Author Topic: Tanning (Read 2500 times)

shygirl · « **on:** November 02, 2014, 09:47:52 am »

does anyone know where I can send my bullocks skin to be turned into a floor rug?
iv heard a lot get sent to Italy - how do you do this?
any tips gratefully received as he is due to go soon.
thanks

Factotum · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2014, 11:22:20 am »

See: http://www.hayleyhansonhide.co.uk/tan-your-hide/

UK based, might be able to help.

Sue

Helen Wiltshire Horn · « **Reply #2 on:** November 03, 2014, 06:43:10 am »

Hi, here is my husband's reply to someone's question which he posted on my thread about Dexter dead weight. Please excuse my laziness in copying and pasting it here! I should say that we are in Surrey and this is who was recommended to us. I must say that I am very pleased with our rug and have a second one salting at the moment. I have also posted a picture of the finished rug on this forum.

"We investigated it , and there are limited people that carry out the process. First it needs to go up to Holmes Hall, and then it gets sent down to Pittards in Exeter. You will need to get a number from Pittards, and they will charge for their work and the Holmes Hall work. For a Dexter hide the price is £149 plus VAT. The chap at Pittards is very very helpful - Robert Painter - 01935 474 321. If you contact him, he will email you an explanation of how to do the initial curing with salt, and answer all your questions"

Helen

shygirl · « **Reply #3 on:** November 03, 2014, 08:34:38 am »

thankyou.
www.hayleyhansonhide.co.uk are going to do it

and our goat whether is going to skyeskins.

now what? where do I get the forms from? and do I wait at abattoir for the skin? the bullock will be taken by a transporter so I will need to follow them maybe incase he gets lost in the abattoir??

Helen Wiltshire Horn · « **Reply #4 on:** November 03, 2014, 11:33:28 am »

Our steer was killed on the Tuesday and my husband collected the hide on the Thursday (though it would have been Wednesday if the abattoir hadn't been extremely busy that week). We told them we wanted the hide when we took the steer in and collected the paperwork when collecting the hide. You will need something like a big plastic box to transport it in (it is very heavy and wet). My husband bought the salt at the Supermarket. It is now in one of our outbuildings resting on a couple of wooden pallets where it will stay for the next 3 weeks before going to the tannery.
Helen

Bionic · « **Reply #5 on:** November 03, 2014, 12:16:28 pm »

shygirl,
I would say wait at the abattoir if you can. OH took our lambs 3 weeks ago and the skins were ready in an hour. (he actually waited a few mins away from the abattoir in a layby with a flask of coffee) The sooner you can salt the better.
2.5 hours after slaughter ours were already in salt

fsmnutter · « **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2014, 05:27:41 pm »

Don't forget you have to apply to register premises to handle skins first, you don't have to wait for the ministry visit but you do need the approval paperwork to collect the hide

shygirl · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2014, 06:33:08 pm »

who do you apply to? animal health?
any idea what they are looking for as a registered premises?

fsmnutter · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2014, 07:58:22 pm »

Animal health, the application form is called an abp1117 I think, but if you google approval to transport animal by products you'll find it. Once applied for, it gets sent to animal health, galashiels, they send out an approval for the premises then book a visit. She just wanted to see that I was planning to keep the skins somewhere secure away from livestock, and advised me what I will need to keep records of - when things go to abattoir, in movement docs already; when skins come back, where you get a document from the abattoir; then any records of sending away to be tanned, once tanned they don't care any more!

shygirl · « **Reply #9 on:** November 05, 2014, 02:52:49 pm »

well iv been chasing up this tanning malarkey and it doesn't seem so simple anymore.

firstly our abattoir is still reluctant to release them.
the animal health vet I spoke to was adamant that I needed to firstly be a registered courier, and secondly if the skins come back here how ever temporarily, I will need to jump through a lot of hoops over hygiene, handwashing etc as il be handling by-products even if I only salt them. the place I was planning on storing the skins before using a courier, doesnt have a sink so that is ruled out.
the vet is advising that I collect the skins and drive straight to the tanner as I will be a registered "courier". the hitch with this is the only tanners I can find are either in Skye or wales, and im in NE Scotland.
am I missing something?
are there registered couriers that can assist so I don't have to drive hundreds of miles? at £300 per tanning, its going to be very expensive rugs..