Im new to taxidermy and Ive just began tanning my own hides. The first 2 Im doing are Raccoons. Ive had them dryed for about a month and soaked in a solution of salt water to rehydrate. When they were soft enough to pickle I removed them from the water and one of them immediatly started loses the hair. It was falling out by the handfull. The second one is fine. The coon that lost its hair had been sick when it ws killed(distemper). Besides that they were handled the same way and rehydrated together. Can anyone tell me what happened and what to do next time to prevent this.
Thanks
Dave
Return to Beginners Category Menu
could it have had something to do with how long you soaked it to rehydrate it? I have never rehydrated, I always go straight from salting into the pickle.
I dont think I rehydrated to long. I checked them several times a day(they soaked for 2 days) and pulled them out as soon as they became soft all around. Ill keep that in mind next time though.
Thanks
Dave
At the most a skin should rehydrate in around 2 to 4 hours. Depending what type of skin it is. If you rehydrated a coon skin for 2 days, that was your problem.
Coyote
Thanks for the help. Ill defenetly cut the time down quite a bit next time
Dave
1lb salt, 1/2 ounce basicryl NBU to each gallon water. rehydrate 2 hours. Would be good to use Kemal 4 in bath to help rewet in rehydration bath.
Prior to all that, skin your hide of the animal as soon as you can especially if it's warm. turn the ears nose and lips and salt and hang. Then finish fleching after much of the moisture has dripped out. re-salt and hang to dry out stiff. Then go to rehydration and straight to pickle. Maintain pickle at 1.0 to 2.0 PH.