The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: trish.farm on December 18, 2014, 02:28:00 pm
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Have got 2 lovely corriedale x Romney boys ready to go in January. one brown, one white. Both have totally amazing fleeces. Really tempted to send them off for tanning. Either that or shear them directly before slaughter to get the wool. I know skins for tanning should go by end of sept but really don't want to waste these so might just bite the bullet and see what the tanners say when they get them. Anyone had skins tanned from Jan slaughter?
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Following this, in the same boat, have a boy to send in January but he has a lovely fleece so Id love to tan the skin
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I can't answer your questions re Jan but my skins came back this week. I was surprised to see them so soon as they were only sent off in Nov.
Nicki Port at Organic sheepskins is really helpful. You could email her and see what she says.
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When Fenland skins was on the go, they were adamant that they wouldn't take skins from animals slaughtered so late. The wool comes off the skin in the processing, and blocks up the system, as well as coming out looking motheaten. We haven't had skins done for a while, but if we did it would be at 16 months (our usual age of slaughter for primitives), after shearing and allowing for an inch or two of even regrowth. 'Shearling' wouldn't be as delicious as lambs skins though.
Phone your chosen tanner to discuss directly with them, rather than going through all the work of salting, plus the cost of postage, only to find they won't do them.
With your crosses, they would likely be too fat after shearing. Best to shear them now before slaughter, but remember they have to regrow a certain amount before slaughter - they say it's for welfare reasons, but I suspect it's so the skins can be sent off to the fellmonger as usual.