Will a capon take care of my girls?

[Neilette]

Will a capon still take care of his ladies? Or are all of the rooster-instincts stunted into oblivion?

I'm considering caponizing my little roo sos I can keep him, but if he's going to free-load I want him to still do his roosterly duties: chase predators (just keep the crows at bay), keep the peace within the flock, and care for the ladies.

I'd appreciate your feedback!

 

[SpringChickens]

No idea, but thought I'd give you a bump!

I would guess "no". Testosterone is what gives the boys the drive to protect... if you take away his testosterone, he doesn't have that anymore.

Most geldings won't try to herd mares, but a stallion sure will. Same thing with steers and bulls.

Good luck!

 

[Mervin]

I don't have any personal experience, but I did read quite a bit about capons. There is a hatchery near me that still produces them. Anyway, my understanding is that it would not continue to perform perform the protective detail that a rooster should. One article I've read said that capons, in some cases, can be used to rear (not hatch) chicks. Apparently they make dutiful mother hens.

 

[dacjohns]

Why do you have to caponize him so you can keep him?

 

[sourland]

I don't think so. It's all about the testosterone. Only had one experience around capons, and they were pullet like in their actions. Caponnizing turns them into "girly boys."

 

[Ga.chickenman]

 

[Neilette]

Quote:
I guess I'm guilty of assuming that everybody lives like me.

In the city, crowing roosters are forbidden!

Thanks for the feedback, all! Wishful thinking, I suppose.

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
I guess I'm guilty of assuming that everybody lives like me.

In the city, crowing roosters are forbidden!

Thanks for the feedback, all! Wishful thinking, I suppose.

So a capon doesn't/can't/won't crow?

 

[gryeyes]

It's my understanding the original purpose of caponizing a rooster was to fatten up a rooster for meat - making the meat very tender - whilst not diluting the breeding stock (the capon wouldn't mate).

 

[Mervin]

Quote:
I guess I'm guilty of assuming that everybody lives like me.

In the city, crowing roosters are forbidden!

Thanks for the feedback, all! Wishful thinking, I suppose.

So a capon doesn't/can't/won't crow?

Apparently some can. It seems like maybe it depends on the breed of the capon and perhaps how "well" he was caponized. I have heard that "slips" do occur fairly often although I don't have any experience myself. I found a very interesting article from 1916 in The Journal of Animal Behavior (Volume 6, 1916) by H D Goodale regarding a study of capon behavior. While the results were somewhat inconclusive, it seemed that heavy-breed capons were perhaps better brooders. Although the study was be no mean exhaustive, it does have some interesting insights on some of the questions being asked in this thread.

Capon Behavior