Irwin, M. Richard

University of Missouri: MOspace

APRIL,1946 BULLETIN 495 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION E. A. TROWBRIDGE, Di1'ectOl' Producing and Marketing Capons M. R. IRWIN COLUMBIA, MISSOURI THIS CIRCULAR AT A GLANCE 1. Capons, if properly fed and cared for, will grow into fine quality, fat, tender meated birds for the table. 2. WhiteRocks, Barred Rocks, New Hampshires, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds and first crosses of these breeds are most desirable for caponizing. 3. Young males, about 8 weeks of age, and weighing 114 to 2 pounds should be selected for caponizing~ . 4. Instruments required for caponizing are: (1) Sharp knife, for making the incision (2) Spreader, for keeping the incision open (3) .Probe, for tearing membranes and to aid in locating the testicle (4) Forceps, for removing the testicles 5. Birds should be observed daily for wind puffs for at least two weeks following the operation. 6. A :r:angeshelter, located on a clean, well sodded range makes ideal summer quarters. 7. An abundance of grain and growing mash before the birds at all times is essential to achieve the desired large size in capons. 8. Some Missouri data show~ng comparative· feed consumption and growth of capons and cockerels are presented. 9. Because of increased feed consumption and small gains after 28 weeks of age it appears advisable to market capons at 28 weeks of age or as soon as they reach an acceptable market weight of six to eight pounds. 10. Capon prices are favorable and reasonably steady from the last of December until March. Producing and Marketing Capons M. R. IRWIN The art of caponizing has been practiced for centuries. Kings and queens of ancient royalty found capons a delicacy of unsurpassed flavor and tenderness. Exclusive restaurants and hotel dining rooms of the present day list "roast young capon" as the "piece de resistance" of the featured meals on their menus. Because of this traditional association of' capon with rare and expensive items of food, there has grown up around this bird many legends of its huge size and the big profits to be gained with little effort on the part of the grower. The prospective grower should realize that many of these stories of unusual size in capons are of legendary nature. As to "big profits", a glance at the price of capons' as compared to other classes of poultry will lend little support to this theory. What then, is to be gained by caponizing? An analysis of our knowledge of capon production shows the following advantages: ' 1. Capons, if properly fed and cared for, are fine quality, fat: tender-meated birds. 2. Late hatched chicks, which ordinarily are sold when the market is low, can be caponized and sold later at a more favorable price. 3. Capons can be produced for ho~e use during the late months when the flock owner hesitates to slaughter a laying hen for 'the family table. BREEDS TO CAPONIZE Since market requirements are for capons to weigh six pounds and over, a large breed should be selected. The consuming public also prefers the yellow-skinned breeds with clean shanks (free from feathers). Therefore White Rocks, Barred Rocks, New Hampshires, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, and first crosses of these breeds are most desirable for caponizing. These breeds are also _early maturing and can be produced at l~ss cost than larger, slower developing breeds. THE CAPONIZING OPERATION \ Normally the best market months for capons are December, January, February and March. The caponizing should be performed about five months before the ' expected market date. Chicks of the dual purpose breeds hatched from April 15 to June 1, if properly fed and cared for, should attain sufficient size for the market requirements. 4 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Birds to be caponized should be starved for twelve hours or longer before the operation. The object in starving the birds is to have the intestines empty so that the testicles will be plainly visible during the operation. Young males weighing 1 % to 2 pounds and showing good feather-ing and bone . development as indi-cated by the size of the shanks should be selected. Smaller sizes may be caponized successfully but caution must be exercised so as not to break the ribs on the smaller birds when the spreaders are in-serted into the operating incision. In larger birds the membrane sur-rounding the male testicle becomes tough and a higher mortality from the operation results with a greater chance for "slips". A young cockerel of the proper size for capon izi ng is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2.-Healthy young cockerels weighing from 1 ~ to 2 pounds should be selected for capon izing. Figure 3.-Caponizing instruments . (1) Hook with blun t end to be used for probing, (2) Knife, (3) Forceps, (4) Spread rs, and (5) Weights for holding the bird down. (Note the hooks which hold the strings in p lace around the wings and feet.) BULLETIN 495 5 Tools required for caponizing are: a knife or scalpel for making the incision, a spreader to hold the ribs apart, a hook with the blunt' end to be used as a probe, and forceps for removing the testicles. These instruments are illustrated in Figure 3. There are several types of commercial caponizing sets available. A satisfactory set Figure 4.- A barrel top may be used for the capo nizing sLa nd. Legs a nd wings are h Id in place by means of h 'avy cord with wights fas t ned to the ends. should be light in weight and of stainless metal. The type of forceps used is of special importance because those that do not clamp ev nly on the ends will many times result in "slips" caused by leaving a portion of the testicle or membrane in the bird. An electric knife has proven highly satisfactory in the laboratory work at the College of Agriculture. This knife heats until red and the effect is to cauter-ize the tissue s,o that no blood appears to interfer with the operation. However, considerable care must be exercised when the electric forceps are used because th blood vessels n ar the testicle will be ruptured if touched with the heated forceps. Direct light is very important in locating the testicle and the operator should work with his back to the sun so that the direct sun-light will nter the body cavity. A barrel top or small box may be used for an operation table and the bird may be held on its side by an assistant who holds th legs and wings stretched back firmly. A satisfactory means of holding the birds is shown in Figure 4. The feathers should be plucked from the immediate area through which the incision is to be made. The last two ribs toward the tail of the bird are located, and the incision is made with the knife. The incision should be slightly curved so as to follow the shape of the ribs. Incisions improperly made will result in profuse bleeding and it will be difficult to locate the testicle. MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION The incision between the last two ribs will bring the intestines into view beneath the peritoneal membrane and the abdominal air sac. With the hook tear through these membranes. The testicle should be visible. It is attached to the upper wall of the abdominal cavity. It may be necessary to gently probe t he intestines toward the lower or ventral wall of the body cavity in order to bring t he testicle into view. It is normally yellow in color but in some birds it may appear gray or dark in color. The size will vary depending on age, strain, and variety. The testicle shou ld be drawn out with a slight twisting motion. The removal of the testicle is shown in Figure 5. Extreme care should be exercised in grasping the testicle with the forceps. Most operators find it will be desirable to operate from both sides of the bird with an incision between the last two ribs on each side. Expert operators may remove both testicles from the same side with only one incision. Figure 5.-Removing the testicle. The t esticle is being removed with the forceps . The spreaders hold the inci sion open. A pan of w,ater containing a mild disinfecting solution such as 2ro compound cresol should be used for bathing the incision area and in cleaning the caponizing instruments between operations. Following their use, the instruments should be thoroughly washed, rinsed in boiling water and carefully dried. BULLETIN 495 7 CARE FOLLOWING THE OPERATION The young capons should ,be handled carefully and placed in a roomy pen with clean litter. It is most satisfactory to remove roosts and place the feeders down on the floor so that the birds will not be forced lo fly or jump upon high feeder stands or roosts. Excessive activity retards healing and tends to increase the number of birds with wind puffs. If placed in with other birds of the same age, the capons should be observed frequently to make sure that cannibal-. ism does not start. "Wind puffs" are due to an accumulation of air under the skin. Air escapes through the opening made by the incision and is trapped after the skin opening has healed. It is probable that 25 per cent or more of the flock will develop wind puffs. Therefore, it is advisable to handle the birds individually and puncture the skin with a large needle or sharp pointed knife so that the air may be forced out by · pressing the skin on each side of the opening. The opening becomes sealed within a few minutes and heals rapidly. If this condition is not corrected, the birds are uncomfortable and do not consume a . normal amount of feed. A few birds may require handling as many as 4 times for the two wf;leks immediately following the. operation. MANAGEMENT DURING THE GROWING PERIOD Capons should be cared for during the growing period in much the same manner as the growing pullets. A range shelter located on a clean,well sodded range makes ideal summer quarters. An abundance of grain and growing mash before the birds in feeders at all times is essential to achieve thedesired large size in capons. Whole, yellow corn or mixtures of yellow corn, wheat, and oats are satis-factory grains for growing capons. Because oats are high in fiber, it is not advisable to use more than one-third of whole oats in the grain mixture. The Missouri formula growing mash is made as follows: GROWING MASH Yellow corn meal ............• . .. (26.3%) ................ 100 lbs. Wheat shorts ................... (26.30/0) ••••••••••••••• . 100 " Wheat bran ..................... (26.3%) ................ 100 " Alfalfa leaf meaL ................ ( 4.2%)................ 16 " Meat scrap ..................... ( 7.90/0) .......... · ...... 30 " Soybean oil meal .......... ; ..... ( 7.9%) ........ ; ....... 30 " Salt ............................ ( 1.0%)................ 4· " Total ................... (lOa %) ................ 380 lbs. With the advent of cold weather, the capons should be moved to winter quarters. If there are only a few birds, they may be housed 8 ,MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION with the laying flock. Larger numbers of capons should be housed separately so that they will consume more feed and continue to grow and fatten. Feeders containing mash and grain should be placed in . the house convenient to the birds. The roosts should be placed low in order to prevent injury to these heavy, docile birds. DATA ON FEED CONSUMPTION AND GROWTH The results of two years study comparing feed consumption and growth of New Hampshire cockerels and capons are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The birds in the first year's trial were hatched April 13 and those the second year were hatched May 17. Both years the young AGE IN Mash WEEKS 0-2 2-4 4-8 8-12 4.47 12-16 5.07 16-20 5.86 20-24 .. 24-28 28-32 AGE IN Mash WEEKS 0-2 .28 ll-4 .76 4-8 1.47 8-12 4.42 12-16 6.17 16-20 4.79 20-24 .. 24-28 28-32 TABLE 1. - FEED CONSUMPTION AND EFFICIENCY OF GAINS OF CAPONS AND COCKERELS (A Summary of Two Years' Experiments) FIRST YEAR Cockerels Cannns Total Lbs.feed Total Grain feed per lb. gain Mash Grain feed to date to date to date 1.23 5.7<l 4.29 4.76 1.17 5.93 1.74 12.51 5.64 4. 98 2.10 13.01 3.07 21.44 5.64 6.14 3.22 22.37 .. .. .. 4.13 4.40 31.08 SECOND YEAR Cockerels Canons Total ' Lbs. feed Total Grain feed per lb. gain Mash Grain feed to date to date tndate .28 2.14 .28 .28 1.04 2.40 .76 1.04 2.51 2.86 1.47 2.51 0.93 7.86 4.78 3.78 1.16 7.45 2.43 16.46 4.19 7.54 2.52 17.51 4.29 25.54 5.08 2.30 4.86 24.67 .. .. .. 2.61 5.27 30.55 2.16 4.52 39.23 .45 6.12 45.80 ;,. Cockerels marketed as roasters at 20 weeks of age. Lbs. feed per lb. gain to date 5.29 5.91 6.05 6.25 Lbs. feed per lb. gain to date 2.14 2.40 2.86 5.49 4.84 5.15 5.36 5.65 6.18 males were caponized at 8 weeks of age when their weight averaged 11,4 lbs. per bird. Mortality caused by the operation was less than 2 per cent for each year. At 20 weeks of age there was no significant difference in weight . between the cockerels and capons. Both years there was a slight BULLETIN 495 9 weight advantage in favor of the cockerels which w~s probably due to the slight set back to growth caused by the caponizing operation. All cockerels were marketed at 20 weeks as roasters. Cockerels that are kept longer than 20 weeks of age become staggy and sell for no more than old cocks on the market. TABLE 2. - COMPARISON OF GROWTH OF .CAPONS AND COCKERELS ( Average weight in pounds) AGE First Year Second Year IN WEEKS ·Capons Cockerels Capons Cockerels 0 .09 .09 .10 .10 4 .50 .50 .42 .43 8 1.23 1.23 1.20 1.17 12 2.35 2.56 2.10 2.29 16 3.43 3.45 4.30 4.50 20 4.93 5.03 5.50 5.70 24 6.20 * 6.80 * 28 7.70 32 8.20 * Cockerels marketed as roasters at 20 weeks of age. Capons must be grown to heavy weights, if they are to command a premium <?n the market. The data gained in the second year's trial show . that it required .approximately 39 pounds of grain and mash to grow capons to 28 weeks of age. When fed to 32 weeks of age the capons required more than 6 pounds additional feed. Since the capons gained an average of only Y2 pound per bird from 28 to 32 weeks and required more than six pounds of feed to make this small gain it would seem advisable to market the capons at 28 weeks of age and as soon as they reach acceptable market weight. MARKETING CAPONS In Missouri, the larger markets start quoting capon prices early in November and continue until April. The average monthly prices quoted on the St. Louis market for the years (1943-44), (1944-45) are shown in Table 3. A study of these and other data indicates that capon prices are favorable and reasonably steady from the last of December until ·March. However, when the cost of feeding the capons in relation to the amount of gain produced after 28 weeks is considered, it would seem advisable to sell the birds during the early part of the . favorable market period if the birds have reached the required size. The producer should keep in mind that in raising capons in large . numbers, he is. producing a "luxury" bird and catering to a discrim-inating trade. This trade demands that the birds be of prime finish, 10 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION well picked, and properly graded and packed. Produce plants that have proper dressing, coolfng and holding facilities are in a position to grade and pack the capons 'in a manner which is most pleasing to the consumer. TABLE 3. - MONTHLY AVERAGE PRICE OF CAPONS AND ROASTERS* ' St. Louis Market Capons Roasters Year Month 6Ibs. & over Under 6Ibs 4 Ibs. & over 1943-44 Nov. .309 .274 .274 Dec. .309 .274 .274 Jan. .309 .274 .274 Feb. .309 .274 .274 March .309 .274 .274 1944-45 Nov. .309 .274 ~274 Dec. .309 .274 .274 Jan. .314 .279 .279 Feb. .319 .284 .284 . , March .323 .288 .288 * Prices on capons are usually quoted starting in November and continuing through March. Note that light weight capons have the same market value as roasters. Some growers contact a reliable commission man located in the larger markets and ship their birds dressed. If a commission man . is. selected the grower should have a definite understanding and information as to shipping instructions, method of dressing, method of packing, probable price, etc., before making shipments. Other growers prefer to work up a private trade. In any case, for best results, the market must be assured of a dependable volume of uniform, quality birds. CROOKED BREASTBONE It has been observed that some lots of capons have a distinct , tendency to develop crooked breast~ones. This tendency is hereditary and is also influenced by environmental conditions. Such birds are discounted heavily on the market and the grower should take every means of avoiding this serious market defect in his growing birds. Wide roosts of 2 X · 4 inch ,material laid flat should be of help in preventing this condition. Some growers remove all roost poles and force the birds to "roost" on the floor of the house. SLIPS "Slips" are birds that develop as cockerels due to an unsuccessful operation. Such birds have no extra value when allowed to become staggy. 'Fhey should be removed and marketed as roasters as soon as they cari be distiuguished. They are characterized by having a BULLETIN 495 11 bright red, well developed comb and the general activity of a vigorous cockerel. When the operation is properly performed the number of Rlips should not exceed 5 to 10 per cent of the flock. The head of a slip as contrasted to that of a capon is shown in Figure 6. Figure 6.-"Slips" may be recogni zed by their com b deve lopment. (Left) a capon with typical small comb and wat tles. (Right) a "slip". 

Producing and marketing capons

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