# Capons? Hokies? How? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600 "2003-12-29T17:03:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/1 "2003-12-29T17:03:22Z")
During the holidays my wife and I had a meal of capons (castrated male chickens) and the VA Tech mascot is the hokie (castrated turkey - go figure) - my question is: Do birds have external gonads that are easily removed? If not, this seems like a whole bunch of effort for the results (and that goes double for Tech graduates). ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/2 "2003-12-29T18:31:02Z")
“Hokie” is [simply a nonsense word](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhokie.html) which introduced this cheer: Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hy! Tech! Tech! V.P.I. Sola-Rex, Sola Rah Polytech Vir-gin-i-a Rae, Ri, V.P.I. Team! Team! Team! The actual turkey mascot has a far different origin, as Jill answers in the mailbag question above. The castrated part no doubt comes from the continuous disinformation campaign executed by the degenerate poltroons at UVa, who also have managed to deceive a large number of people into believing that UVa’s history and engineering programs are superior to those of VPI&SU. I can assure you that although I thought I was in imminent danger of losing The Boys at one point due to a testicular torsion, this Hokie still has his big ol’ _cojones_. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/3 "2003-12-29T18:41:18Z")
Having said the above, it would appear that capons are created because it fattens them up, while removing the genitals lessens toughening of the flesh associated with testosterone production. A castrated cock (heh, heh) is still a bigger bird than a hen. I have a lot of trouble pasting cached google links here, but I’ll try it: [Capons](http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:cGKvs_MCvNcJ:cbc.ca/business/indepth/langancolumns/langan000210.html+%22HOw+to%22+castrate+a+chicken&hl=en&ie=UTF-8). That article, in case I screwed up the paste, says that capons are created by castrating day-old male chicks. Their genitals are very close to a major artery, so it’s a delicate task. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/4 "2003-12-29T18:44:52Z")
Okay, one final comment. Although it was a nonsense word in 1896, the term “hokie” is now actually used among turkey farmers, according to [Wikipedia](http://www.sciencedaily.com/encyclopedia/Hokie). Another example of the fell Cavaliers taking a lie and turning it into a truth. May they burn in Hell. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/5 "2003-12-29T22:27:00Z")
Hey, SofaKing – did you go to Phoenix for the Insight Bowl? Helluva game. Uh, go Bears, by the way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/6 "2003-12-30T00:16:20Z")
No, I sat in a cold basement and thought about crying. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capons-hokies-how/221600/7 "2003-12-30T02:36:52Z")
Been there, done that–my condolences. Good luck next year.