224 Farm Poultry 



they are castrated males. The operation is per- 

 formed in order that the fowls may grow larger, 

 become more gentle, and fatten more readily than 

 they would otherwise. The operation, if success- 

 fully performed, changes the nature of the indi- 

 vidual to a marked degree. The change brought 

 about by this operation on the fowls is quite as 

 great as that caused by a similar operation upon 

 other classes of farm stock, if not even greater 

 than that. The birds lose their activity, which 

 is a potent factor in easy fattening. They grow 

 considerably larger than they otherwise would 

 and appear much more gentle and consequently 

 thrive well in close confinement. 



As the bodies of capons are large, their heads 

 appear somewhat out of proportion, that is, the 

 comb and wattles do not develop, which makes the 

 head appear small. The flesh of capons is espe- 

 cially prized. The muscles are tender, the birds 

 fatten readily, and their large size makes them 

 especially desirable for certain methods of cook- 

 ing. The largest capons sell for the highest price. 

 In order to reach the highest profit, capons should 

 be large and fat and not more than ten or eleven 

 months of age. If they are kept until a later 

 age, the meat becomes somewhat coarse and is 

 not so desirable. While early chickens are most 

 highly prized for broilers, the later ones may be 

 turned to a good account for the capon market. 



