Shetland hides can be
tanned and made into attractive sheepskin pelts. Tell the tannery that
Shetlands are a smaller sheep breed. Price is usually based on size. Coloured
sheepskins
are of interest to the craft industry. Sheepskins can be used to make
rugs, warm
vests, coats, boot liners, mitts, and slippers.
If your sheep are going in
for slaughter it is best to take them off their feed the day before. This makes
the slaughter easier and cleaner. Establishing a good working relationship with
a local custom slaughterhouse will help you in the long run. You will want the
slaughterhouse to take a good clean hide off and arrange for immediate pickup so
you get the best possible tanning result.
Note that some larger
slaughterhouses have an arrangement to sell all hides to a third party for
tanning. If this is the case, you may be charged a small fee for taking your
own hides back.
Make sure the sheep is dry
and clean.
Skin the sheep immediately after slaughtering avoiding cuts into the hide.
Leave no flesh on the hide. Pick up your hides from the slaughterhouse as soon
as you can. Hides left in a bag or in a pile or stack will heat up. This can
result in wool slip which will leave bare spots on the tanned hide. Fresh hides
that have been properly handled will make the best pelts.
As soon as you get the hides,
take them to the tanner immediately. If you cannot
deliver them right away, salt the
skin surface of each hide well with
natural coarse salt. If you are curing or drying the hides at
home then leave the hides in a cool place out of
sunlight to cool and cure. Don’t stack hides until they have cured. Alternatively you can freeze the hides
until you are ready to tan them at home.
If you are not within
driving distance of a tannery, you can ship the hides. They can be shipped
cured, salted or frozen. Call the tannery and ask for instructions and for the best shipping
method. In Canada, shipping on the Greyhound bus is usually the best way.
Hides to be shipped need to
be double wrapped in plastic to prevent leakage.
If your hides come back
with a pebbled skin surface, this is likely due to parasitic keds. Check your
sheep for keds, which are tick like in appearance. They puncture the skin of
the sheep and can be controlled with external parasite control medications. See
Parasites in the Health section.
Also, some tanneries will
shear the fleece on the hide to make an even surface. If you want the full
staple to remain on the tanned hide, clarify this with the tannery before hand.
Some tanneries offer
washable sheepskins. This means that the tanned sheepskin can be washed in the
washing machine. This is appealing to many buyers especially if the hide
is used as a seat cover, rug or mattress pad. If you have a non-washable hide that needs freshening up and you
live in area with snow in winter, you can place the hide fleece side down on
fresh snow, swish it around and then shake vigorously. Allow the skin to
air dry.
Choosing sheepskins for
tanning:
Some tanneries cannot work
with long stapled fleece on the skins. Check before shipping.
Note that Shetlands have
varied tendencies to roo or shed their fleece late winter to early spring.
Avoid collecting fleeces for tanning during this period of time or be sure that
the fleece does not have a break at any point along the staple.
Dense fleeces will make a
better more durable sheepskin. The hand of the fleece on the hide is often
more harsh after tanning due to the chemicals used and the brushing process. Select
your best fleeces to get the best possible product. The fleece should be dense
and soft handling.
Commercial tanning usually
does not allow the fleece to retain its character or crimpiness. Consider home
tanning or a small custom tanner if you have a very special fleece. A small
custom tanner will cost more. Home tanning is a skill you can learn if
interested.
See the Links below to learn more about home tanning
and working with Sheepskin.
