28 July 2012, 17:36
CaracalAdvice needed: Storing of dried skins
Hello,
I've got a number of dried skins (lion, buff, duiker etc) in my store room. The plan is to get them all tanned soon but it will be only in a month or so.
It has rained a lot in the last few weeks and I realized that the remaining salt on the skins absorbs moisture out of the air.
Can it cause hairslip when skins are stored in a place with high air humidity??
What can I do about that?
Dennis
28 July 2012, 18:13
The Artistry of WildlifeYes It will make them slip. RESALT them with fresh salt IMMEDIATLY.
Move them or put in a humidifier. Lastly don't wait a month or a day. Get them into the tannery.
They will have controled enviroment for your skins till they hit the rehydration baths and pickle, let them know they were exposed to high humitity and try to move them immediatly into the process. Your taking a BIG CHANCE storing any salted skins.With that humid area your attracting bugs and bateria and mold. Tanned skins will store for years and years. Frozen tanned hides virtually forever in a freezer.
28 July 2012, 20:37
CaracalOk thx for the advice. I put them in new salt and make sure they get to the taxidermist next week!
31 July 2012, 10:52
Kyler HamannI hope you're right about how long frozen and tanned hides will last. My taxidermist told me the same thing, but mine have been tanned and in the freezer for about 8 years and it will still be quite a while before I can fight back from all this "Hope and Change" to afford to get them mounted.
31 July 2012, 17:53
The Artistry of WildlifeI have mounted giraffe tanned and frozen 12 years, gemsbok 8 years, others from 5 to 15 years.
I personally have never had an issue, but that is with My tannery doing the skins.