Can bacteria be transfered??

[rock hunter]

I am having some slippage problems on some of my capes this year.  I was wondering if you can transfer the bacteria from one tanning bucket to another.  I use kt pickling/tanning solution.

[Redwolf]

Yes it can. A good cleaning of the bucket with bleach will take care of it, but it needs to be rinsed good.

[rock hunter]

I was kinda thinking of that. How do I get rid of the bacteria now that  some new capes are in the bucket and are exposed to the bug.   In essence, how can I treat the capes in the bucket.

[Redwolf]

That I don't know. Bactericide can be added to either pickles or tans, but I'm not sure which.
Hopefully someone that does know will chime in for you.

[killitnfillit]

I had the same problem, except I use saftee acid so I called my instructor that taught me taxidermy. ( NORTHWOOD INSTITUTE OF TAXIDERMY ). He told me that bacteriacide would do nothing in the pickle.. What he did say was this. After salting hard, and in the rehydration process, add some bacteriacide in then. for every 5 gallons of water.  1 1/2 ounces of bacteriacide and 1 cup of salt. While you are waiting for it to hydrate, keep the water stirred up every couple hours. This is not gonna work if the cape was bad to start with though. Do not put bacteriacide in the krowtann. And the acid will deter any additional bacteria from growing. This is per Joel Zimmerman. Instructor and master taxidermist. He's been doing this for about 35 years. The first instructor of Pa Institute of Taxidermy. He and Dan Bantly went to Rhinehart School back in the '70's. I tend to believe what he says.

[Redwolf]

That makes sense. I just remember reading somewhere on directions on a pickle or tan that bactericide can be added.

[rock hunter]

lysol?

[killitnfillit]

Lysol will work but you'll never get that scent out of your cape. Find a scent free Lysol and it will be great but bacteriacide is  not a lot in the catalogs. Also use it in your final rinse before you mount it up.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Rick

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

I don't think it can spread. A tannery that tans or pickles hundreds of capes at once, some of them bound to be rotten, one bad drum would ruin them all,, and that doesn't happen.

[dwstex38 (Darrell)]

Bacteria are ubiquitous in every habitat on Earth, growing in soil, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, water, and deep in the Earth's crust, as well as in organic matter and the live bodies of plants and animals.So it doesnt really spread its already there just grows when there is nothing to fight it such as your immune system or that of an animals.So when you die you  immediately start decomposing due to bacteria multipying. Same as the skins your are trying to preserve.So I would say no you cant transfer something that is already there.

[cyclone]

Your "copy-paste" can be found in Wikipedia...

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=199258.0;num_replies=9

Bacteria are ubiquitous in every habitat on Earth, growing in soil, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, water, and deep in the Earth's crust, as well as in organic matter and the live bodies of plants and animals.So it doesnt really spread its already there just grows when there is nothing to fight it such as your immune system or that of an animals.So when you die you  immediately start decomposing due to bacteria multipying. Same as the skins your are trying to preserve.So I would say no you cant transfer something that is already there.

and....if you don't think that it can be transfered, ask any health professional how gonorrhea, tuberculosis, staph or strep infections are spread.   Some bacteria is spread by contact, some are airborne. 

If your shop is "squeaky clean" you can still have bacteria attacking your hides.  If it is a pig sty with blood stains and rotting carcasses  you are more likely to have problems.

Save the lysol for cleaning your shop floors, tables and sinks..

[Bowkill]

Cyclone is right it does spread especially once it starts to grow but another question cyclone that I don't know, isn't that the point of the pickle a low enough PH that the bacteria growth is slowed down similar to keeping it out of the danger zone (40-140deg.). So it would have to start growing the bacteria before it reached the pickle, and the bucket if kept at the right PH wouldn't allow the bacteria to grow further?

[cyclone]

Cyclone is right it does spread especially once it starts to grow but another question cyclone that I don't know, isn't that the point of the pickle a low enough PH that the bacteria growth is slowed down similar to keeping it out of the danger zone (40-140deg.). So it would have to start growing the bacteria before it reached the pickle, and the bucket if kept at the right PH wouldn't allow the bacteria to grow further?

The primary purpose  of a pickle in tanning is to get the collagen fibers with in the hide ready to accept the tanning agents.  There are a few secondary advantages of a pickle as well.  Low pH will indeed kill off many bacteria, but some simply go dormant or encapsulate.  Ever see "mother" in a bottle of vinegar?  Simply the bacteria still working.  Vinegar has a pH of about 2.4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_vinegar

Bacteria can begin to grow again if the correct conditions are met.  It is true that most bacterial action causes the damage before ever reaching the pickle. But it can continue to grow when pickling.

 

[dwstex38 (Darrell)]

Your "copy-paste" can be found in Wikipedia...

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=199258.0;num_replies=9

Bacteria are ubiquitous in every habitat on Earth, growing in soil, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, water, and deep in the Earth's crust, as well as in organic matter and the live bodies of plants and animals.So it doesnt really spread its already there just grows when there is nothing to fight it such as your immune system or that of an animals.So when you die you  immediately start decomposing due to bacteria multipying. Same as the skins your are trying to preserve.So I would say no you cant transfer something that is already there.

and....if you don't think that it can be transfered, ask any health professional how gonorrhea, tuberculosis, staph or strep infections are spread.   Some bacteria is spread by contact, some are airborne.  

If your shop is "squeaky clean" you can still have bacteria attacking your hides.  If it is a pig sty with blood stains and rotting carcasses  you are more likely to have problems.

Save the lysol for cleaning your shop floors, tables and sinks..

Yes but we are speaking in the context from hide to hide not penis to vagina. All hides have bacteria and your not going to make it worse from hide to hide contamination. If you have slippage something was not handled correctly as in blood stains and rotting carcasses in your shop. Thats not hide to hide contamination that dirty table to hide contamination.Im no expert JMO

[cyclone]

Yes but we are speaking in the context from hide to hide not penis to vagina. All hides have bacteria and your not going to make it worse from hide to hide contamination. If you have slippage something was not handled correctly as in blood stains and rotting carcasses in your shop. Thats not hide to hide contamination that dirty table to hide contamination.Im no expert JMO

I disagree.

Would you be willing to re-hydrate a perfectly good hide in the same batch with one that is half rotten?