If they can be
moved frequently, and if they are only put in place when the soil is in
such condition that tramping around the coops will not seriously compact
it, the presence of fowls would be an advantage. On the other hand, if
the coops are to be kept in place for a long time and all the ground
outside of them crusted and hardened by tramping and the soil under the
coops overloaded with droppings, the thrift and value of the trees will
be seriously interfered with.
Caponizing.
Can three to four month old cockerels be caponized successfully in
summer, and if so, what care, feed, etc., do they require afterwards?
The birds should be between two to three months, not over four, unless
some very large variety that matures slowly. Size is equally important
as age, and a bird to be caponized should not weigh more than one and a
half pounds. The work can be successfully done in the summer season, but
the fowl must be kept without food or drink for at least 24 hours,
longer is better and keep in shady place. After caponizing, feed the
bird what soft feed he will eat up and let him have plenty of water.
Then leave him to himself as he will be his own doctor. In two or three
days look them over and if there are any wind-balls, simply prick with a
needle to let the air out; this may have to be done two or three times
before the wound heals up, but after it has healed, treat just as you
would other chickens and feed them about twice a day.
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