Tanning Game & Domestic Hides

[HomesteaderWife]

The bag didn’t turn out QUITE like I planned, but it’s finished up! I want to try this again sometime with a liner and belt loop instead.

 

[Kusanar]

Saved it to my watch later list (I'm at work right now)

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Same, saved video for later. Might be able to watch it at lunch.

Hubby and I butchered 9 more rabbits last night, I really wanted to start on a few of the hides but couldn't find my darn tools. Going to track down the tools before we start the next set of rabbits, we still have at least 14 to butcher.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Kusanar - Thank you!

@Larsen Poultry Ranch - Thank you kindly as well! Good luck working those rabbit hides. I'd love to have enough to make a blanket/throw one day.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

@Kusanar - Thank you!

@Larsen Poultry Ranch - Thank you kindly as well! Good luck working those rabbit hides. I'd love to have enough to make a blanket/throw one day.

Rabbit math. It's like chicken math but soft and fuzzy. If you get a buck and a couple does, you too can have way too many rabbits. Or two bucks and 10 does like me...

How many rabbit hides would you need for a throw? Once I tan some of the pelts I'll have to measure to see what's the average size of useable pelt is per rabbit. Will also depend on how long they grow before butcher. Younger kits are more tender but the skin is thinner. Older are a little tougher but thicker skin and bigger.

Average litter is 6 kits, raise till 8-12 weeks, cycling doe as pregnant 31 days, nursing 4-5 weeks, wean kits & rebreed doe, just need lots of grow out cages and feed. Little buggers eat a lot.

 

[abraeri]

I'm tanning some goat hides I have. They been salted for around 5 days now and I'm trying to figure out what tanning solution to use. I want something permanent (water proof), and it seem alum tanning is not permanent. Is acid tanning permanent?

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@abraeri - the salting will help preserve them for now, not sure about acid tanning but I often alum tan then smoke my hides to help proof them. You could use a bottle tan for a quick solution - the orange bottle. Alum tans them but needs extra help like the smoking process

Edit- some people also use pure neatsfoot oil. I picked it up in tractor supply near the horse tack. When hide is near dry and ready to stretch, I brush some of that on the flesh side and stretch it after application.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Hi all, reviving this thread a little bit. Made a video discussing tools for the trade a few months back and a new one about salt coming out soon. I want to help answer questions about hows and whys so if you have any input or ideas please let me know. I want to do a comparison of a few tanning methods also.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Also, if anyone out there has used EGGS for tanning, I would love to ask a few questions about methods and results!

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Watched your videos, they were good I am hoping to get some time to work the rabbit pelts in our freezer this spring, so we will see if there are major issues since I didn't salt any before freezing them. I'll post here with updates.