I can't have capon it's illegal!

[hc4361]

I phoned my butcher to order a capon for Christmas only to be told it is not legal to caponize a cockerel in the UK so only imported birds are available.

I don't eat imported meat or poultry, so that's the capon out.

Does anyone know when it became illegal?

[squarebear]

Some believe that a chicken pumped full of oestrogen tastes better. Yuck!

[hc4361]

Hens do not have more breast meat than cockerels - and why would they? They don't breast feed.

Capons have a lot more meat and a lot more flavour than hens. It is a juicier, moister meat.
Cockerels are tough and stringy.

[gollob]

A capon is a castrated male chicken. This was done to make the bird put on weight quicker. just buy a large chicken or cockerel . The female side of chickens are mainly used for eggs and if sold are mainly called boilers or boiling chicken. Many of them are used for processed chicken products.

[Svejk]

Wear a Bobble-hat. They're warmer & they look great.

[hc4361]

Cockerels make for very tough and stringy roasting birds.
A chicken doesn't have the flavour of a capon.

I emailed DEFRA and they kindly replied.
Thank you for your email of 7 November about Capon. I have been asked to reply.

Castrating cockerels to raise capons is not permitted in the UK under the current legislation Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007. This states that castration may not be carried out on farmed birds.

[Old_Geezer]

Interesting. And yet they are prepared to let other species be multilated by the same process.

Best castrate a wild one yourself then ;-)
And if he wasn't wild before he will be afterwards !