400 -BROILERS, ROASTERS, AND CAPONS 
tion had just been performed. An abundance of feed and water 
should be kept before them for the first week after the operation, 
for they develop an enormous appetite as a result of the operation 
and the previous abstinence from feed. Two or three days after 
the operation the birds should be inspected to see if there are 
any wind puffs under the skin in the region of the wound, due to 
the formation of gases after it had healed. These should be 
reduced by pricking the skin with a needle or sharp-pointed knife 
and allowing the air to escape. With some birds it may be neces- 
sary to repeat this operation a number of times. At the end of 
two weeks the wound will be entirely healed, and the capon can 
be put permanently on range, and treated as any other growing 
bird where flesh growth is the object. 
Changes in Appearance and Characteristics —After the opera- 
tion the disposition and external appearance of the birds seem 
to change. Their bodies increase in size very rapidly, but the 
combs and wattles entirely cease to grow, and they lose the power 
to crow. They become exceedingly tame and lazy, develop heavy 
and beautiful plumage, and the spurs cease to grow. When 
running with a mixed flock, they keep aloof from the roosters 
and hens and seek the company of little chicks. They may often 
be seen hovering the chicks. The more extensive capon producers 
claim caponizing is a preventive of disease, and large flocks of 
capons can run on limited range with no apparent ill effects. 
As a rule, they are strong, vigorous, and healthy, only requiring 
during development clean, light, and properly ventilated houses 
and regularity in feeding. 
Practice and Profits—Enough has been said in the preced- 
ing pages of the possibilities and advantages to be derived from a 
more general practice of caponizing. It is earnestly recommended 
to the farmer and poultry raiser as a means of increasing profits 
and as an advertising medium by creating a demand for poultry 
meat of unexcelled quality. In a community of small poultry 
farmers it is possible to hire the work done by professionals, but 
if the poultryman has a great number of fowls he should do the 
work himself. 
The cost of feeding a capon to maturity, or for twelve months, 
is from seventy-five cents to one dollar, depending on condition 
and range. Add to this the cost of the operation—five cents— 
and the cost of the chick at hatching, and we have a total of 
ninety cents to one dollar and fifteen cents at most. Assuming 
