URGENT - Looking to hire someone to teach me how to caponize

[charliemikeoh]

I live at the GA/TN/NC border and am interested in hiring someone who is skilled in caponizing roosters. We have 60 that need to get done. I am willing to do it; I'm just not willing to torture them as I learn the process. I did one today; he's a sure slip, if he even survives (although happily, he is up and eating). I felt like a complete idiot though because I was not even sure about where the blasted RIBS were. I did find both of the testes and removed them, both of which tore. These guys are five weeks old. Thankfully, the little guy was much calmer during the procedure than I expected. We have a log cabin rental and can barter accommodations for the apprenticeship experience or pay a reasonable fee. I'm happy to pay an expert to caponize most of the roos for me, too, although ultimately my goals is to be able to do it as humanely as possible myself ... unless the person lives close enough to be hired each year. We are a non-profit ministry and are raising chickens to feed the families we serve. We have no desire or intention to sell or market any of our chickens.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I don't have any knowledge of caponizing. I just wanted to double check and make sure you know that roosters are absolutely fine to eat if you can't find anyone to teach you how to caponize. Not many people do it any more so it is a bit of a lost art.

I wish you the best luck with your project.

 

[doubleatraining]

I would be willing to help pay for the lesson and drive to your place to learn. I'm VERY eager to learn how to do this.

I get a lot of free roosters from local breeders and feel it would be more worth my feed bill to raise capons vs. roosters.

 

[charliemikeoh]

Yes, OregonBlues, I do realize that we can eat roos. But we bought these boys PLANNING to caponize them because we want them to live longer, fuller lives without all the nasty battles that roos engage in, so that we can butcher them as needed, rather than all at once to fill our freezer before their meat got too tough. It really is more humane to do a simple one-time procedure and save them from attacking and killing each other in painful and bloody fights.

 

[partsRheavy]

What a wonderful post! I used to live in western NC but am now in E. Tx so it's a long ways away.

I'm afraid I'm not much help because I'm barely learning how to do this myself.

The posts/videos from the guy in China are very helpful. They have this down to an assembly-line procedure with very low mortality and the caponized chicks literally prance away after their "visit" with the caponizer!

You've clearly thought the issue through and I am confident your heart is in the right place and with practice you will become very good at this!!

It was a bit of a struggle for me because it's a tradeoff of the procedure-and-the-capon-lives-a-longer-life vs. early harvest or fights as an unaltered roo.

It's not really an issue in meat-only flocks with CornishX but it is relevant to small flocks of dual-purpose heritage breed chickens.

 

[Suprtek]

I can do it, but live outside of Omaha, NE. Still interested?

 

[chant]

I can do it, but live outside of Omaha, NE.  Still interested?

You wouldn't happen to know anyone that can that lives in the SE, or are u planning to visit or move here would you?

 

[Suprtek]

Since posting that we have moved to Columbia, MO. Probably not SE enough?

 

[charliemikeoh]

It's closer than NE, at least! Might be worth paying gas and travel expenses if you're willing to come teach or do the work yourself! Would you do turkeys, too? I have some in the incubator now.

 

[Farmboy24347]

I can do it, but live outside of Omaha, NE. Still interested?

Are you still interested in caponizing??