The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-18

Feeding, Dressing and Marketing Capons.
To have good profitable capons the
chicks should be Matched in April or
May. The summer and fall matches
can be caponized and held for the
March and April market but they will
not be as fine as the early one which
can be sold by the holidays. A point
in favor of caponizing all surplus cock
erels is the fact that they are growing
into good money during the fall and
early winter months while the hens on
the farm are taking a rest from egg
production and are giving but little Or
no return for the feed they are con
suming.
Do not expect that a 10 or Is pound
capon from q bird that would have
weighed 6 or 7 pounds in his natural
state. About u pounds gain can be
expected on every five pounds, or a
bird that will mature into q five pound
rooster will weigh about 6! pounds at
the same age if caponized and a 10
pound rooster will reach II or Is
pounds if c%aponized. A capon that
will weigh only 5to 7 pounds dressed,
will sell at the holidays for about ff-
teen cents per pound. That is a 7
pound bird will sell for ST. 5 while a
capon that will dress 8 pounds will
sell for eighteen cents and will bring
81. go, leaving a difference of ffty-seven
cents in favor of the heavy capon.
There is no danger of getting them
too heavy.
About three weeks before they are
to he sold put fifteen or twenty in a
yard and roosting house and feed
them all the fat forming foods they
will consume. Whole corn, cornmeal,
bran, middlings, animal meal or meat.
a little linseed meal are perhaps the
best available feeds for q farmer.
Give all the milk they will drink.
Keep plenty of fresh water and grit
by them. See that they do not get to
feather pulling. Should this occur in
crease the meat ration and put q little
salt into the mixture.
The spurs of a capon do not become
Lard like those of O cock, but remain
softened and rather loose on the
shank, neither do they grow long.
He will sometimes play, but will do
little OF no fighting. The comb and
wattles do not grow any more after
the operation. The head is slim and
has a pale, lifeless appearance. The
growth of feathers is very profuse,
and the tail feathers especially grow
to remarkable length.
When ready to butcher, hang the
capon by the legs by good strong
cords. Kill by bleeding in the roof Of
the mouth. Be careful to keep all the
blood and dirt off the feathers, most
of which are left on and shipped with
the bird. Leave on all long feathers
next to head, those on thigh, wings
from first joint out, all of the tail and
those a little way down on the back
from tail. Dry pick. Wash the
mouth and feet. Hang in a cool place
and be sure the animal heat is all out
before packing. In advance of dress
ing the capons fad out how the COM
mission mar wants them. Some want
all the feathers scalded, others picked
off dry. I have given New York style.
Leave head and feet on and do not re-
move the intestines.
Coffee boxes are very suitable for
packages. Line them with clean,
white paper, then snugly pack, placing
the fowls as straight as possible. Nail
the box securely, mark plainly, giving
gross and net weights and to whom
shipped. The flesh of the capon is the
finest in the world.-American Agri-
culturist.