660 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



increased value of the meat of capons 

 makes the practice profitable in certain 

 markets. The practice is profitable only 

 with the heavy breeds, like the Brahmas, 

 Plymouth Eocks, etc. They are killed 

 when 11 to 14 months of age and mar- 

 keted with the head on. This serves as 

 a distinguishing mark of capons, since 

 they fail to develop the masculine ap- 

 pearance of the cocks. 



The operation is not as simple as is 

 often stated and should not be under- 

 taken without previous practice on dead 

 fowls. It is performed by fastening 

 the bird upon its left side, pulling back 

 and fastening down the wings, removing 

 some of the feathers and making an in- 

 cision between the first and second ribs. 

 The work must be done in bright sun- 

 light, and the bird should have been 

 fasted 24 hours before the operation 

 is performed. The testes are removed 

 by means of an ecraseur. A set of ca- 

 ponizing instruments will cost from 

 $2.50 to $3, and detailed instructions 

 for their use come with them. The 

 operation is performed when the birds 

 are about three months old. 



Capons are fed in the same manner as 

 other fattening birds. Usually they 

 grow faster and become a little larger 

 within a given time than cockerels. The 

 South Carolina station found capons to 

 be excellent brooders and nurses for 

 young chicks, their long feathers ena- 

 bling them to cover more chicks than 

 hens and they took better care of the 

 chicks than the hens did. 



Feather eating—Chickens which ac- 

 quire this habit may be cured by apply- 

 ing a mixture of vaseline or lard and 

 powdered aloes on the old feathers near 

 the spot which has been picked bare and 

 to the new feathers as they come out. 

 With ordinary stock, the best remedy 

 is to kill the birds as soon as they show 

 symptoms of the disease. They are less 

 likely to develop feather eating tenden- 

 cies if supplied regularly with animal 

 food in their rations. 



THE BREEDING STOCK 



The stock intended for breeding pur- 

 poses require liberal grain rations and 

 plenty of run and grazing. If allowed 

 the run of cut clover and grain fields, 

 they require no animal food other than 

 the insects they pick up. In selecting 

 the stock in the fall, those retained for 

 laying and breeding purposes should first 



of all be healthy and in prime condition. 

 If pure breeds are being grown for stock 

 purposes, they should be selected to con- 

 form as nearly to standard as possible, 

 The method of feeding has been con- 

 sidered early in this chapter. 



Raising cross bred chickens — Where 

 chickens are raised for either poultry or 

 eggs, stronger and more vigorous birds 

 and birds which gain more rapidly and 

 lay more eggs, can usually be obtained 

 from first crosses between pure breds 



Fig. 



417 — BARRED PLYMOUTH 

 DRESSED FOR MARKET 



than from either of the pure bred pa- 

 rents. As the result of many crosses 

 and exhibitions at the state fairs, the 

 Khode Island station concludes that 

 raisers of poultry for table use will 

 make no mistake in crossing Indian 

 Game on Light Brahma or Wyandotte 

 hens, or Wyandotte males on Indian 

 Games or Light Brahma hens. It was 

 found that the Indian Game crosses 

 were harder to pluck or caponize than 

 either of the other crosses. 



MARKETING CHICKENS 



Chickens are marketed both alive and 

 dressed. In the summer months the 

 larger part are marketed alive and for 

 this purpose low, strong, slatted crates 

 should be used, placing only birds of 

 like size and appearance in each crate. 

 Different markets vary in their methods 

 of handling birds and the commission 

 men should be consulted before shipping 

 to market. 



# When shipped alive, the only precau- 

 tions necessary are to feed them well 



