Bird Skin Dissolving In Wash

Following.

I have had the same happen off/on to some mallards and wood ducks too. Last time was with a woodcock. Perhaps a case of overwheeling? I posed the question on a different forum/media with a bunch of taxis on it, but really didn't get a response that nailed it down for me. I thought maybe it had something (?) to do with bird health, how it was handled in the field and prior to arriving at the taxi. ??? Overwheeling is my guess. But solely a guess. Trouble areas on a mallard usually arise in the crop area and around the tail. To me, wood ducks are hit or miss. Some have no issues - others are like toilet paper. I got the recommendation to salt the skin and refrigerate for an hour or two prior to wheeling. Good luck. Dan

 

oxi clean will disolve protien/ skin.... use it on your skulls not your birds and wash with dawn in the coldest water you can stand hot water will scauld the skin and cause slippage.... ever butcher chickens? trick is to keep grease off the skin before you wash it... plenty of borax while wheeling... siaks up the oils and you only pretty much need to wash the blood out

 

I'll agree with you on the oxiclean, don't use it but, the water temp not so much. If you can put your hands in the water it won't scald the skin. I think most water heaters are set for 120 degrees or less. Having said that I won't leave them in hot water for extended times though. Wash in hot and then rinse in cold, is my method.

 

no hot or warm water anywhere near a bird skin.... been there

 

Must be my Ohio well water but I use very hot water with my birds all the time. The exception is a very weak or tender skin. Use warm water on those and cold rinse. Never have had an issue.
I use dawn and tide and sometime a bit of bleach or peroxide. Rinse in cold.
I agree, scissors are your best friend on those tender skins.

 

you can lose natural feather sheen with hot water there is no reason to use hot water to wash a bird if you are properly fleshing skin... hot water is just a "crutch" for ineficiant fleshing get the fat off on the wheel with borax and wash the blood out

 

A

Are you gassing?

 

Here we go!!

 

NO gas... no need for that either...

 

Dang it. WTH?

 

He is right no need for it, but. some people like it.
Im a husband, wife shop. she does ducks she does all dawn. I do ducks I do gas. yes we. playfully disagree.

gas head!

 

Buck, I wasn't saying there was a need, it is just a method that does work, if you're careful.
Yep, me 2.

 

I knew you wasn't saying that
I took (wth) as a sarcastic joke , because your a gas head like me.

 

gas head here too

 

I do gas myself but very careful. Everyone has different opinions on how they may do things. As my dear mother used to say, more than one way to skin a cat.

 

If you must gas it, try 70% Isopropyl alcohol.