Hey everyone,
I need help with cleaning up a turkey skull for display. Right now it's in my freezer. I've boiled many skulls before but never tried a bird. My question is, will boiling the skull make it fall apart? I know that bird skulls are extremely delicate and I don't want the beak to fall off. Any better ways (I don't use beetles)? It's not my skull so I don't want to mess it up. Any help would be great. Thanks.
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Jim;
You might want to try Maggots! I know how it sounds, but it works quite well. Just put the skull in a small plastic bag and punch a small hole in it so the flys can enter. Place it someplace where the flys can find it and in just a few weeks you should have more more than enough maggots to clean the skull. Once cleaned, wash it good and it should be just fine.
Good Luck
Jerry
The maggots will work if you keep the skull moist. But you can use bacteria also. Put the skull into a water container for a week or so.leave it open for a couple of days then you can cover it. after a week the meat will wash off. Any ligaments or conective tissue left over can be pulled off with a forceps. If it all doesn't come off put it back in for a few more days. This doesn't soften the bones like boiling can. The larger the skull the longer it must soak. just a warning. Be prepared for the smell
Tony
Not that maggots would not work, but if it is for a display you should want the very best method and that would be by dermestid beetles. Specific posts you should read further, besides the general archives are:
Cleaning a turkey skull posted Feb 24 under Taxidermy Industry Articles
Cleaning Pheasant skulls posted Mar 19 under birds
Preserving a turtle shell under reptiles (recent posting) which lists some considerations on using an ant colony instead of dermestids.
Maggots run the risk of dissarticulating the skull and by the method used to feed. The "juice" covering the surface of the maggots contains enzymes and/or acids which can damage the bone material. It is also unlikely you would be able to retain the sclerotic ring intact or locate the os opticus, both of which you may wish to include in the display. If you wire the neck prior to bugging and remove the neck at the proper time from the colony, it can remain articulated and clean.
Good Luck.
I have boiled turkey skulls for display, and they look great.
You can boil any skull. Just remember to add a large amount of rock salt to the water. The best boil is a hot bubbling boil - meat off bird skulls comes off fast, so be careful not to over-boil. Immature birds or any young creature have poorly developed sutures (the little cracks in the skull). These crack lines are sure to split open if overboiled. Good Luck! When you get a chance, check out www.bonecollectors.com