188 PR-AOTIGAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



caponized must be confined and deprived of all feed and 

 water for 24 to 36 hours prior to the operation, in order that 

 the intestines will be empty and enable the operator to 

 locate and remove the testicles easily. Depriving the 

 cockerels of water before the operation lessens the blood 

 flow when the incision is made. 



Caponizing instruments. To perform this operation 

 successfully, a set of special caponizing instruments is nee- 



Figure 187. — Members of a poultry club caponizing a cockerel. 



essary and can be bought from practically any poultry sup- 

 ply house. 



The necessary instruments are a sharp-pointed knife to 

 make the incision, (Figure 188c), a spreader, used to spread 

 the ribs apart (Figure 188d and e), a sharp-pointed hook to 

 tear the membrane beneath the skin (Figure 188h), and the 

 testicle remover of which there are six different types, 

 (Figure 188 a, b, i, k, 1, and m). Of these instruments either 



