CAPONS AND CAPONISING. 



about 20 centimes. When skilfully carried out 

 the loss by death is very small, and I have 

 known those who did not lose more than 2 per 

 cent, in this way. Taking all things into con- 

 sideration, it must be acknowledged, however, 

 that the chief value of caponising is found in the 

 ability to retain male birds for killing in the 

 autumn without keeping them in confinement. 

 The gain in weight probably does not make any 

 great difference so far as actual profit is con- 

 cerned. 



" The period at which the birds shall be 

 operated upon will depend upon the breed, as 

 some mature much earlier than do others. 

 A few breeds, such as the non-sitting varieties, 



which are rapid in growth, should 

 Caponising. be operated upon when about ten 



weeks old, but others of the slower 

 developing breeds will not be ready until six 

 weeks later. The best guide is when the comb 

 just begins to spring, showing that the organs 

 are coming into activity. It is usually the case 

 that cockerels commence to crow at this period, 

 and this also may be taken as an indication of 

 the right time for caponising having arrived. 

 When selected, the bird should be kept without 

 food for about thirty-six hours, in order that the 

 intestines may be entirely emptied. A proper 

 set of instruments should always be used, 

 which can be purchased from such firms as 

 Spratt's Patent at los. 6d. the case. These 

 instruments include a knife, a pair of spreaders 

 for the purpose of holding open the cut, and a 

 pair of grippers by which the organs are seized 

 and wrested from their connections. For this 

 work it is desirable to have a good firm table, 

 or if a barrel is placed end upwards and a 

 square board laid on top, it answers the pur- 

 pose excellently. The table or barrel should be 

 placed where there is a good light, otherwise, 

 when the cut is made, we cannot see the position 

 of the organs very easily. An American writer 

 recommends placing a small mirror on the fore- 

 head, and states that by this means he can 

 operate even upon a dull day, but I am inclined 

 to think that this is an exaggeration. Two 

 pieces of soft cord about 3 ft. in length, and 

 also a couple of half-bricks as weights, a sponge, 

 and a bowl of cold water are required. A 

 running loop should be made at either end of 

 the cords, and to each cord is attached by means 

 of one loop the weight named. The loop of one 

 of these cords is slipped around both legs of the 

 bird by the middle joint, and the vacant loop 

 upon the other cord is placed around both wings 

 close up to the body. The bird is then laid 

 upon its side with the back towards the operator, 

 and so soon as the weights are passed over the 



end of the table or board, hanging down at 

 either side, the bird will be held firmly and 

 cannot struggle or move ; thus the operator can 

 handle it with the greatest of ease. As a rule, 

 I have found that birds treated in this manner 

 do not attempt to move. The operator now 

 plucks some of the feathers from the side, im- 

 mediately in front of the thigh, from the ribs 

 down to the breast. The sponge dipped in 

 water is used for wetting the feathers around 

 the bare place made, thus keeping them out 

 of the way, and it also has the effect of 

 numbing the flesh of the bird. The fingers of 

 the left hand must find the first and second 

 ribs, and a cut is made with the knife between 

 them, from the back downwards to the end of 

 the ribs. If this is properly done, immediately 

 there is a spreading of the skin and thin layer 

 of flesh, greatly assisting the operator. The 

 spreader is now placed between the ribs, and 

 the bent ends of the steel of which it is made 

 grip the ribs, drawing them also apart and 

 leaving an orifice of quite an inch. The first 

 thing seen inside is a very thin skin or mem- 

 brane, which has to be split by the point of 

 the knife. When this is done the testicle will 

 be seen immediately below, but close up to the 

 backbone. It is of the shape of a bean, varying, 

 of course, in size with the age of the bird. The 

 reason why it would not be wise to operate too 

 early is, that this would be so small that it would 

 be scarcely noticeable, growing with increased 

 age. The usual course is to insert the grippers, 

 pass them around the organ, taking hold of the 

 ligature by which it is attached to the other 

 parts of the body. When this is done a sharp 

 twist detaches it. If larger, I have found that 

 frequently it can be removed more easily by 

 the finger and thumb. It is necessary to take 

 care that it is not lost, otherwise serious com- 

 plications would arise. So soon as all has been 

 done on one side, the bird is turned over and 

 the process repeated on the other. There are 

 some who prefer to operate upon both organs 

 from the same side, but I have never found this 

 so easy or expeditious as making another 

 cut. After the operation, as no stitching is 

 required, the bird is released, and should be 

 placed in a large shed or house, well littered 

 with straw, but with no perches ; and it is a 

 very wise plan to give it a good feed of soft 

 food immediately, as of course it will be very 

 hungry, having been starved previously. It 

 should remain in this place for about a week, 

 but as a rule, in three days it will be found that 

 the cuts have closed up and healed. Such, 

 briefly described, is the method of caponising ; 

 but all those who intend to practise it should 



