To get good fur from a rabbit, it is best to choose the White Giant, Chinchilla, Black-Brown, and other breeds. The Gray Giant with very thick fur will also work. In order to make quality rabbit skins, the slaughter of animals should be done after the completion of molting of animals, starting in November, but not later than April. It is possible to determine whether molting has ended by pulling out the wool. If this is done with ease, the molt is not over yet.
Skinning and dressing rabbits
The skins are usually removed with a tube (stocking). To do this, the carcass of the animal immediately after slaughter is tied upside down to a stick by the hind legs and cut with a sharp knife. First, incisions are made around the circumference of the hock joints, along the perineum and the inner surfaces of the legs. After that, the front paws are cut off along the wrist joint, then the ears at the base and tail. At the next stage, the skin is pulled down by the scarecrow, having previously grabbed it from the hips. Then the rabbit’s fur cover is removed from the head and forepaws, for this, cuts are made around the eyes, mouth and nostrils. When removing the skins, they should not be stretched, because the fur will become more rare.
Preserving and dressing rabbit skins
After slaughter, all skins must be collected and stored in order to be processed together. One method of preservation is the fresh-dry method. To do this, fur coats turned inward by the fur are pulled onto the rules, then straightened, strengthened with nails and hung out in well-ventilated, dry rooms for several days. Do not hang from ovens. A well-dried skin becomes firm, like cardboard, while it retains flexibility. Storage hides should be packaged and treated with a moth remover.
Before you make the production of rabbit skins at home, they must be weighed and calculate the required amount of chemicals used for processing.
Since acids are used in the preparation, enameled containers with a lid should be prepared. It is also necessary to remember precautions: pouring acid can only be a thin stream into the solution, all work should be done with rubber gloves. If acid comes into contact with clothing and skin, wash it off with water, and sprinkle the damaged area with baking soda.
The preparation of rabbit skins after preparatory work is done by placing them in warm water, into which several grams of washing powder can be added. Paired skins stand three hours in water. Dry should be soaked in two stages - at first, like steam, in warm water, then they need to be placed in saline for half a day, stirring every half hour. Then they get it out, squeeze it out a bit and go on to the core.
Processing and dressing rabbit skins
Freshly soaked rabbit skin must be placed on the hanger for an hour. After that, fat deposits, tendons and subcutaneous muscles are removed from it. Then the skin is pulled on a rule, which is made from hardwood.
Having securely fixed the rabbit fur coat on the rule and the device itself, fat is removed from it with the help of a spoon or knife and muscle fibers are removed. Sometimes this is done with a blunt staple or braid. In this case, the blade of the knife should be located at right angles to the mezra, they are moved towards the head, starting from the tail. When the skin is degreased, it must be wiped with sawdust of deciduous trees or a rag slightly moistened with gasoline.
If tears or cuts have formed on the skin, they should be sewn with white threads of the tenth number using a thin needle. In this case, you need to make sure that the edges go exactly butt.
At the final stage, the hair is trimmed. To do this, comb the skin, remove dirt, wipe it with sawdust. A well-made skin should be soft and plastic, and the hair should be lush and shiny.