[Rosemary]

In an effort to improve the return from the sheep, I thought I might have the eight skins from the tup lambs turned into sheepskins this year.

Just had a quote of £60 per skin to tan them. If I add the cost of salting them and posting them, plus whatever attitude the abattoir takes...

Had a look on the interweb and rare breed coloured skins are selling for about £55 - £70.

How do I square that particular circle?

[SallyintNorth]

Watching with interest... 

With Ryelands, would they have enough fleece at slaughtertime to clip them before slaughter, and sell the fleece as lambs' fleece?  If so, I'd have thought you would make a profit doing that - I'd certainly buy one off you if there's enough staple for my meagre fleece prep skills  

(I keep putting into posts in the increasingly vain hope that eventually there will be a emotiwotsit...  )

ETA assuming the tup lambs haven't become stinky boys by this time, of course...

[Bionic]

Rosemary, I have thoughts of doing the same with my tup lambs. I knew it was expensive but didn't think it cost quite that much.
I was only planning on keeping mine for myself though it sounds a bit macabre having names for my sheepskin rugs, Taffy and Tomos 
Surely if they were clipped they wouldn't make such good rugs?

[SallyintNorth]

Surely if they were clipped they wouldn't make such good rugs?

Defo - I meant instead .  Much cheaper to clip, sell fleece to handspinners  or use yourself if you spin  = profit.   

But if you want sheepskin, yes, don't clip.

My CM fleeces skins from last year are finally dried out  and I am contemplating shearing the fibre off them rather than getting them processed as sheepskins.

[Fleecewife]

Where on earth are they asking £60 per skin.   Try somewhere else.
 
Hey Sally 

[Bramblecot]

Mine are due back from the tannery this month - I'll let you know how they turn out.  If I send on some boys this month, will the skins be suitable for tanning  or will the old fleece break away?  Any knowledge anyone please?  Ta.

[Anke]

No point trying to tan the skin if sheep were shorn last year. Only try and tan if the sheep were shorn in the same year, and they should be away by November (?)... there is a thread on here about it, was a while ago...
 
We bought a beautiful multi-coloured sheepskin on Shetland last summer (at Cunningsburgh show) for (I think) 60 pounds or thereabouts, they were home-tanned. Very nice, but they have now travelled to Germany... , I am thinking of getting some of mine done this year.

[MrsJ]

I tried to deal with my own sheepskins a couple of years ago. Fortunately it was one of the others in the group who went to the abattoir and had the task of asking if she could have "four skins" back!  Anyway, long story short, it was so difficult that they ended up in the bin. 
Rosemary, it probably comes down to ecconomies of scale - if you have a lot done as the commercial sellers of sheepskins would, it is probably a lot cheaper.

[Fleecewife]

When Fenland Sheepskins was on the go, they charged less than £20.  OK it was a while ago, but inflation hasn't been that much.  It was a large tannery, doing private skins out of the main season for commercials, so that will account for some of the lower price but it sounds as if someone is taking advantage of a provider's market 

[Rosemary]

I will shop around and keep you posted 

[Mungo24]

I have just had 6 back from Devonia in Devon.  No hassle, just asked C&S to send the skins on for me and they appear 4 months later, £210. 

Good luck

[SallyintNorth]

Hey Sally 

Brilliant!!!!!      Yippeeee!!!!!

Thank you Dan!   

[Daniel Does]

Do it yourself, it's hugely rewarding.
I've used the "K-tan" kit from here before with good results.

http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits

[spandit]

Why not brain tan them?

[Fleecewife]

After following the links in Sally's thread about salting sheepskins, it would appear that there are only Devonia and Nicki Port left tanning.   If the £60 cost was for an organically done one then I can see how they could charge that much.
 
There is a commercial tannery somewhere near Perth I think, although I have no idea if they are able to do identifiable small numbers.  You could phone the abattoir in Shotts Rosemary for their details as that is who they use.