ROASTERS, B'&OILERS AND CAPONS 



Hook the other cord once around both his wings close to the 

 body. To the opposite end of these cords attach a half brick, 

 or some other weight, letting them hang over the sides of the 

 table. This holds the bird securely. Have all your instru- 



''v"^ 



FIG. i-KNIFE FOR MAKING CUT 



ment? in readiness, that you may work quickly. Thread the 

 canula (Fig. 5) with a strong and long horse-hair or fine steel 

 wire (we think wire the better), letting the wire form a loop at 

 the curved end, and extend well out at the other end. Now, 

 after slightly wetting 1jhe spot, proceed to pluck the feathers 

 from the upper part of the last two ribs and just in front of the 

 thigh joint. Pull the flesh on the side down toward the hip, 

 and when the operation is finished the cut between the ribs wiU 

 be entirely closed by the skin ^oing back to its place. While 

 holding the flesh back with the left hand, with the right 

 hand take the knife (Fig. 2) and insert it (cutting edge away 

 from you) between the last two ribs, cutting first down, and 

 then up a little way, following the direction of the ribs, making 

 the cut not over one inch long. Cut deep enough to go through 

 skin and flesh, being very careful not to go so deep as to cut the 

 intestines. There is little danger of 

 doing this, however, if they are 

 empty, as they will be from the bird's 

 long fast. The danger of cutting the 

 intestines is when they are full, as in 

 this state they press against the ribs. 

 Should the cut bleed, stop a moment, 

 let the blood clot on the thin skin 

 covering the bowels, and then remove 

 it with the spoon forceps. Next take 

 the Spring , Spreader (Fig. 3), press 

 it between the thumb and finger 

 until the ends come together, insert- 

 ing the ends in the incision, with the spring end toward 

 the bird's feet (see operating table). Upon looking into 

 the cut a thin tissue-like skin will be seen just under 

 the ribs and enclosing the bowels. Take a sharp hook (Fig. 

 4) and pick the tissue open, so that you may get in- 

 to the bird with the instruments. The breaking of this skin 

 does not cause the least pain to the bird. One of the 

 testicles will now be brought plainly to view, lying close up to 

 the back of the fowl. Sometimes both testicles are in sight, 

 but this is not generally the case, as the other one lies beyond 

 and more on the other side of the bird, the intestines prevent- 

 ing it from being seen from this opening. The testicle brought 

 to view is enveloped in a film. This should be brought away 

 with the testicle. Some people, in caponizing, tear the skin 

 open and then take the testicle out. The danger in so doing is, 

 that if this skin is left, there is danger of causing a ''slip." 



Now comes the only dangerous part of the whole operation, 

 getting hold of and removing the testicles; but with a steady 

 hand and plenty of light not one bird in fifty should be lost. 



FIG. 4-SHARP HOOK TO OPEN FILM-LIKE SKIN 



Attached to the testicle and lying back of it is one of the prin- 

 cipal arteries of the fowl, and this, if ruptured, is sure to cause 



Fig. 3 — Spring Spreader 



death. It is here that the canula (Fig. 5) proves of great ad- 

 vantage. The hair (or wire) being small and very fine, is easily 

 slipped between the testicle and artery without injury to either, 

 and a clear, clean cut made. Take the canula in the right hand 

 and adjust the hair (or wire) in it so that a loop about one-half 

 inch long will extend from small end of tube, leaving the two 

 ends of wire extending far enough out of the open end to secure 

 a good hold. Insert the end of the tube that has the loop on 

 it very carefully and slip the loop over both ends of the testicle 

 and entirely aroimd it, hold end of tube close down to the tes- 

 ticle. When the testicle is entirely encircled by the loop, take 

 both ends of the wire (or horsehair) which comes out of the 

 other end of the tube with thumb and first finger, holding it 



FIG. 5-CAPONIZING CANULA 



tight, and draw up on it carefully but firmly, being particularly 

 careful to have the loop around testicle. Keep the end of the 

 tube very close to testicle all the time. If drawing up on the 

 wire does not at once cut testicle, slightly turn from one side 

 to the other (but not entirely around), then the testicle wiU 

 come off. After removing it, carefully examine inside of bird 

 to see that no piece is left in, and also to see that no foreign 

 substance, such as feathers, etc., has gotten in. If any have, 

 it is necessary to remove them, for if allowed to remain, they 

 are liable to cause inflammation. Sometimes a feather or part 

 of the testicle may drop among the bowels; if this occurs move 

 bowels around with probe (Fig. 6) until the object is found, 

 then remove with spoon forceps. When the operation is per- 

 formed, remove the spreader at once and the skin wiU very soon 

 slip back over the cut and heal in a short time. Never sew the 

 cut as it will heal just the same as any other small flesh wound. 

 The bird can now be turned over on its right side, cut made 

 and testicle removed in exactly the same manner as just des- 

 cribed for the left side. Both testicles may be taken out with 

 the one incision, but to the learner we would say this is attended 

 with more difficulty than the two incisions. The other testicle 

 being situated so far over on the other side, there is more diffi- 

 culty in reaching it, besides danger in piercing artery running 

 back of first testicle. To an experienced person there is no 

 danger in removing both testicles from one incision, but to those 



FIG. 6-CAPONIZING PROBE 



who have not that degree of confidence given by practice we 

 would recommend the two cuts. The bird recovers just as 

 quickly as though one cut were made, and the operation is 

 performed equally as quick, if not quicker. If both testicles 

 are removed from one cut, the lower must always, be taken out 

 first, for if the top is first removed, the small amount of blood 

 that may follow will cover the lower one, keeping it from view. 

 A "slip" is neither capon nor cockerel. He is much in- 

 ferior to the former and a great deal worse than the latter. 

 The "slip" is caused by not entirely removing the testicles. 

 The smallest fraction left in the bird will grow again with no 

 benefit to the fowl. 



155 



