This morning I found a dead ferret on the road. It’s skin was undamaged, so I took it home as it was beautiful.
A friend and I skinned him, while another was head photographer – thanks to you both!
The skin is now in the freezer awaiting tanning.
I have tanned the skins from our children’s pet rabbits in the past and will use the same method again as it results in very soft hide and beautiful fur. I found the method on the internet years ago – it is only suitable for small animals.
- Skin the animal and put the entire raw hide into a bag in the freezer
- When you are ready, thaw out the frozen hides and rinse in warm water
- Wash hide in mild dish detergent to remove blood and dirt; rinse well and squeeze gently to remove excess water
- You need a 20l plastic bucket, 1kg salt (non-iodised), 250ml battery acid, stick for stirring, clean brick or rock
- Add 4l hot water to bucket, add salt and stir to dissolve
- Add 4l cool water to bring temperature to about 21°C
- Slowly add the acid by tipping the bucket toward you and allowing it to dribble down the inside of the bucket – don’t splash it on yourself.
- Stir with the stick until blended – you may want to wear rubber gloves for this
- Lower the thawed hides into the bucket one at a time
- Cover the bucket and put it where it won’t be disturbed. Ideally it should stay at about 21°C – too hot and the hides will be damaged, too cold and the tanning process will take longer
- Leave the bucket for at least one week
- Put rubber gloves on and carefully remove the hides from the solution using a stick. Allow them to drip over the bucket to remove excess liquid. Keep the acid mixture.
- Rinse the hides under cool water. Add dish detergent and continuing rinsing to remove acid solution. Gently squeeze the hides to remove excess liquid
- Peel excess flesh from the skins. If it does not come off easily, return it to the acid solution and leave it for a few more days
- After removing excess flesh, return the skins to the acid mixture and leave for another week – you can leave them in the bucket for up to a year
- After at least one week, remove the skins and wash as described earlier. Squeeze as much water out as possible
- Lay the skins over the a porch railing or similar dry. As they begin to dry – white patches on the flesh side – work them gently over the edge of the railing pulling the pelt back and forth. Pull gently until the flesh side turns white all over
- Once the hides are worked until soft and completely dry, you are done!
- If the pelts have dried stiff without being worked, put them in a bucket of water to soften and start over with the drying/working process