Salt before wire wheel?

Submitted by OJ on 3/17/05 at 11:23 AM. ( ) 64.108.146.33

A recent post recommended salting a bird for a while prior to wheeling it- to toughen up the skin a bit. I would like to hear how many people do this and if it makes a difference.

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I have never used salt

This response submitted by Larson on 3/17/05 at 11:26 AM. ( ) 12.106.25.202

but I read somewhere that salt has a tendency to make feathers slip. Im not sure if this is true or not.


wheel wet

This response submitted by Rich on 3/17/05 at 11:34 AM. ( ) 68.109.0.219

I have good results wheeling birds (ducks) while they are wet
skin ,wash pat in towel and wheel while the feathers are wet they stay out of the way

then wash and rinse again
works for me


I put preservative on.....

This response submitted by Aaron on 3/17/05 at 4:31 PM. ( ) 64.33.137.221

first but have never used salt before.


Pickle solution

This response submitted by * on 3/17/05 at 4:41 PM. ( * ) 203.40.165.104

On some fatty unstable skins, l drop them in a regular pickle for half and hour, that is enough to toughen them up to be wheeled.
As for salt, l have salted and received salted dozens of skins of birds over the years, it is not the cause or instigator of slip, more likly it was a skin that had already begun to spoil before salting if it has slipped.
On large fatty geese, we wheel wash/degrease THEN salt the skin for 24 hours to set the feathers, never have a problem now days with slip.


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