242 Farm Poultry 



ing of capons, and to whom, perhaps, the word 

 is almost a new one, it may be stated that they 

 are castrated males. The capon bears the same 

 relation to the cock as the steer does to the bull 

 or the wether to the ram. 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 indivi- 

 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 capon never crows and 

 loses the voice of the male and also most of the 

 masculine characteristics except size. The flesh 

 of capons is especially prized. The muscles are 

 tender, the birds fatten readily, and their large 

 size makes them especially desirable for certain 

 methods of cooking. The largest capons sell for 

 the highest price. In order to reach the highest 



