Different approaches to caponisation of cockerels and their relation to welfare

Dovč, Alenka (author), Žel, Jurij (author), Gregurić Gračner, Gordana (author), Cvetko, Marko (author), Budin, Veronika (author), Žlabravec, Zoran (author), Klinc, Primož (author)

The aim of this study was to improve surgical caponisation and identify stress factors associated with different pain management methods and post-operative periods. A total of 72 Prelux-G cockerels were caponised at six weeks of age. Eight experimental groups were established based on caponisation status and pain management. Four groups were caponised using different pain management protocols (none, anaesthesia only, analgesia only, or both), while four non-caponised groups served as controls, including one group that received anaesthesia and analgesia without surgery. The remaining three groups served as non-caponised controls with varying levels of handling. The researchers monitored body weight, feed intake, respiratory and heart rate, vocalisations, response to pain, and depth of anaesthesia. The results confirmed that caponisation is painful, as reflected in increased physiological responses and vocalisations. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alone did not provide effective pain relief. Additionally, the surgical procedure had no significant effect on weight gain or feed intake during the seven days following surgery. Stress levels, measured by blood serum corticosterone concentration, also increased during the procedure. The study concludes that anaesthesia significantly reduces pain and facilitates surgery, which is essential for improving animal welfare.

• Language: English
• Keywords: chickens, surgery, cockerels, caponisation, animal welfare, corticosterone
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 22 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 16, iss. 3, art. 355
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179036
• UDC: 636.09:617
• ISSN on article: 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani16030355
• COBISS.SI-ID: 267101699
• Publication date in RUL: 04.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Animals
• Shortened title: Animals
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2076-2615
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519120409

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kokoši, kirurgija, mladi petelini, kaponizacija, dobrobit živali, kortikosteron

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food, Republic of Slovenia
• Project number: V-4 2024
• Name: Project number V-4 2024
• Acronym: V-4 2024

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0092-2020
• Name: Zdravje živali, okolje in varna hrana