124 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



and on the whole this works satisfactorily. Of 

 course complaints are frequently made, but it 

 must be recognised that salesmen can frequently 

 obtain better prices from poulterers than could 

 the fatters themselves, by reason of the fact that 

 they grade the birds in accordance with the 

 requirements of buyers, which would scarcely 

 be possible as a general rule amongst the fatters. 

 This is a point, however, which it is beyond my 

 province to discuss. 



" Both at home and abroad large numbers 

 of fowls are sold under the name of capons, and 

 these command the highest prices. In France 

 we see quoted capons and poulardes,but the latter 

 term is not met with in our own country. It is 



necessary, before saying anything as 

 Capons. to the system, to consider what these 



terms really mean. The system of 

 caponising, that is, destroying the reproductive 

 faculty, has been carried out for several centuries, 

 and, so far as evidence is obtainable, was prac- 

 tised to a considerable extent two or three cen- 

 turies ago, but it must be recognised that the 

 word has now largely lost its old meaning. 

 What are called Surrey capons have not, as a 

 rule, undergone the operation, but are simply 

 large and more fully grown birds, distinct from 

 what are called chickens. Although some doubt 

 has been thrown upon the statement, there is no 

 question that large numbers of cockerels are 

 caponised in France, but probably not to the 

 same extent as was formerly the case. In 

 America it would appear that of late years the 

 practice has increased, but I am inclined to think 

 that everywhere only a small proportion of the 

 dead fowls which go under this name, either at 

 home or abroad, can legitimately be designated 

 as capons. The term poularde has no real 

 meaning. At one time it would appear that in 

 France it was customary Xn a limited extent to 

 destroy the ovaries of pullets, with the same 

 object in view, but I have been unable to find 

 that this is now practised at all. Speaking 

 generally, we may therefore assume that all 

 large, well-grown fowls of either sex, when 

 given the designation mentioned, are chiefly 

 matured specimens, and that these names are 

 used in the same way as is mutton in contra- 

 distinction to lamb, to indicate the age of the 

 animal from which it is obtained. The value 

 of caponising, however, we cannot ignore. All 

 the evidence to be obtained goes to show that 

 the effect of the operation is a beneficial one 

 so far as the quality of meat is concerned, and 

 fowls treated in this manner retain the tender- 

 ness of chickens for a much longer period than 

 would be the case under natural conditions. 

 But there is a further advantage, especially in 



the case of cockerels. Everyone who has had 

 any experience with the rearing of fowls in 

 large numbers knows the difficulties arising 

 in keeping cockerels, and upon that ground 

 alone there would be sufficient justification for 

 the adoption of this system. Where oper- 

 ations are upon a smaller scale, and especially 

 in establishments where enclosed runs are em- 

 ployed, it is not at all difficult to keep the 

 cockerels altogether apart from the hens and 

 pullets. This, however, is not so upon farms, 

 where the birds have liberty, and many com- 

 plaints have been made as to the trouble arising 

 in this way. The principle is one that is re- 

 cognised in the case of larger stock. It would 

 be an impossible thing to keep a considerable 

 number of young bulls upon a farm, and hence 

 they are castrated at an early age. Whether 

 the process is a paying one must depend upon 

 many things, chiefly whether demand can be 

 obtained for large birds in the autumn months 

 of the year, at prices giving an adequate return 

 for the food and labour expended in keeping 

 them right through the summer. 



" Caponising is of no use whatever for 

 chickens, and should be only employed when it 

 is intended to keep the birds until they are 

 eight or ten months old before killing. A 

 chicken would be in fit condition for fattening 

 about the time when the operation should take 

 place. The effect of this operation is to retard 

 the growth, but at the same time to prolong it ; 

 and although some experiments have been made 

 in America at the Rhode Island Experiment 

 Station which did not warrant the statement 

 that capons ultimately make larger birds during 

 the first year, there is ample evidence on the 

 other side. In France there is a very large sale 

 for birds immediately before the beginning of 

 Lent, as Shrove Tuesday takes the place of 

 our Christmas feast to some extent. For that 

 festival fowls are in considerable demand, and, 

 as these must be nearly twelve months old, it 

 is found that the capons make much the finer 

 birds, larger in size and better in meat qualities. 

 Many people imagine that young birds may be 

 caponised and marketed within a few weeks. 

 This is an absolute mistake, and it will be found 

 that such capons would be less profitable than if 

 fed and sold off as cockerels. There can be no 

 question that the operation is one which requires 

 skill and care, but the amount of pain is very 

 small, and, as a rule, birds suffer a comparatively 

 small amount of inconvenience. In the La 

 Bresse district of France, at certain seasons of 

 the year people — chiefly women — go round to 

 the various farms and undertake the work of 

 caponising at so much a bird, usually, I believe, 



