Bunny just died... Turning a lemon into lemonade...

[desertskynm]

If using fur offends you, please don't read further...

My only new zealand white rabbit just died. I have spent two days nursing her, giving her homeopathic remedies, feeding her by hand... I loved this rabbit.

I had wanted to use rabbit fur in future, but was planning on having someone else do "THE deed" and I would just do the craft project afterwards. But seems despite my best efforts, that is not what happened.

What do I do now? I have never skinned a rabbit. Can I freeze it the body and deal with it later or must it be done right now?

 

[secuono]

Do it right away. If you freeze, you will need to thaw and that will also cause it to start decomposing and that is not what you want. Skin it upside down and pull it off like a shirt. While it's still inside out, place it on a pan full of salt and then add more salt to the top. While it is drying, you can do more research on what to do next. I'm guessing you will tan the hide so you can make things out of it.

 

[desertskynm]

Just got bunny out of the freezer... Up side down? I don't have anyway to hang her. Where do I cut... Sorry, complete newbie under time pressure now... :/

Do it right away. If you freeze, you will need to thaw and that will also cause it to start decomposing and that is not what you want. Skin it upside down and pull it off like a shirt. While it's still inside out, place it on a pan full of salt and then add more salt to the top. While it is drying, you can do more research on what to do next. I'm guessing you will tan the hide so you can make things out of it.

 

[terri9630]

Just got bunny out of the freezer... Up side down? I don't have anyway to hang her. Where do I cut... Sorry, complete newbie under time pressure now... :/

Do it right away. If you freeze, you will need to thaw and that will also cause it to start decomposing and that is not what you want. Skin it upside down and pull it off like a shirt. While it's still inside out, place it on a pan full of salt and then add more salt to the top. While it is drying, you can do more research on what to do next. I'm guessing you will tan the hide so you can make things out of it.

Go to U-tube and google butchering rabbits. Basically you hang them by their rear legs, cut around each leg and across the vent area and peel the skin down towards the head. The older the rabbit the more difficult it will be to peel the skin off.



Here is one but there are a lot of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iali_mkReYA

 

[desertskynm]

Ok, the deed is done... whew... did not think waking up this morning I would have done something that this... I did got to google and watched the video. I have the hide resting on salt above and below...

My concern is I think there might be too much connective tissue still on the hide... Or is it supposed to be that way? The pink stuff- or should it just be the white of the ... whatever that layer is and then the fur...

If it is excess how do I get it off. It wouldn't scrape off with a knife...

thanks in advance...

Just got bunny out of the freezer... Up side down? I don't have anyway to hang her. Where do I cut... Sorry, complete newbie under time pressure now... :/

Do it right away. If you freeze, you will need to thaw and that will also cause it to start decomposing and that is not what you want. Skin it upside down and pull it off like a shirt. While it's still inside out, place it on a pan full of salt and then add more salt to the top. While it is drying, you can do more research on what to do next. I'm guessing you will tan the hide so you can make things out of it.

Go to U-tube and google butchering rabbits. Basically you hang them by their rear legs, cut around each leg and across the vent area and peel the skin down towards the head. The older the rabbit the more difficult it will be to peel the skin off.



Here is one but there are a lot of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iali_mkReYA

 

[terri9630]

I don't know. I don't keep the fur. I give them to a friend who trains dogs to hunt rabbits to keep them out of his alfalfa fields.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

ya need to remove and flesh any fat, gristle and muscle that u can to destroy the protein or it will cause it to rot. get trappers tanning solution or use borax. salt will work but the others work better for a nicer tan. the best way to do it for next time is skin it, freeze it and when ready to do flesh it right before ready to tan. the freezing will help ya be able to flesh it better cuz it will break some of that tissue down. hope that helps. its also better for them to be damp before adding the solution to help absorb it.

 

[lastfling]

You're getting some good information so far. The hide can be treated in several ways once removed. You can freeze it until you have time to deal with it, or like you've done so far you can salt it. The connective tissue will need to be removed as you've mentioned. After salting for a day it is sometimes easier to scrape off. A beam of some sort to rest the hide on and a knife for scraping would work. You don't necessarily want something with a sharp edge, as you increase the possibility of cutting thru the hide. The reason for the salt is to remove the fluid still remaining in the hide and prep for acceptance of the tanning process. Rub the salt into the skin well and let the skin drain for two days. After 2 days it can be removed from the salt and allowed to air dry, again, until you have time to deal with it further. An air dryed salted skin is still a raw skin, but can be stored in the dry condition until you have time to work with it. Do your research as to how you wish to tan and gather your supplies. I personally use a safety acid for pickling the hide followed by a brush on tanning solution purchased thru a taxidermy supplier. The salted hide is rehydrated and put into the pickle (maintaining a ph of no more than 2.0) for several days. After day one it's removed, any final fleshing performed, then returned to the pickle for another day. After removal from the pickle, the brush on tan is applied, hide wrapped up, hide to hide for a day at room temp and voila - a tanned skin. The hide can then be lightly washed to remove the tanning oils from the hair (this is a hair on method, by the way). A tanning oil can then be applied if desired and the hide broken (pulled / stretched) to soften. I've dabbled in taxidermy for the past few years and this is how I've treated all my hides from deer to squirrel. Some folks, may suggest the borax, and/or dry tan method, but, I don't believe you're going to wind up with a product you can work with, having essentially a dryed / raw skin. A rabbit being thin skinned as it is should present a soft, flexible hide, with a minimum of effort on your part.

 

[desertskynm]

Thank you all for your kind help and assistance!!!!!

You're getting some good information so far. The hide can be treated in several ways once removed. You can freeze it until you have time to deal with it, or like you've done so far you can salt it. The connective tissue will need to be removed as you've mentioned. After salting for a day it is sometimes easier to scrape off. A beam of some sort to rest the hide on and a knife for scraping would work. You don't necessarily want something with a sharp edge, as you increase the possibility of cutting thru the hide. The reason for the salt is to remove the fluid still remaining in the hide and prep for acceptance of the tanning process. Rub the salt into the skin well and let the skin drain for two days. After 2 days it can be removed from the salt and allowed to air dry, again, until you have time to deal with it further. An air dryed salted skin is still a raw skin, but can be stored in the dry condition until you have time to work with it. Do your research as to how you wish to tan and gather your supplies. I personally use a safety acid for pickling the hide followed by a brush on tanning solution purchased thru a taxidermy supplier. The salted hide is rehydrated and put into the pickle (maintaining a ph of no more than 2.0) for several days. After day one it's removed, any final fleshing performed, then returned to the pickle for another day. After removal from the pickle, the brush on tan is applied, hide wrapped up, hide to hide for a day at room temp and voila - a tanned skin. The hide can then be lightly washed to remove the tanning oils from the hair (this is a hair on method, by the way). A tanning oil can then be applied if desired and the hide broken (pulled / stretched) to soften. I've dabbled in taxidermy for the past few years and this is how I've treated all my hides from deer to squirrel. Some folks, may suggest the borax, and/or dry tan method, but, I don't believe you're going to wind up with a product you can work with, having essentially a dryed / raw skin. A rabbit being thin skinned as it is should present a soft, flexible hide, with a minimum of effort on your part.