hello,
one of my llamas died and i've just skinned it.
i'm tring to reach a friend in my area who can get me in touch with a tanner. i have no tanning experience and want to know if i can freeze the hide until I get it to someone who can tan it. i have it rolled up outside at present. It is about 50 outside tonight. any help ?
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You can freeze it until you find someone to tan it .Roll it up, start rolling the head first and put in 2 plastic bags and freeze it.
I'm not a Mammal taxidermist, but I know I've read time and time again, not to roll a fresh cape to freeze.. It can leave the center of the roll unfrozen for some period of time and will lead to slippage. I believe it is best to fold your skin a few times, but not to thick and freeze it. Make sure that the cold can penetrate the entire cape in a reasonable amount of time so that it freezes quickly.
Good Luck,
Jon
I used a freezer at the beginning of deer season to put a few capes in that was poorly freezing. It varied between 28 and 20 degrees before finally settling around 19. When the capes were placed in it and bunched up in grocery bags, some of them never did freeze completely.
Like Jon said, make sure the cape doesn't insulate itself. Also, make sure there is something beneath it to lift if off of the floor of your freezer, so it will have air circulate all around.
If any part of it does not freeze, the hair will likely come out in sections (slipping).
Hope this helps.
DO NOT ROLL the cape up with the head inside! This will cause the head to be no good. Fold it lenght way them, two times the other way and make sure that the head is on the outside of the roll. Put in freezer bag, and tape, then put inside another bag, tape and them freeze. I hope that this helps.
Larry