The development of the Cornish X, while a HUGE success in the meat production area, has created a situation that is (to me) untenable. That is the treatment of the male chicks of DP or egglaying breeds that are hatched in hatcheries. These little animals are immediately deemed useless by the almighty dollar seeking corporations and are discarded in trash cans or stuffed alive into grinders. Now, I have no problems with corporations seeking to make a profit, I am all for that. But IMHO, this profit should not come at the expense of blatant animal cruelty. We the people have become so removed from our food supply that most Americans only give this a passing cringe.
If that is not bad enough, at the other end of the food chain, the local food banks are PLEADING for donations of food to cover the ever increasing demand from a hungry population that has come about as a result of the bad spell in the economy. I hope that I am not the only one that sees the irony of this situation. For my small part I have decided to do something about it. Why not take the 'useless' little roos, caponize them so that they grow as fat and meaty as possible, and let urban and suburban flockowners raise them for their tables?
Seems to me like a match made in heaven. The supply is readily available. The initial cost is negligible. The surgery is simple enough that (with practice) farmers wives used to do it on a regular basis. The ban on roosters would not impact capons, so anyone allowed chickens could raise them. They don't fight so special accommodations are not necessary. They don't require special diets or monitoring like the CX do. And small flock owners would not have to decide whether or not to eat a perfectly good egg laying hen once their chickens reach 20 weeks. Capons are meant for one thing and one thing only. To get et. (Some will sit and brood as well, I have heard, leaving the egg layers free to keep laying. BONUS!)
Stepping off my soap-box now. So, here we go. After reading everything on this site and most of what's available on the internet, I have decided to give caponizing a try. I have ordered 100 surplus male chicks from a hatchery as my little guinea pigs. I will be weighing and keeping records of costs, successes and losses, all in the interest of furthering the revival of this lost art.
I know some people think I am wasting my time, but that's OK.
It gives me something to do that MAY be useful to others. Any productive input would be welcome.
Edited to add: This thread has been well monitored by the moderators. Please know in advance that any negative posts will be deleted:
Folks this has been cleaned again. Keep it on topic, and this is not the place for you to push your feeling on the practice of neutering any creature, including chickens, or surgery in general. This thread is for information sharing on a trial by one member of one husbandry practice. RELATED experience or contrasting experience may be shared for greater clarity.
If that is not bad enough, at the other end of the food chain, the local food banks are PLEADING for donations of food to cover the ever increasing demand from a hungry population that has come about as a result of the bad spell in the economy. I hope that I am not the only one that sees the irony of this situation. For my small part I have decided to do something about it. Why not take the 'useless' little roos, caponize them so that they grow as fat and meaty as possible, and let urban and suburban flockowners raise them for their tables?
Seems to me like a match made in heaven. The supply is readily available. The initial cost is negligible. The surgery is simple enough that (with practice) farmers wives used to do it on a regular basis. The ban on roosters would not impact capons, so anyone allowed chickens could raise them. They don't fight so special accommodations are not necessary. They don't require special diets or monitoring like the CX do. And small flock owners would not have to decide whether or not to eat a perfectly good egg laying hen once their chickens reach 20 weeks. Capons are meant for one thing and one thing only. To get et. (Some will sit and brood as well, I have heard, leaving the egg layers free to keep laying. BONUS!)
Stepping off my soap-box now. So, here we go. After reading everything on this site and most of what's available on the internet, I have decided to give caponizing a try. I have ordered 100 surplus male chicks from a hatchery as my little guinea pigs. I will be weighing and keeping records of costs, successes and losses, all in the interest of furthering the revival of this lost art.
I know some people think I am wasting my time, but that's OK.
Edited to add: This thread has been well monitored by the moderators. Please know in advance that any negative posts will be deleted:
Folks this has been cleaned again. Keep it on topic, and this is not the place for you to push your feeling on the practice of neutering any creature, including chickens, or surgery in general. This thread is for information sharing on a trial by one member of one husbandry practice. RELATED experience or contrasting experience may be shared for greater clarity.
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