eat a lot and would poop a lot and need his share of shelter, and wouldn't give back much of anything a chicken should do. I'd rather have a really pretty hen in his place instead.

 

[Kassaundra]

I agree when I caponize it will be for meat, but a lot of people on this site seem to have chicken pets. If someone wanted a very pretty pet chicken possibly for their child (or selves even) I can see the draw to caponizing for tempermant.

 

[Tiffrz-N-Kidz]

I am planning to caponize for meat birds, too.

Male chicks are basically useless to the average hatchery, so they are dirt cheap. Some places just toss them in a grinder. I am hoping to find a way to halt (or maybe just slow down) the 'waste' of these little guys.

If the crowing were kept to a minimum, more backyard flock keepers could raise them for their tables.

 

[Erica]

In case it adds more information, this is a complete how-to from my old 1940s poultry husbandry manual (which is very thorough, if a little dated). Apologies if the photos are a bit small and hard to read.

In answer to one of the questions in the middle of this thread, my assumption (never having done it) is that cutting between the ribs instead of behind them allows the rib bones to act as a brace keeping the skin and muscle wall away from the intestines while cutting.

regards
Erica

Edit: In the second page of the how-to, it's hard to read how big the incision is from my photo. Apologies for that. The proper length for the incision is 1 and 1/4 inches.

 

[mame1616]

Quote:
Great article! What's the name/author of the book?

 

[Erica]

Leonard Robinson, Modern Poultry Husbandry, published by Crosby Lockwood & Son Ltd, London, 1948, pages 330-331.

 

[mame1616]

Quote:
Thanks! I'll look for it.

 

[xoxocammyxoxo]

Could someone post some better, unblurred photos of the procedure. Sorry I'm blind.

 

[Tiffrz-N-Kidz]

I will post some when I do mine in about a month.