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PhoredaBurds said:
It must be Broody season
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. 2 of my girls are trying to go broody. As I lift them off their nests & attempt to dc their plans they let me know in no uncertain terms how displeased they r with my efforts. It's just a matter of time before I break down & give them eggs to hatch. They are both spitzhaubens, not known to go broody. I have no idea what kind of mothers they will be. I wonder if moving started chicks into the chx house recently has flipped a switch in the older girls.
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On the other end of the spectrum, I caponized a few cockrels on Saturday. It's a little tricky, but I was amazed how quickly the little boys shake it off, eating & drinking & scratching right away. I have a few more cued up for the snip-snip today, but am feeling a little chicken
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Click to expand...

I'm really interested in learning to caponize - is it very difficult??
 
boskelli1571 said:
I'm really interested in learning to caponize - is it very difficult??
Click to expand...


elieugene6 said:
Quote:
I caponized several batches of roosters in 2013 - wasn't too bad, considering I don't do well with blood (unless I'm processing, then I'm fine). Even when I made mistakes that I thought would be fatal, they pulled trough! But, the hardest part was actually being able to get the "sperm sack" out without breaking it. Because I had several break, I ended with mostly slips, even though most "seemed" to be like capons. When I later processed them, I found at least part of a sack left. There was one or two that were full capons, and they had more meat, plus a little fat on them - and that's with not feeding them a "broiler ration". I kept a few over the winter, as they were too young/small in the fall to process. Once they were 9+ months old, they started chasing hens, and later hatched chicks that looked to be the offspring of those "slips" ! They ended up going to a neighboring farm for "bug control", but they didn't lock up their coop at night & they got killed by predators.
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Didn't have time to caponize any in 2014, due to moving. Haven't caponized any this year, but I have quite a few that I could "refresh my memory with".
I'd be willing to do a demo at Chickenstock, but I'd first want to practice again, and not sure if I'll have the time this week with all the other projects.
Click to expand...
 
myfivegirls said:
I caponized several batches of roosters in 2013 - wasn't too bad, considering I don't do well with blood (unless I'm processing, then I'm fine). Even when I made mistakes that I thought would be fatal, they pulled trough! But, the hardest part was actually being able to get the "sperm sack" out without breaking it. Because I had several break, I ended with mostly slips, even though most "seemed" to be like capons. When I later processed them, I found at least part of a sack left. There was one or two that were full capons, and they had more meat, plus a little fat on them - and that's with not feeding them a "broiler ration". I kept a few over the winter, as they were too young/small in the fall to process. Once they were 9+ months old, they started chasing hens, and later hatched chicks that looked to be the offspring of those "slips" ! They ended up going to a neighboring farm for "bug control", but they didn't lock up their coop at night & they got killed by predators.
sad.png


Didn't have time to caponize any in 2014, due to moving. Haven't caponized any this year, but I have quite a few that I could "refresh my memory with".
I'd be willing to do a demo at Chickenstock, but I'd first want to practice again, and not sure if I'll have the time this week with all the other projects.
Click to expand...

That would be fabulous if you can find the time!!
fl.gif
 
Hi Saratoga area BYC'ers! I am your soon to be new neighbor!! We are a military family that are packing up and heading over to Ballston Spa, from Salem CT, sometime in July (in theory anyway, lol!).

I've been looking at the zoning maps for both Ballston Spa and Milton and am trying to figure out if we will be able to bring our small flock of (aging) pet laying hens but am not seeing anything helpful. The house my husband has been renting since he got there (in January) is technically in the Village which, unfortunately, isn't covered on either map.

Does anyone know if there are zoning restrictions on poultry over near the fairgrounds? The house is on Crestline Drive, if that helps.

Hubby has been doing some of the footwork for me. His roomate (who owns the house but will be moving out soon) "doesn't care" if we bring them with us and so far all of the neighbors he has spoken with (and given eggs to!) have been receptive to the idea. I just want to be sure of the official rules before I get my hopes up about moving them with us.

Thanks!!!
 
myfivegirls said:
I caponized several batches of roosters in 2013 - wasn't too bad, considering I don't do well with blood (unless I'm processing, then I'm fine). Even when I made mistakes that I thought would be fatal, they pulled trough! But, the hardest part was actually being able to get the "sperm sack" out without breaking it. Because I had several break, I ended with mostly slips, even though most "seemed" to be like capons. When I later processed them, I found at least part of a sack left. There was one or two that were full capons, and they had more meat, plus a little fat on them - and that's with not feeding them a "broiler ration". I kept a few over the winter, as they were too young/small in the fall to process. Once they were 9+ months old, they started chasing hens, and later hatched chicks that looked to be the offspring of those "slips" ! They ended up going to a neighboring farm for "bug control", but they didn't lock up their coop at night & they got killed by predators. :(

Didn't have time to caponize any in 2014, due to moving. Haven't caponized any this year, but I have quite a few that I could "refresh my memory with". 
I'd be willing to do a demo at Chickenstock, but I'd first want to practice again, and not sure if I'll have the time this week with all the other projects. 
Click to expand...


It is amazing how resilient those little cockrels are. And how tough it is to pull the testicles whole. I'm finding that adjusting my tools with each bird that it's gotten easier to pull them out whole. This is my first year caponizing, so it will be interesting to see which ones are successful and which ones are "slips".
 

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