King Eiders - Freezer Burned

I would throw them in a pickle still frozen to soften the freezer burned skin and just check them every 20 min

Sonny

 

I would get a new friend since this one is stupid. Who leaves King Eiders at a Taxidermist for 6 years....

 

just put them in soap water for a few hours and freeze them over night then thaw them in warm water the next day
if you need to inject water somwhere i would do so, this method always works for me

 

I've been working on some really bad birds this year. They are wholesale birds from a shop that is years behind. I soak the birds in dawn soapy water and inject water in the bad areas. Feet,around the bill,and the wings. If that doesn't work I'll take the kings off your hand

 

6+ years......sounds like my personal trophies in the freezer. :-[

 

If all else fails, put the skin in soapy water with some DMSO (available at feed stores) and that will take the water right through the collapsed cell walls. It stinks to high heaven - that's why I recommend it only as a last resort, but it WILL really help. Another pass over the wire wheel will help a lot, too.
Don't inject the feet. That will just make holes that will make it harder to plump them up later. Remove them at the feather line and put them in a pickle or a heavy salt brine in the refrigerator until they soften up - even if it takes days or weeks.

 

6 years is not that bad... I just mounted a personal black duck earlier this spring that I shot in 2005. At the time, I didn't know much about birds. I skinned it and put it in a couple plastic bags and froze it. I didn't flesh it or wash it or freeze it in water. The skin could barely be opened up! The fat was light yellow cardboard that was super sticky once I started fleshing it... I got a spray bottle with water and dawn and soaked it skin and feather side. Put it in the fridge over night. The next day it was soft enough to start wheeling. I got the majority off, washed it a couple times. Then I soaked it in super solvent and water overnight. Then fleshed again the next day, did my final washing and mounted it. I used the original feet as well. I removed them and soaked them in water and dawn for a couple days. I competed with it at a few shows and did well! Terry weick judged it at the Maine show this year and didn't believe me when I told him they were the original feet! He thought they were cast... Eider skins are very tough! You shouldn't have a problem bringing these skins back to life! Good luck!!!

 

Wow that was a great duck I can't believe that I thought is was maybe a year at most .

 

You can add Amonia to your dawn wash. It also helps soften the skin