238 THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



avoid involving the intestines in the stitches. It is also right 

 that I should warn the operator that, if he be tedious in the 

 performance of his work, the chances are greatly against his 

 success. On this account, I would strongly advise that who- 

 ever proposes to caponize should acquire dexterity of manipu- 

 lation, by practising on the dead bird, before he endeavors to 

 use his knife upon the living. When such precautions are 

 used, the operation will be divested of much of its apparent 

 cruelty ; and if it be to be resorted to at all, surely every precau- 

 tion should be taken that is calculated to cause as little outrage 

 to humanity as possible." 



It seems desirable that whenever this operation is about to 

 he performed, the fowl should be shut up for perhaps two 

 days and nights, and debarred all access to food or drink. The 

 advantages to accrue from this regimen are, that the intestines 

 will be likely to be empty, and there will be less danger of 

 subsequent inflammation. The summer season is said to be 

 the most appropriate time for the operation ; and, in all cases, 

 the fowls should be less than a year old. 



Hens are sometimes operated on in a similar manner, and 

 are then called Poulardes. In this case, they are subjected to 

 the knife either before they have begun to lay or after they 

 have ceased to do so, for the purpose of preventing them from 

 laying in future. This renders them, as the other does the 

 cock, more susceptible of taking flesh, and that of a finer qual- 

 ity than ordinary. It is proper to remind the reader that, of 

 course, when it is deemed advisable thus to deprive a hen of 

 the power of reproduction, such an one should always be 

 selected as presents deformities, or other defects that ought to 

 render her unfit for breeding purposes. 



The caponizing of pullets is performed in much the same 

 manner as in the case of cocks. The oviduct is found towards 

 the loins, and is extracted in the same manner as already 



