Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-01-30
CAPON{zING.
Profitable Information for Those WI

Profitable for Those Who
Propose to Try It.
To receive full benefit from the opera
ton a bird should have at least seven
months to grow after being caponized,
Operators differ as to the proper age Of
the bird when suitable for the operation,
but observation leads me to consider the
breed of first Importance. 1t is useless
to caponize any bird with Leghorn blood,
as the operation does not stunt the comb.
A large comb condemns a capon at once.
Last season the following cross bred
birds were c%aponized: Plymouth Rock
Leghorns, Buff Cochin Plymouth Rocks.
Brahma Plymouth Rocks, pure light
Brahmas, and also laced Wyandottes. r
The largest and most rapid maturing
birds were the pure breeds, especially
the Wyandottes. The birds averaged
a pounds, and were in excellent con-
dition when caponized the first week in
September. They were kept without
food for twenty-four hours previous to
the operation, which was performed
from both sides of the bird, thus making
hemorrhage less liable. All the whole
corn they would eat was given them di-
rectly after they were caponized. The
"wind puff which usually occurs in
three days, was hardly perceptible, and
in every instance was relieved by gently
opening the lips Of the wound. The
birds suffered no inconvenience from the
operation, and seemed to grow by the
hour.
A flock Of thirty-six was placed in a
pen s by 12 with open front facing south;
boards twelve inches wide were placed
upon single bricks, leaving a space of five
inches between. This enabled the at
tendant to brush the %droppings from the
boards to the ground below every morn
ing, a more thorough cleaning being
given once a week. A yard 40 by rs
which connects with this pen was used
by them until six weeks previous to kill
ing, when they were confined to the
pen. All the food they could possibly
consume was given them. Pork scraps,
bran, middlings and corn meal were fed
soft, and at night large quantities of
whole corn slightly warmed were eager
ly eaten by them.
In March they were killed. The
combs of the Leghorns had grown al
most as large as in uncaponized stock,
while those of the Brahmas and Wyan-
dottes were completely stunted. Al
though the birds were of the same age,
and were caponized at the same time,
and received the same care as the others,
at the time of killing the heavy breeds
weighed eleven and one half pounds.
while the lighter averaged but eight
pounds. It will readily be seen how i'm
portant a factor the breed is if one would
be successful in raising capons.
Any person of intelligence can perfarm
the operation, but the common practice
is for the breeders and fanciers of a vi
entity to agree upon a date and then Sc
cure the services of a skilled operator to
go from place to place. There is a knack
in caponizing, and those who possess it
rarely lose a bird. To caponize is of es-
peclal benefit to the fancier who does not
wish to risk a good reputation by send
ing out poorly marked birds. Good
capons bring from So to SO each, while
the same birds if sold as common market
poultry would not sell for more than. ten
and twelve cents per pound.-Miss Fl. M.
Williams in American Agricultural.