CHAPTER VI 



TO FINISH AND DUESS CAPONS 



f I ^IIE price of dressed capons in season is nearly 



J^ equal to that of broilers, while the cost per 



pound to produce is far less. Ou nianj' farms, 



a number of young cockerels are kept through 



the winter, growing but slowl}' and consuming their full 



value in grain by Februar}'. If these had been capon- 



ized the only added cost M'ould have been a few minutes' 



time and the loss of perhaps one bird in forty as the 



result of accidents in operating, while the capon would 



weigh at maturity nearly twice as much as the cockerel 



and bring five to ten cents more per povmd because of 



his more soft and rich flavored meat. 



The idea applies especially well to late hatched 

 and autumn chickens which are too small to sell during 

 the holiday season. The pullets will make prime 

 summer layers, and the cockerels caponized will come 

 into market at the time when capon ciuotations are at 

 their best, in late spring and early summer. If the 

 house is M-arni and the winter not too severe they will 

 grow fairly well all winter and will increase in weight 

 rapidly as soon as milder weather begins. Xo surplus 

 males sliould be kept over winter uncaponized. 



Finishing Capons — The plan described l^elow is 

 that used at the Ontario experimental farm, as related 

 by W. E. Graham. Tlie illustration, Figure 8, shows 

 a capon ready for market. "The rations tend to pro- 

 duce a light, cream-colored flesh, which is in demand 

 in the English markets and the high class Canadian 

 trade. Where 3-ellow flesh is in demand the addition 

 of a small proportion of yellow carrots, say one-sixth 

 of the ration, would tend to deepen the color. Cotton- 

 seed meal has the same tendency. 



