Tanning hides

[Hpacres440p]

With the smaller processors, hides are basically waste products, but if you want to keep it at one of the processors we use, you have to buy it back. I've got a steer with a beautifully soft, slick coat what I would love to have tanned, but can't find anyone to do it. Taxidermists don't want to handle anything that big…. Anyone have a hide tanned? I'm in central Texas.

 

[kenny thomas]

Make keeping the hide part of the deal when you talk to them about processing it.

 

[SBMF 2015]

We haven't, but the butcher we use has sent th to a tannery for individuals. He said it was like $750 to get one done.

 

[Dave]

I never had a cow hide tanned but I have had an elk hide done. I don't remember the cost but it sure isn't cheap.

 

[50/50Farms]

With the smaller processors, hides are basically waste products, but if you want to keep it at one of the processors we use, you have to buy it back. I've got a steer with a beautifully soft, slick coat what I would love to have tanned, but can't find anyone to do it. Taxidermists don't want to handle anything that big…. Anyone have a hide tanned? I'm in central Texas.

You want it as a wall hanger or a furniture quality piece?

 

[sstterry]

If you watch the show "Mountain Men", Tom Oar will show you how to do it yourself, but you will need to ask for the brains back too.

 

[TCRanch]

We haven't, but the butcher we use has sent th to a tannery for individuals. He said it was like $750 to get one done.

Yowza! You can buy one for considerably less. I paid $250 at the county fair for a beautiful hide (have it under the pool table, it looks awesome!).

 

[M.Magis]

Its an enormous job. But even small hides are beyond the capability of most taxidermists if you wants a nice soft hide. It takes equipment we simply can't justify or house, so they're all sent to professional tanneries. I'm surprised you can't find a taxidermist to take it, they should all have a tannery they work with. If you think you're able to flesh and salt dry it yourself, there are tanneries you can send it to yourself. Even fleshing and drying is a big job, but certainly doable. It won't be cheap. I can't find my prices list, but I'm thinking $400+ for tanning, plus shipping both ways.

 

[Hpacres440p]

We used to tan rabbit hides when I was a kid, even that was a lot of work, I think my hubs would move out if I tried to tackle a steer hide. One of those things that makes me think of all those wasted hides. Another hole in the processing chain, I suppose. As much as I would love this hide, $450 would be way out of the question.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Yowza! You can buy one for considerably less. I paid $250 at the county fair for a beautiful hide (have it under the pool table, it looks awesome!).

$150 at IKEA. but there pretty plan. Just an Angus or a Hereford.

 

[sstterry]

We used to tan rabbit hides when I was a kid, even that was a lot of work, I think my hubs would move out if I tried to tackle a steer hide. One of those things that makes me think of all those wasted hides. Another hole in the processing chain, I suppose. As much as I would love this hide, $450 would be way out of the question.

I don't think the hides are wasted, the processors sell them to other companies and I think they are used for leather. I know that my processor has a contract to sell his. They don't bring much, but it helps defray costs.

 

[callmefence]

With the smaller processors, hides are basically waste products, but if you want to keep it at one of the processors we use, you have to buy it back. I've got a steer with a beautifully soft, slick coat what I would love to have tanned, but can't find anyone to do it. Taxidermists don't want to handle anything that big…. Anyone have a hide tanned? I'm in central Texas.

M&m in processing in lampasas. His daughter has a taxidermy studio in the back.
The butchers daughter Taxidermy.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I don't think the hides are wasted, the processors sell them to other companies and I think they are used for leather. I know that my processor has a contract to sell his. They don't bring much, but it helps defray costs.

The butcher we use gets $8/ hide. He said it takes $2-3 per hide in salt. Plus the the time it takes to salt & store them. All of their's go in the dumpster.

 

[Buck N' Bull]

I don't think the hides are wasted, the processors sell them to other companies and I think they are used for leather. I know that my processor has a contract to sell his. They don't bring much, but it helps defray costs.

The renderers don't want the hides. They say they get clumped up in their screws or something like that. Hides are a real pain in the you know what for small processors. It's a shame and a terrible waste. We used to tan roo and fox hides as kids. Even something that small is quite the job. The chemicals used in most cases are not something you want to just dispose of anywhere either. I turned a cow hide into greenhide once as well. I remember fleshing it took forever!

 

[Dave]

The outfit I use does farm slaughter. They killed a steer I told them to just put the guts etc in the tractor bucket and I would dump them out in the bone yard. They put the hide in which surprised me. I asked and they said that they had to pay to have them hauled off. So the coyotes get to eat the guts and chew on the hide.

 

[50/50Farms]

We used to tan rabbit hides when I was a kid, even that was a lot of work, I think my hubs would move out if I tried to tackle a steer hide. One of those things that makes me think of all those wasted hides. Another hole in the processing chain, I suppose. As much as I would love this hide, $450 would be way out of the question.

If you want to know how to tan it you can always DM me. It's not terribly hard.

 

[Silver]

We haven't, but the butcher we use has sent th to a tannery for individuals. He said it was like $750 to get one done.

I saved the hide from a retired roping LH I had that I slaughtered to take to the butcher probably 15 years ago. My taxidermist friend sent it to the tannery and I just paid his costs, no mark up. I paid $800 CAD. Not sure but our dollar might have been worth more than a greenback at the time. And yet you could buy a similar hide at a Rona store for $250. Go figure.

 

[sunnyblueskies]

My taxidermist friend sent it to the tannery and I just paid his costs, no mark up. I paid $800 CAD.

And yet you could buy a similar hide at a Rona store for $250. Go figure.

Less and less places do cowhides. Years ago one could take a cow hide to Halfords to get it tanned, they don't take them anymore. Not sure how much the Tannery in Edmonton would charge, but it's probably as much as what you paid Silver.

I tried braintanning a steer hide once. Never finished it. Takes a lot of time to flesh, problem with cowhides are that they are very thick skin and don't flesh and tan the same as for example a moose skin. At least that's what I was told in regards to cow and moose skin comparison.
Another thing with brain tanning is because cow hide is so thick it's difficult to get the brain tanning solution to soak through.
If anyone has a trick to do that....... let me know. =D

Bummer that it's such a big job, I'd rather have the leather and fur for me then coyotes chew on it.

 

[50/50Farms]

Less and less places do cowhides. Years ago one could take a cow hide to Halfords to get it tanned, they don't take them anymore. Not sure how much the Tannery in Edmonton would charge, but it's probably as much as what you paid Silver.

I tried braintanning a steer hide once. Never finished it. Takes a lot of time to flesh, problem with cowhides are that they are very thick skin and don't flesh and tan the same as for example a moose skin. At least that's what I was told in regards to cow and moose skin comparison.
Another thing with brain tanning is because cow hide is so thick it's difficult to get the brain tanning solution to soak through.
If anyone has a trick to do that....... let me know. =D

Bummer that it's such a big job, I'd rather have the leather and fur for me then coyotes chew on it.

Brain tanning is always hard, I prefer egg yolk or denatured alcohol.

 

[sunnyblueskies]

Brain tanning is always hard, I prefer egg yolk or denatured alcohol.

Tell me tell me tell me. =D