40 CAPONS FOR PROFIT. 
liberty right after the operation, letting him run, 
feed and roost with the rest of the fowls. Neither 
this liberty, nor the dry (grain) feed, nor want of 
prompt attention, when wind-puffed, seemed to re- 
tard his perfect convalesence. If I noted an es- 
pecially puffed-up appearance, I would. perhaps 
catch the bird and give him relief with the knife. 
Still, I believe it is a good plan to keep the birds 
confined for from eight to ten days, giving soft 
food and proper attention otherwise. The straw, 
leaves or soft earth on the floor of the ‘‘ hospital”’ 
should, for the sake of cleanliness, be often renewed. 
When the period of convalescence (eight or ten 
days) are past, I give these capons their liberty. 
They will not wander off very far, but stay most of 
the time near where they are accustomed to get their 
regular rations. Attnight I drive them into the 
‘‘capon house,’’ a warm stall with low 
roosts, regularly cleaned and disin- 
fected. Capons do not seem to be particular about 
their roosting place. I try to keep my hens and 
capons apart at night, hen house and capon house 
being only separated by the width of the barn. But 
when a capon happens to be nearer the hen roost at 
the time he wants to retire for the night, he forgets 
where his place is, and unhesitatingly takes lodg- 
ings with the hens. On the other hand one can 
safely crowd two or three times as many capons into 
a building as hens. Crowded hens will not lay 
well. Crowded capons eat and grow just as fast as 
they would otherwise. 
Capon House. 
