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Show ! Oaponizing Cockerels W' OL'LD like come advice on caponi7.ini roosters. I often see Items about it It. I your paper, and would like to know where I could get the set of Instrument and how it is done. 1 see you answer ejucstlons In the 1 poultry department of your magazine. I have j !cen a nadir of jour paper for many yearn and like it very much A Subscriber. Capon.-: bear the same relation to poultry poul-try a.T steers do to cattle, barrows to hogs and wethers to :h-p. Capons are very different from cockerels; they do not crow, are more (-low of nctb.n and readily take on llcsh. The tomb and wattles cease to grow, which assists in detecting them on th market. Capons bring much more on the market than roosters. Oaponizing Is necessarily neces-sarily delicate, is arc u'l surgical opera-, tion?, and a beginner usually makes many mistakes and Kills no small number of birds before hc-conlng proficient. It does not pay to eaponize small fowls, ns size is desired In capons. Li rah ma v. Cochins, Plymouth Hocks. I.;in-s!i.ins and i-thcr large and medium largw birds are recommended for the purpose. Yellow skin and. legs are desirable features. I V.nh', crossed with Indian dames have much breast, rm-at a tiling desired. Operate when cocker Is arc about 3 to 4 months old. Do not operate on any over 6 months of age. Hatch roekereln In early spring and capou-Izi, capou-Izi, in June. July or August; fatten ten months and put on Ho- market In March. Th' Instruments can be purchased from any hrm dealing in such .supplies, and ai: advertisement can bo found In any magazine maga-zine devoted exclusively to poultry. The operation op-eration is simple. It consists In making silt one and one-half im lies between the last two ribs. Jii t in front of the thigh. Of couise the feathers are removed before the slit is made, The Incision made, the Intestines ar expo.-ed to view, the membrane Is torn and the Intestines arc pushed aside. The testicles testi-cles arc then 'exposed to view, and' arc removed re-moved according to the directions given with the Instrument purchased. Lie careful not to cut the 'artery just back of the testicles. testi-cles. Uetnovo the lower testicle first. In order or-der that the blood will not Interfere with the removal of the upper one. Remove. all clots and foreign matter with absorbent cotton after the operation. If only one testicle is removed a "slip" results, which Is little better bet-ter than a cockerel. No roosU are provided capons after the operation until the wound is healed. Oivc sweet milk., water and soft feeds. Prick the skin near the wound if It puffs up after the operation. Corn given at the ust stage of fattening adds 'much to the j looks of the birds. The tall feathers, thoso on the neclc and a few, on the legs ehould be left on, fo the capons may be distinguished distin-guished on the market as such Killing and dressing Is dono In much tho same way as In ordinary poultry. As to the profits, it Is a difficult matter; to give any definite answer. It all depends on the market. The eastern markets New York. Philadelphia and lios-Uai lios-Uai quote capons In shipping season ( January, Janu-ary, February and March) considerably higher high-er than prices obtained for other poultry. Corn belt cities have not established a highlj developed "tHste" for capon flesh, and most Of the producers send their produce east, although al-though express charges cut dow n the profits. It pays well to caponlz cockerels when It Is. done with care. You may expect b do sormi wholesale killing befoie becoming an expert capemlzer. Editor Farm Page lirming is always Interesting to tho'i who regard it as a manufacturing proposition. |
