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Wings / pelts and skins


Dazza9t9
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Not sure if this is the right section but thought it may get the best response

 

my young pup will start her training bang in the middle of summer so I am trying to get everything I will need together during the game season.

ive done a bit of reading about tanning rabbit furs, seems to be a few different technique, Including an interesting one using the washing machine.

Can anyone offer me some advice on rabbit skin tanning, pheasant pelts and wings?

i have read for wings rub with salt leave in the garden all winter

 

any help and advice on this would be great. 

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You can buy an excellent tanning kit from Snowdonia Taxidermy Supplies.(CP0502) You mix the ingredients to make approx 2 gallons/10 ltrs of solution. With rabbit skins, I just give them a quick wash and get as much 'fat' off the underside, and then soak the skin for 48hrs. I've also done fox pelts/tails, wings.

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17 minutes ago, steve_b_wales said:

You can buy an excellent tanning kit from Snowdonia Taxidermy Supplies.(CP0502) You mix the ingredients to make approx 2 gallons/10 ltrs of solution. With rabbit skins, I just give them a quick wash and get as much 'fat' off the underside, and then soak the skin for 48hrs. I've also done fox pelts/tails, wings.

Flying fox's ? :w00t:😄

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Wings can be dried just be aware of pests (maggots/flies) etc. You could freeze some wings then use or refreeze as required. Freezing first can also help to kill off any bugs if you want to dry them. :good:. Household Borax is good for curing all sorts but I don't know if that or the Snowdonia stuff leaves any chemical residue you might not want on the fur/feather, the commercially bought skins have been cured with something though.

Old fashioned paper bags (for sweets etc) sellotaped shut are good for drying and keeping pests off.

Edited by hambone
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14 hours ago, Dazza9t9 said:

B725 - it is a lab. She is only 13 weeks now.  But I am trying to forward plan for summer next year. 

 

Steve - is it as simple as cleaning the skins and leaving then drying?

 

hambone - that made me laugh too

After cleaning as much 'fat' etc off the skin, and then tanning it, I just wash it out in warm water, and with Fox tails, add some hair shampoo. It's a very easy process. When I tan Fox tails, I just strip the bone out, give the fur a quick wash then soak for 48hrs. You can leave the fur in longer with no damage to it. Plus, the liquid can be used again.

14 hours ago, hambone said:

Wings can be dried just be aware of pests (maggots/flies) etc. You could freeze some wings then use or refreeze as required. Freezing first can also help to kill off any bugs if you want to dry them. :good:. Household Borax is good for curing all sorts but I don't know if that or the Snowdonia stuff leaves any chemical residue you might not want on the fur/feather, the commercially bought skins have been cured with something though.

Old fashioned paper bags (for sweets etc) sellotaped shut are good for drying and keeping pests off.

When washed out, no trace or smell of chemical is left. In fact, there's hardly any smell to the tanning liquid.

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Never bothered treating any of the fur or feather I used for training, rabbit skins laid on two or three pieces of news paper and left in a warm dry place to dry, then put them in the freezer for future use, did the same with the wings.

The reason I did not wash them was to keep a certain amount of scent on the fur and feather, these can then be tied to a dummy and used to lay a scent trail for your dog.

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18 hours ago, Dazza9t9 said:

B725 - it is a lab. She is only 13 weeks now.  But I am trying to forward plan for summer next year. 

 

Steve - is it as simple as cleaning the skins and leaving then drying?

 

hambone - that made me laugh too

Can we have a picture of the little critter? 

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3 hours ago, old'un said:

Never bothered treating any of the fur or feather I used for training, rabbit skins laid on two or three pieces of news paper and left in a warm dry place to dry, then put them in the freezer for future use, did the same with the wings.

The reason I did not wash them was to keep a certain amount of scent on the fur and feather, these can then be tied to a dummy and used to lay a scent trail for your dog.

pin a well skinned rabbit pelt out on a board and leave in a dry place away from flies and it will dry like thin tissue paper and in my experience needs little else for wrapping round home made retrieving aids and as said some of the scent remains.  Wings I have used for fly tying will just dry out fairly qiockly, again leave in a pest free place.  I have a couple of full bird skins (Golden Pheasant) and again treated exactly as the rabbit. I store these in a sealed poly tub with a couple of moth pellets but suggest you either do this with the added pellets or in a paper bag in the freezer.

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44 minutes ago, B725 said:

Can we have a picture of the little critter? 

If you have a look in the dog section buddy there is some on there... under first lab. I think you may have given me some advice buddy 

Thanks for all the tips and hints.

i did wonder about the scent

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  • 3 months later...
On 18/12/2018 at 16:44, Dazza9t9 said:

If you have a look in the dog section buddy there is some on there... under first lab. I think you may have given me some advice buddy 

Thanks for all the tips and hints.

i did wonder about the scent

I think if you have handled the dummy then the dog will pick up on that scent ..... no disrespect meant, to a dog we all have an odour and your own dog knows yours.

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