Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-21


Bronze Turkeys are shown in the illue'
tration this week.
Each year sees greater and greater
possibilities resulting from the operation
of caponiaing when put into practice on
small and large poultry farms In or
der to be successful the poultryman must
be thoroughly familiar with the details
of the operation. which can he secured
by a few lessons from an expert and
then perfection is attained by practice.
There are in most poultry communities
so-called professional caponizers who can
be secured to do the work at a nominal
charge, but much of the profit and in
,erest is lost where the work is hired.
A capon is a male bird from which the
reproductive organs have been removed
at an early age; the removal changes
the bird in many ways, altering the body
shape, the nature and color pattern of
the plumage; it causes the loss Of many
masculine characters and causes rapid
flesh development.
ADVANTAGES OF CAPONIZING.
/. Capons are larger and heavier at
killing time than the same birds if they
UAu Deen NldlureN as tOcNcreIS'
.. The capon flesh is of a much finer
flavor and sweeter
g. Capons bring on the market from
five to eight cents pound more than
cockerels the same age due to increased
quality.
a. The food cost per pound weight is
much less with capons than with cock
erels, due to more quiet disposition
neS nd
less use of food for energy.
s. Capons are very docile in DISPOSE
tion and stand confinement we'll This
makes possible the herding of them to-
gether in large focks. which practice
would be undesirable with cockerels.
6. Capons seem to develop a motherly
or feminine instinct, and are often used
to hover or mother small focks Of baby
chicks. They are especially used in the
colony houses when the young chicks are
first moved from heated brooder houses
on the range.
The possibilities of the capon over thu
cockerol can be forccfully seen in the
following table, which figures are taken
from actual experiments where this ques-
ton was carefully studied:
CoCkerel Capon
~ months. ..........A ge...,.......10 months
S pounds. .........W eight........9 pounds
Condition
Shaggy and tough Tender and sweet
2i CENTS. Selling price, lb.....3O cents
70 CONSTITUTIONAL food cost......S0 cents
s1.H.........Total selling price.........$2.7O
.T4........Proht above food ......... 100
Difference in favor of the capon, sl.16.
The greatly enhanced value resulting
from such a simple operation the gen.
cral scarcity of capOn flesh on the mar
kets Of the East and the increasingly
greater demand are only a few Of the
reasons why all poultry raisers should
seriously consider a more general prac-
tice of this profitable operation.
THE CAPON SEASON.
Capons are demanded and used at all
times, but the natural season when the
best prices are attained is during the
late winter; that is, from December to
March Birds which are Matched in the
spring or during the natural Matching
eeason. If caponzed in June or July, will
make a good growth and come to proper
killing age at the proper time in the
winter to bring the best prices, Owing
TO the fact that it is not necessary to
hatch at special seasons for capons, but
cured when Matching the pullets for lay
ers make the work especially easy.
Capons are most profitable when held
and marketed at 10 to L months of age
rather than earlier,
THE BEST CAPON BREED.
All breeds yield a profitable increase in
weight when caponized, but there is a
certain type of bird which, owing to its
body conformation, makes the best meat
development. The goneral-purpose breeds
or the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and
Rhode Island Reds are especially suited
for this work, while the Orpingtons are
also very fine birds for ideal flesh pro-
duction. The latter have the white shank
and skin which makes them show off to
advantage when in competition with our
yelow-legged and yellow-sknned Ameri-
can breeds, The aforementioned breeds
produce capons which weigh at market
age from six to 10 pounds, are known
as small or medium in size It Is this
medium rooster which Is the most often
demanded. During the holiday season
there Is a growing demand for birds OF
larger size; in fact, the demand is for
birds which will fll the place once occu-
pied by the American turkey. In order
to attain this weight, which is from eight
to Is pounds, larger birds must be used.
The Light Brahma and the Black Lang
shan are two OF the leading breeds to
meet this kind Of demand. Light Brah-
ma capons, If properly grown, often at
tain a weight of 80 pounds to the pair.
In some sections cross breeding for ca
pons is practlced, but with little if any
ton that fell yesterday afternoon, Mr..
advantage over the use Of pure-bred
birds