SUCCESSFUL POULTRY KEEPING 



THE BEST TIME TO CAPONIZE 



KILLING AND DRESSING CAPONS FOR MARKET 



Fig. 7 — The above Photograph was Engrav- 

 ed from Life, Illustrates the Method of Holding 

 Fowl Ready for Caponizing. 



Fowls hatched early in the spring make the finest capons. 

 They can be cut before hot weather comes, which is a great ad- 

 vantage although no ill results follow the operation at any time 

 in the year. The bird should be from two to three months old 

 (not over six months,) and weigh not less than a pound to a 



pound and a half. 

 The size is equally 

 as important as the 

 age. June, July, 

 August, Sfeptember 

 and October are 

 the months gener- 

 ally taken for 

 caponizing, for the 

 reason that spring 

 chickens arrive at 

 proper age and 

 weight for market 

 during the months 

 of January, Febru- 

 ary, March, April and May, at which times there is the 

 greatest demand for 'them in the cities, and the highest 

 prices secured. That capons are in our markets at certain 

 seasons only, is because the demand is far in excess of the 

 supply. The time will be when capons may be obtained the 

 year around. 



OPERATING TABLE 



The top of an ordinary barrel (see illustration) meets all 

 requirements of a table, admits of the birds being easily secured, 

 brings the birds to the proper height with the operator; in brief, 

 makes as good a table as can be desired. It costs nothing, as 

 there is always an empty barrel lying around, or one that can 

 be easily emptied. 



Our first advice would be, "Keep cool and make haste 

 slowly." If you are rather tender-hearted, read the directions 

 over carefully and then try your hand on a dead fowl. All 

 surgeons do this in the first place, and probably it would be as 

 well for you to follow their example! Have plenty of light. 

 It is impossible to perform the operation unless you have this. 

 After your first performance of caponizing you will be sur- 

 prised at its simplicity. Always keep your instruments in per- 

 fect order. Before using the knife see that the edge is sharp, 

 and tljat the other tools are as they should be. After beginning 

 the operation of caponizing there should be nothing to hinder 

 you from going right ahead. 



FEEDING CAPONS 



The question is often asked "How are capons to be fed?" 

 After caponizing give the bird all he Will eat of soft food, and 

 let him have plenty of water. Caponized fowls begin to eat 

 almost immediately after the operation is performed, and no one 

 would think for a moment that a radical change had been made 

 in their nature. Now leave the bird to himself, as for the time 

 being he is his own doctor. It is well to look him over two or 

 three days after the operation, as in breathing, the air sometimes 

 gets under the skin causing "wind puff" or a sight swelling, 

 in other words. Simply prick through the skin at the sides with 

 a sharp needle, gently pressing at the same time, when the air 

 will be expelled and the capon relieved. Within ten. days from 

 the operation the wounds will be healed over. A day or so after 

 caponizing the bird should be allowed to run at large, treating 

 him just the same as any growing poultry would be treated. 



FIG. 8-POULTRY KILLING 

 KNIFE 



The caporis should be allowed to grow at least one year old. 

 By this time they will have attained an imposing size. Some 

 keep them even longer than a year. While this is optional with 

 the raiser, yet we should not advocate killing them under one 

 year old if they, are being raised for market. 



There is a great difference between the dressing of capons 

 and an ordinary fowl. 



When the capons are ready for market, select such as you 

 propose kilUng, and confine them. Keep them without food or 

 water for about twenty-four hours before killing, that their 

 crops may be entirely emptied. Now get ready your place for 

 killing and dressing the fowls (if you have conveniences in the 

 chicken house this will do quite well, or the woodshed, or any 

 cool outhouse), and drive two heavy nails or wooden pins about 

 one foot or less apart in an overhead beam. Make two nooses 

 of strong string, each noose long enough to hold one each of 

 the legs, and have the capons hang low enough to pluck with 

 ease. Have a weight of two or two and one-half pounds attached 

 to a hook, and when the bird is killed, fasten this hook in his lower 

 bill after you hang him up for plucking. The weight holds the bird 

 in position while picking and renders the operation much easier. 

 Next procure a table to dress the fowl upon, and make a 

 frame on the same principle as a small box without the ends and 

 cover. In this you lay the capon, back down, to remove the 

 intestines. 



When everything is in readiness take your capon and sus- 

 pend him by the two legs from the nooses. Catch hold of his 

 head, and with your poultry killing knife cut vein at back of 

 throat, through the mouth. 

 Never cut this from the out- 

 side. Immediately upon 

 cutting vein, run point of 

 knife through roof of the 

 mouth clear into the brain. This operation causes what is 

 termed "dropping the feathers," making them come off more 

 easily. As soon as the knife enters the brain the bird loses all 

 sense of feeling. Begin plucking at once. 



As to the style of dressing, the feathers are left on the 

 wings up to second joint, the head and hackle feathers, also on 

 legs half way up to the drumsticks, all the tail feathers, includ- 

 ing those a little way up the back and the long feathers on hips 

 close to tail. These feathers add greatly to appearance of the 

 bird when dressed, and are also a ready marker from other 

 fowls in markets. Never cut the head off, as this is a disting- 

 uishing feature of the bird. A capon may readily be identified 

 among a thousand cockerels, as the comb and wattles cease to 

 grow immediately after caponizing is performed. Wash head 

 and mouth well with cold water, being careful to remove all 

 blood. A capon should not be torn in plucking. There is no 

 danger of this happening if proper care is taken. Place the 

 plucked fowl back downwards in the box frame already described. 

 Cut carefully around the vent and pull out the intestines. These 

 will be found covered with fat, which, as they are pulled out, 

 should be pushed back. When the end of the intestines is 

 reached, insert your finger and break this off, leaving every- 

 thing else in. As may be expected the fat will be found very 

 heavy around the opening, and if shghtly turned outward will 

 soon become hard, which will give a rich appearance in this 

 portion of the bird. Let the birds hang in a clean, cool place 

 until thoroughly cold. For packing use a new box of the re- 

 quired size, Uned with white paper (any good, clean paper will 

 do). Pack the birds in sohd, back up, being careful not to bruise 

 them. Your birds are then ready for market. With a bird 

 not torn and the feathers left on, you have a fowl which for 

 inviting and "taking" appearance it is impossible to equal. 



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