What is Caponization, did any of you did it?

[cool_vkb]

Hey guys,

Iam a pre-podiatry major. Just had a question for you guys. This christmas i ate a Capon (castrated male chicken). i was really amused by the fact that Chickens are castrated. I did some research on internet but coudnt find a lot of answers. Can anyone shed some light on it. Like how it is done, how serious is it to life of a chicken, is it perfromed by a DVM or the local farmer.,etc.

Thank You

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[RosieMoll3]

Here's a little bit of info, though I can't say what this man's occupation is (vet? farmer? could go either way...)
http://www.umaine.edu/umcecumberland/how_to_caponize_a_rooster.htm

 

[birdvet2006]

I don't know the legalities of it, but IMO, caponization is a true surgical procedure. It is castration of a rooster - and although castration is legal for farmers to do in other species (cattle, pigs, and sheep for instance), I doubt it would be legal in birds, since castration in birds involves entering the major body cavity. Birds do not have a diaphragm, so they have one body cavity - the coelom. It's major surgery to go into the coelom - and nothing to be done by any lay-person, in my opinion. I am deeply concerned about the photos linked to earlier - the bird could not have been anaesthetised (birds are anaesthetised with inhalants, not injectables), and I worry for its welfare. Not to mention the lack of sterile gloves, aseptic technique (where were the drapes?) etc. I doubt that was a vet who wrote that. Scary.

Castration is not routine in most bird species, but it is easier than salpingohysterectomy (removing most of the female's repro tract).

 

[RosieMoll3]

I am deeply concerned about the photos linked to earlier - the bird could not have been anaesthetised (birds are anaesthetised with inhalants, not injectables), and I worry for its welfare. Not to mention the lack of sterile gloves, aseptic technique (where were the drapes?) etc. I doubt that was a vet who wrote that. Scary

That info was linked from the University of Maine, and from a major internet reference site. Not that this validates it by any stretch, but it does make me think that this type of procedure is somewhat common and accepted.

 

[Hollycozza]

That's interesting, and seems a strange thing to do- surely very labour intensive, and therefore not worthwhile on economic grounds alone, not even taking into account issues of welfare, risk of infection, etc.

Guess there are a few surgical procedures done by non-vets though, such as spaying of cattle, etc.

 

[cool_vkb]

he he he! and whats amazing is that, a skilled person can do caponization to nearly 150-200 per hour (found on google search). Wow! thats cool. But dont you think this is an animal cruelty. Iam sure the rooster must be feeling pain.

 

[AM6845]

In the Chicken Industry is is a fairly common practice and it is done by the farmer. It is a fast and easy process to do. They sell books videos and supplies to do this to the rooster with a step by step instruction on how to do it. And the chickes do fairly well afterwards.

Angi
watch out AU here I come

 

[AuburnPreVet]

Don't mean to take this off-topic... but...

Does that AU = Auburn University CVM? Have you heard anything regarding admissions?

 

[Orthonut]

he he he! and whats amazing is that, a skilled person can do caponization to nearly 150-200 per hour (found on google search). Wow! thats cool. But dont you think this is an animal cruelty. Iam sure the rooster must be feeling pain.

Not really. Because the skilled person is doing the high numbers chemically, through injection. lol. So the capon formerly known as rooster is feeling the pain of the injection, not the pain of say...the steer formerly known as the bull. Although, if you get really good you can do a cat neuter in under 2 mins if you don't have complications and you've got a good CVT taking care of the induction, monitoring, and recovery from anaesthesia for you. So you could theoretically just go from room to room neutering tomcats all day long...what fun. Almost as much fun as preg checking dairy cows.