Roo/capon questions

[beakkeeper]

So... what do the powers that be say about caponizing? Is it primarily for meat purposes? Or just for people that don't want a full-fledged roo? How do you avoid having all your eggs fertilized if you have say one roo and 5 hens? Do you sell chicks that aren't purebred? Any ideas? Edited to add: when do you caponize? How do you do it?

 

[reeve]

Quote:
You will need to isolate the roo from the hens- i.e. put him in a different pen, and clip his wings!

 

[yoker]

Caponizing is a good sized oparation.
I good book on caponizing is Storey's Guide to raising chickens
You sould do it at 6-8 weeks of age.
two keep only a few eggs firtilized you could separate 1 hen with the Rooster.
but you can eat eggs that are fertilized.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Caponizing was done in the past to produce heavier, more tender meat birds. Then the Cornish X was developed, and it's seldom done anymore, from what I've been reading. Those who want big fat tender birds just raise Cornish X's.

Why do you want to avoid having fertilized eggs? If you don't want fertile eggs, you could just not keep a roo. Hens will lay anyway. Fertile eggs won't develop or hatch unless brooded or incubated, so if that's your concern, forget it. It's not really a problem. If you only have 5 hens, you'll know if one gets broody, and they seldom do that in the winter. Just spring and summer, if you have a broody-type breed.

Some people do sell mixed breed chicks, there are folks who just want a few chickens running around, and don't care what kind they are.