NOTES 



NOTE ON THE BEHAVIOR OF CAPONS WHEN 

 BROODING CHICKS 



H. D. GOODALE 



Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station 



References to the brooding of chicks by capons are often 

 found in the literature but descriptions of their behavior do not 

 seem to be on record. During the past season five tests with 

 capons have been made. Two of the capons used were Rhode 

 Island Reds, a race in which the females are very much inclined 

 to broodiness and make excellent mothers, while three were 

 Brown Leghorns, a race the females of which rarely become 

 broody. The chicks used have all been Rhode Island Reds. 

 They readily accept the capon as a foster-parent. Much of the 

 success of the experiments is due to the excellent care given 

 the birds by the foreman of the poultry yards, Mr. John Sayer. 



First instance. — This capon was a Rhode Island Red hatched 

 in April, 1913, and caponized in late July in the usual commer- 

 cial manner by an expert caponizer. He had all the usual 

 characteristics of his kind. The chicks were four in number, 

 hen-hatched and also brooded by the hen for the first two or 

 three days of their lives. The capon was placed in a coop on 

 the night of May 20, 1914, and two of the chicks placed beneath 

 him. He accepted them without trouble and hovered them 

 from the start. The remainder of the chicks were given to him 

 the next morning. During the day he was taken a little dis- 

 tance from the coop, leaving the chicks behind. On being re- 

 leased, he returned at once to his charges. The capon and his 

 flock were then removed from the coop and given the run of 

 a large yard. The chicks followed the capon about, who clucked 

 to them occasionally in an imperfect way as though he did not 

 quite know how to do it, and found bits of food for them. Al- 

 though somewhat disturbed when approached, he did not ruffle 

 up his feathers and spread his wings as a hen would do, but 



