Show off your roosters

[TheTwoRoos]

If I could have more roosters,I would....

 

[QueenMisha]

I took the opportunity to take more pictures of my other roos today!

This little guy is Hilbert. He's a little pest, who instead of going out and eating with the rest of the birds, pecks at my leg until I pick him up and put him in the feed trashcan to eat by himself.

And this is Francis Dolarhyde! The only rooster of my "Hannibal" crew of EEs.

This here is The Doctor, my Summie boy.

My BlueCM cockerel - he's not named, but I'll be using him alongside Francis over a bunch of EE hens this coming spring.

Not actually a rooster, but a capon. And a shame too! I have a breeding project I needed a bird like him for; problem is, I only came up with the concept for the project after I caponized him... oops.

One of my (hatchery) Dark Cornish boys. I have two of them caponed and the other three unaltered, and I can't really tell which is which - I left them unbanded to see if they would be noticeably different when grown. So this could really be a rooster or a capon.

My two oldest SussexxRock sex link capons. They are growing out beautifully, and I can't wait for their younger brothers to get as big and handsome as them.

Dean Winchester (big) - he was supposed to be a capon but SOMEBODY (me) apparently missed something during the operation, so he's taken to crowing and mating lately. Admittedly it's not the worst thing to happen - he has some interesting genetics. 1/2 EE, 1/4 Jersey Giant, 1/4 show quality True Ameraucana).

Sam Winchester - fellow capon of Dean, but his operation seems to have been done fully.

Elvis, Polish x Naked Neck who I got from a friend as a "pullet". Hmm.

And the five boys living under my porch: Crele, Buff, Cochin Mutt 1, Cochin Mutt 2, and Fox Bait

 

[TheTwoRoos]

What exactly is Capon?

 

[Miss Lydia]

What exactly is Capon?

and what is the purpose?

 

[enola]

If you caponize a young rooster he will make a much better meat bird. Or he will be a non-crowing non-mating male chicken that you can keep in a flock if you are not allowed to have roosters.

 

[QueenMisha]

What exactly is  Capon?

A capon is a castrated rooster. It's a pretty rare operation today, although it was extremely popular in the early-mid 1900s. I taught myself to perform the procedure via online guides earlier this year.

  and what is the purpose?

Originally is was to make good meat birds of cockerels. A capon does not get tough or gamey like a rooster, and it develops a good layer of fat. Basically, it makes it taste like a hen, while growing even larger than a unaltered rooster. It can also be used for those who want to keep a rooster for their beautiful appearance but do not want a crowing, mating, potentially aggressive bird in their flock.

 

[Miss Lydia]

A capon is a castrated rooster. It's a pretty rare operation today, although it was extremely popular in the early-mid 1900s. I taught myself to perform the procedure via online guides earlier this year.
Originally is was to make good meat birds of cockerels. A capon does not get tough or gamey like a rooster, and it develops a good layer of fat. Basically, it makes it taste like a hen, while growing even larger than a unaltered rooster. It can also be used for those who want to keep a rooster for their beautiful appearance but do not want a crowing, mating, potentially aggressive bird in their flock.

Very interesting have you ever lost a bird from doing this procedure and seems to me it would be painful for the bird. Do you do this for all the reasons you stated.

 

[QueenMisha]

Very interesting have you ever lost a bird from doing this procedure and seems to me it would be painful for the bird. Do you do this for all the reasons you stated.

I have lost one on the table and one a few weeks after the procedure. This is about 2 of the 18 or so that I have done. 4 or 5 of those 18ish have also been slips, which of course survived but where not true capons.

It is somewhat painful but it is also quick. The incision itself is only about 1 inch long; one incision on each side. They make more fuss about having the pluck the feathers from the 2' around the area than the surgery itself. As far as I can tell the only pain they feel is during the plucking and the initial cut; they don't really react to any of the internal stimuli.

I mostly caponize for the meat qualities and to prevent overmating in my hens as the birds grow. My family doesn't like rooster meat so capons will be much more useful. I also have a few ornamental capons. The procedure itself is unpleasant for both myself and the birds but it is bearable and the birds are fully recovered without a scratch in about two weeks time. It has been a very useful method of keeping my cockerel population in check.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have lost one on the table and one a few weeks after the procedure. This is about 2 of the 18 or so that I have done. 4 or 5 of those 18ish have also been slips, which of course survived but where not true capons.

It is somewhat painful but it is also quick. The incision itself is only about 1 inch long; one incision on each side. They make more fuss about having the pluck the feathers from the 2' around the area than the surgery itself. As far as I can tell the only pain they feel is during the plucking and the initial cut; they don't really react to any of the internal stimuli.

I mostly caponize for the meat qualities and to prevent overmating in my hens as the birds grow. My family doesn't like rooster meat so capons will be much more useful. I also have a few ornamental capons. The procedure itself is unpleasant for both myself and the birds but it is bearable and the birds are fully recovered without a scratch in about two weeks time. It has been a very useful method of keeping my cockerel population in check.

I just read your sig. that is alot of birds. Thanks for all the info. What is the Poultry Palace?

 

[QueenMisha]

I just read your sig. that is alot of birds. Thanks for all the info. What is the Poultry Palace? 

I like to call it a poultry specialty store; my boss's slogan is "One-Stop Chicken Shop." We retail things like chicken feed and supplies out of the storefront and we have pens with a few breeders and lots of started pullets around back. It's a very fun place to work. I actually get paid for handling and taming the birds, now ain't that the dream. Granted there is plenty of heavy lifting and hard work to be done but it's quite worth it.

If you're ever out here in Nor. California you're welcome to visit us!