What can be made from rabbit skin. Rabbit skin dressing. step - mechanical cleaning of the skin

Why does the skin of a rabbit have to go through a long and tedious process of processing? This allows you to make it soft, elastic and at the same time very durable, which allows it to be used for sewing various products. And the unfinished skin will be destroyed by putrefactive bacteria and insects, because it is an organic material. And the skin becomes like "stone". It is important to start processing before the bacteria begin the destructive process.

What tools and materials are used?

You should prepare the necessary tools in advance. If something is not at hand, time will be lost, and the material may become unusable. You will need:

• large capacity (considering that 3 liters of this or that solution or water are consumed for each skin);
• a rule or blank (a device that allows you to stretch and properly straighten the organic material to perform the necessary manipulations, in the figure on the right);
• a knife or a special device for skinning;
• chemical reagents (allow you to stop the decomposition process and keep the fur in a beautiful form).

Vinegar will be used in the work: concentrated essence or table, so you should choose the recipes yourself in advance, depending on what is available. There are many options for processing the material and if one of them does not fit, you can easily choose another. The main thing is to achieve a high-quality end result.

Processing steps

First, the raw materials must be prepared: soaking is performed, then skinning and degreasing. After that, the skin becomes more elastic and durable. Fermentation or pickling, tanning, fatliquoring help in this. And, finally, the finished material remains only to dry and give it a beautiful look with your own hands. appearance(cosmetic measures).

steam skin- this is the one that has just been removed from the slaughtered animal. It is elastic and soft. It is important to preserve this property of the material in the future, so that, under optimal storage conditions, the skins can be used after a few weeks or months, when they come in handy. To do this, they need to be processed using special tools and tools.

Removal of dirt and blood

Not always everything turns out extremely accurately, and blood stains or dirt can get on the raw materials. Before soaking, the workpieces should be cleaned. For this, a solution is prepared: 10 g are dissolved in 1 liter of water. soda ash and 100 gr. laundry soap. In this liquid, you need to “wash” each of the skins. This amount of solution for several skins may not be enough. Approximate volume of liquid per 1 kg. organic raw materials - 4 liters. The solution should be warm, but not exceed a temperature of 40 C.

Soak off

Within 1-3 days, the skins should be in a tank with liquid. The material is placed under the load so that every mm is exposed to moisture. Thanks to this, the skins reach the same condition as fresh pairs. To prevent bacteria from multiplying in a humid environment, salt (50 g per 1 liter of water) and antiseptic preparations are added to the water. It could be:

• formalin (1 g per 1 liter of water);
• sodium bisulfite (2 grams of this substance must be dissolved in a liter of water);
• norsulfazol (2 tablets dissolve in 1 liter of water), etc.

The skins should reach such a state that they do not float, but freely "cruise" in the water. It is important not to overexpose them, otherwise the fur will be damaged. How to understand that the soak can be completed? To do this, in the groin area, you can try to pull out the hairs. If they are easily separated, then it is time to stop soaking.

Mezdrenie

Mezdra is the subcutaneous tissue layer. The more successfully removed muscle fibers, particles of fat, chaff, organic residues, the thinner and softer the base. To complete the procedure, a rule or blank is required, on which the skin is stretched head down.

To remove excess, you need a special scraper. But you can do without it, using the reverse blunt side of the knife blade. It is necessary to make scraping movements - from the tail to the head along the ridge, and then from the ridge to the sides to clean the floors of the skin. It is important to ensure that the material is thin, but the same thickness in all zones. In this case, the work must be done very carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the skin.

The knife or scraper is held perpendicular to the working surface, or at an angle of 20-30 C. Movements should be unhurried, accurate, away from you.

Degreasing

No matter how scraped, some part of the fat remains on the skin. To complete the process, the material is additionally degreased using soda ash - 1g and laundry soap - 2g per 1 liter of water. Instead of soap, you can take 3 grams of washing powder. For a quarter of an hour, the raw materials are kept in solution, stirring.

Then a solution is made at the rate of 0.5 g. soda ash and 50 grams of salt per 1 liter of water. The skins are also washed in it, after which the solution must be allowed to drain. In order for the workpieces to dry properly, they can be pulled back onto the rule. The skin should be thoroughly wiped with a dry cloth.

Pickling

This treatment adds elasticity and strength to the raw material. The blanks are processed in 3 approaches, different solutions are used:

• 50 gr regular table salt and 20 g of vinegar essence - per 1 liter of water (if there is no essence, table vinegar is used - for 6 liters of the finished solution, you need to take 2.8 liters of 6% table vinegar, pour 240 g of salt into the solution and pour 3.2 liters of clean , heated to 30 C water);
• for 1 liter of water, 8 g of hydrochloric acid (can be rechargeable), 50 g of salt are used;
• 5 g of soda is taken for 1 liter of water.

In the first solution, the skins are kept for 1-2 days, in the sulfate pickel - 12 hours, in the last solution they rinse for about 20 minutes. This must be done so that the remains of the vinegar are neutralized with alkali.

After carefully squeezing, the workpieces are folded with the fur outward, and the flesh inside - one on top of the other, placed under the load, covered with a film and left for 1-2 days.

Tanning

There are 2 types of tanning, which give a slightly different effect:

• chromium (chrome alum is used);
• tannin (you will need twigs and willow or oak bark).

Chrome alum - 7 grams and 50 grams of table salt are dissolved in 1 liter of water. It is enough to keep the blanks in this solution for 1 day.

The second tanning option: tannin. The bark and small branches of willow are put into the container; it is not necessary to press and compact them tightly. Water is poured into the container, brought to a boil. Keep the composition on fire for at least 30 minutes. After that, you need to pour 1 liter of water into the composition, in which 50 gr. salt. The composition is ready.

A decoction on oak bark is prepared in a similar way, but it is suitable for tanning gray and dark skins, because it stains the subcutaneous layer and the fur itself yellow. Yes, and the skins are a little rougher than when processed with willow raw materials. In such solutions, rabbit blanks are kept from 1 to 4 days.

Fattening

Greasing is necessary in order to restore elasticity to the material. Dressing rabbit skins at home provides for many options for such processing, for example:

• any animal fat (lamb, beef, pork, etc.) in the amount of 1 kg, soap in the amount of 100 g and quite a bit of ammonia - from 5 to 10 ml must be turned into a homogeneous substance and pour 1 liter of warm water.
• it is allowed to replace fat up to 50% - with yolks chicken eggs, up to 6% - glycerin and up to 5% - oil, which is used for cars.

The composition should be applied to the blanks (for about 4 hours), and when the skins become soft and elastic, excess fat is removed by rubbing with chalk or tooth powder.

Drying

The raw material prepared in this way remains to be straightened again, stretched, rubbed with fine sandpaper to give additional softness. On the final stage the only thing left to do is knock out the chalk and powder from the skins, prepare the fur with your own hands with the help of careful combing.

Watch a very useful video about the complete process of dressing the skin at home.

Alternative dressing options

With sour milk

Paired blanks must be rubbed with coarse salt and folded one on top of the other with the flesh inside. After 3 days, you need to shake off the salt and place the skins in sour milk (the souring period is 5-7 days) for 3 days, folding them with the skin out. To process 1 skin, you need 1 liter of sour milk. This do-it-yourself method of dressing is attractive for its simplicity and good quality of the resulting blanks.

fresh dry method

The skins are stretched on the rules or frames with the skin outward. The area of ​​​​the abdomen and the ridge are located in the center of the device, and the sides of the skin - along its ribs. Stretching occurs in such a way that the length of the skin exceeds its width by 3 times. To avoid uneven stretching and wrinkling, small nails are used (if the skin is removed with a linen, it is straightened on the frame and also fixed with carnations) or thin ropes.

It is necessary to carefully examine the fur for insects and process it with sawdust, to which a little gasoline is added.

Some tricks will help determine the readiness of the skins and avoid possible flaws in the work:

• When pickling, the moment when you can stop the process is determined by folding the skin four times. If a dryer (white trace) remains at the place of the fold, you can proceed to the next stage of dressing with your own hands.
• Tanning with oak bark is not done when work is being done with light fur. It will turn yellowish.
• The solutions used for processing are taken as follows: 3 liters per medium-sized workpiece.
• When dressing rabbit skins with their own hands, individuals under the age of 3 are slaughtered (the older the rabbit, the worse the quality of the skins).
• It is necessary to ensure that the blanks are completely immersed in the solution. For these purposes, the cargo is used.

It must be remembered that after a few months, skins dressed according to all the rules still begin to deteriorate (organic material is subject to decomposition), so you need to decide in advance for what purposes the blanks will be made.

Breeding rabbits allows you to get not only delicious meat. Sooner or later, rabbit breeders begin to dispose of the skins. Soft, fluffy fur brings aesthetic satisfaction and has good thermal insulation qualities. Of course, dressing rabbit skins at home is not an easy process and requires certain skills. But having mastered the basics, you can be proud of the almost 100% efficiency of your farm.

The most common way to skin a rabbit is with a "stocking" or "pipe". In this case, an incision is not made along the belly of the carcass. The rabbit skin removed in this way is easier to dry and process in the future.

To skin a rabbit:

1. The fur is cleaned, and the carcass is suspended by the hind legs, spreading them as far as possible with ropes to the sides above the hock joint of the slaughtered rabbit.
2. Below the articulation of the bones in the hock joints, circular incisions are made. Then they are connected with one continuous incision, which must pass strictly through the anus. It is important not to damage the tendons and carcass of the rabbit.
3. Gently, starting with the legs, remove the skin. She is pulled back with her hands, and with a knife she is freed from subcutaneous fat and meat.
4. In the region of the anus and genital organs, the skin is cut, trying not to touch the insides.
5. Then, with a strong movement with both hands, turn the skin towards the head.
6. At first, it is better to cut off the front paws of the rabbit, and turn the skin through them. Then, with experience, try to leave them and, turning the fur up to the carpal joint, cut it off from the inside.
7. At the final stage, the head is cut off and skinned through it. Although there is an option to continue turning the fur, alternately notching the skin connection in the area of ​​​​the ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth. The cuts don't have to be big.

Usually, before dressing at home, the skins are dried. To do this, they are hung at a distance of at least 15 cm in a dry and clean room with temperature regime+20…+35°С. The skins are then stored in linen, breathable bags, cool, with minimal moisture to prevent the risk of rotting and decomposition.

Skinning sequence

The main stages of dressing rabbit skins, available at home, have not changed for centuries. The recipes used are improved and new substances and compounds are used to facilitate, but the process itself still includes:

1. Preparation.
2. Dressing.
3. Finishing.

Training

Dry skins are not subject to dressing, so they must be pre-treated. At the first stage of preparation, soaking or soaking is performed, which allows you to restore elasticity. Then they are skinned and degreased. Sounds more complicated than it really is.

Soak off

Skins must be soaked in water for at least 12 hours. If during this time the skin has not returned to its original form and has not become elastic, the water is changed and the soaking continues.

Very dry skins may take several days to soak. The water is changed every half day.

Make sure that the ratio of 3.0 liters per 1.0 kg of soaked rabbit skins is observed. It is correct that they swim freely. In the future, such proportions are observed during dressing of skins during pickling and tanning.

In a liter of water for soaking, add:

1. Salt (regular table salt) 40-50 g.
2. Any antiseptic available. For example: 2 g of sodium sulfate or zinc chloride, you can use furatsilin, norsulfazol, sulfidine (1-2 tablets) or formalin (0.5-1 ml).
3. Plant extracts, namely: eucalyptus, oak or willow leaf decoction. Not more than 50 ml.
4. Detergents - washing powder in a volume of 1.5 g.

Mezdrenie

The soaked, thoroughly rinsed skin, when wet, is tightly pulled over a wooden cylinder or a block of wood in size with fur inside. Water must first drain. After that, they begin to mezdrovat - to scrape off the remnants of films, fat, muscle fibers. At home, this is done with the blunt side of the knife, although you can buy a special steel brush. It is necessary to observe the direction of movement: from the back to the abdomen, from the tail to the head and sides.

Degreasing

To remove residual fat at home, use soap, shampoo, washing powder. Each agent is diluted in water. Per liter you will need 3.5 g of powder or 25 g of finely grated, dissolved soap or the same amount of shampoo. After, when the water drains, the rabbit skin is carefully wiped with a dry cloth.

Dressing

Directly during the dressing of rabbit skins, pickling or pickling is first performed. It is important to complete the processing in a timely manner. At home, they determine when this needs to be done, by eye, using the “drying” method:

1. The rabbit skin is removed from the dressing mixture.
2. In the groin area, fold 4 times.
3. The resulting corner is compressed, with effort they are drawn along it with a nail and the pressure is weakened.
4. If a white trace remains, then pickling or pickling is stopped.

In addition, you can pull out a couple of hairs from the fur, i.e. check “for a pinch”: if no effort is required, you can proceed to the next stage of dressing.

It is believed that it is better to underexpose the skin during dressing than to overdo it.

Then it may be necessary to neutralize the applied substances. The last steps in the dressing of rabbit skins are tanning and fatliquoring.

fermentation

To increase the strength of the rabbit skin, it is fermented. Such processing is considered quite long, costly, but effective. If compared with another method - pickling, then after fermentation, the rabbit skin becomes almost 2 times stronger when tested for tensile strength. How to do it right, it's up to you.

For the starter of the processed skin, it is necessary to mix 200 g of rye or oat flour with yeast (7 g), salt (20–30 g), baking soda (0.5 g) and a liter of hot water. In general, for 1 kg of skins, approximately 3 kg of sourdough will be required. In the cooled jelly-like solution, the skins are immersed with the flesh outward for gradual swelling, constantly mixed and turned over.

Fermentation is completed within three days, when a distinct bread aroma appears, and a white coating appears on the skins.

Pickling

When pickling, the rabbit skin is sequentially soaked in two solutions:

1. Acetic acid. For this, a 3% or 4.2% vinegar solution is prepared at home. Depending on what concentration is available, the recipe is different. For example, to obtain a strong pickel with a 4.2% concentration, you need to take 466 ml of ordinary 9% vinegar in 533 ml of water at a temperature of 30-35 ° C. At the same time, 3% is recommended for rabbit skins. Why mix 330 ml of 9% vinegar and 670 ml of water. For each liter of volume put up to 40 g of table salt. The completion of the first stage of pickling is checked “for a pinch” or “dryer”. After that, they are pressed and immersed in sulfate.
2. sulfate. Prepared from battery or concentrated sulfuric acid (5 ml per liter of water with salt (50 g)). The skins are soaked for half a day (12 hours), then again they are pressed and folded to reach under the load. To do this, they are turned inside out with fur, form a pile, and oppression is placed on top of the plank. For example, a bucket full of water.

After about a couple of days, pickling is completed.

At home, when dressing, both pickling and pickling are used, taking into account the personal preferences of the rabbit breeder.

Neutralization

Due to the fact that rather strong acids were used during the pickling stage, they must be neutralized with a mixture with an alkaline reaction (pH about 6.0). If the fur is decided to be isolated by fermentation, the neutralization step is skipped.

At the same time, ordinary baking soda is suitable for neutralization - up to 1.5 g, dissolved in a liter of water. The skins are soaked for forty from 20 minutes to an hour. Then proceed to tanning.

Tanning

Dressing at home involves the possibility of tanning by one of the methods:

1. Chrome alum. Crystals in an amount of 7 g are poured into a solution prepared from 50-60 g of ordinary salt per liter of water. Rabbit skins are soaked for 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally. After that, they are pressed and neutralized according to the scheme described in the previous section.
2. Natural tannins found in willow or oak bark. In the latter case, slight staining of the fur is possible. For cooking, they take thin twigs or tree bark, break them, fill them with any container to the brim. Then pour water, leave to boil for half an hour and cool. After decanting, pour 50 g of salt, stir and soak the skins. The exposure time is not less than 12 hours. In some cases, it is permissible to leave for tanning up to 4 days.

The tanning time depends on the physical properties of the rabbit skin. The process is completed after the tannins have completely soaked the material to be soaked. To check at home, carefully cut off a small piece in an inconspicuous part, for example, in the groin and look at the condition of the cut. Uniform coloration indicates that the skin is ready for further dressing.

After tanning, wet skins are left to ripen for a sore, placing them under a load within 5–6 kg.

Fattening or fattening

The dressing of rabbit skins ends with greasing, when a special emulsion is driven into the surface of the skin moist after tanning with a swab or brushed with a brush. It is prepared in different ways, according to the presence of ingredients:

1. Mix equal proportions of egg yolks and glycerin. The mixture is beaten to a homogeneous consistency.
2. Any fat (animal or fish, it does not matter) in the amount of 200 g should be poured into a boiling soapy solution (50 g of yellow laundry soap grated on a fine grater per 500 ml of water). Then add ammonia (5-10 ml) and mix.
3. The previous recipe is repeated. But ammonia will need more - 30 ml, in addition, purified engine oil (25 ml), glycerin (30 ml), whipped yolks (250 ml) are additionally poured.

Any composition is applied evenly to the skin and put in a pile for impregnation with the skin out. It will take approximately 4 hours.

Finishing

The final stage, after which the rabbit skin is sent directly to the fur manufacturers. If the coloring is even and attractive, the fur goes as is. Otherwise, before sewing, they are additionally dyed, sometimes cut, milled, or other techniques are used, giving it a gloss.

Drying

During drying, rabbit skins at home must be constantly subjected to physical stress: they are crumpled, slightly stretched. To achieve aesthetics and completeness, they are rubbed with tooth powder from the inside, sometimes loose chalk, fine-grained sandpaper are used. Thus, the mezdra acquires a beautiful white color, finally getting rid of excess fat, and the skin becomes soft. After the skin is beaten out, and the fur is combed.

rabbit fur modern technologies processing can compete with any other. The main rule when dressing: do not rush. Skill comes with time. To gain experience, you need to be patient and not regret spoiled copies. They are, in fact, the most valuable. After all, they learn from mistakes.

The dressing of rabbit skins is a very important procedure, since the quality of the fur coat depends on the correctness of its implementation. Often the purpose of breeding animals is to obtain fur skins, the price of which far exceeds the cost of meat. In this case, it is better to slaughter the animals during the period of the thickest fur: from November to March. At the same time, dressing best quality will be in 8-month-old young and 3-5 kg ​​of mature individuals.

Skin technology

The skins processing procedure itself is a laborious process and consists of three stages:

• preparation;
• dressing;
• finishing.

At home, strict adherence to this order guarantees an excellent result.

The initial stage is preparation

Immediately after slaughter, it is necessary to scrape off the remains of fat and muscle from the skin of the animal with a blunt knife. Large layers of excess elements can be removed by hand. Then the skins are inspected from all sides, large debris is removed from the fur. The next step is sorting and weighing products according to the size of the area and the thickness of the mezra. This is necessary in order to further make the skin and determine the exact composition of the solutions.

From the skin of a rabbit, fat and muscle must be removed immediately after slaughter, since it is much more difficult to remove from a dry surface.

Soaking procedure

Prepared and sorted skins should be placed in a glass or metal container (preferably stainless steel) and poured with clean cool water. The amount of liquid for the total mass of products should be calculated in a ratio of 9: 1.

This procedure is necessary to remove contaminants of any kind and obtain greater elasticity. For better cleaning at home, you can add washing powder to the water (1 spoon per liter of water).

The soaking process lasts in different ways:

• for freshly skinned skins, 4 hours of soaking is enough;
• for previously harvested - 11-12 hours with further aging in a 2% solution of table salt.

During soaking, rabbit raw materials must be kneaded for uniform processing. If the procedure is carried out correctly, it should float freely, and with a long soak, the water in the container must be changed periodically.

The completion process is determined by the quality of the subcutaneous fat layer. If it does not separate well, then the skin must be left in the water for a while. The degree of readiness of soaked raw materials is determined by the following features:

• the skin should look like fresh;
• good softness of the mezdra in all areas;
• the strength of the fleecy part.

To remove putrefactive bacteria on the surface of the product, it is worth using a special antiseptic solution during the soaking process. It is added to the water to the skins and is prepared from the following preparations:

• sodium bisulfite;
• formalin;
• zinc chloride;
• norsulfazole.

These components are taken at a concentration of one milliliter or two tablets per liter of water. To complete the procedure, to enhance the effect, the solution can be supplemented with a decoction of birch, oak or eucalyptus leaves. If after 12 hours the skin has not soaked to the desired level of elasticity, then you need to replace the solution and repeat the whole procedure again.

Washing raw materials

After the soaking process is completed, the raw material of the rabbit must be thoroughly rinsed with water. For this, it is better to use running water. Next, soaked skins must be wiped dry.

The process of skinning

This procedure is aimed at removing excess inner layers, a film of meat and muscle residues from the surface of the mezra, as well as loosening the fibrous part.

Skinning is carried out so that at the next stages the raw materials can be effectively treated with chemicals. Also during this procedure, the product is stretched in the right directions to improve the efficiency of the pickling solution.

Before skinning, the raw rabbit is inspected and foreign objects are removed from the wool. A thorn that accidentally gets into the fur and unnoticed will certainly break through the skin, and then the product will lose its presentation. Then the raw material is stretched with the wrong side up onto a special deck or a skinning machine. At home, the further process of skinning is best done with a reliable knife.

With a blunt end, it is necessary to scrape the subcutaneous fat layer from the entire surface of the skin. In this case, the scraping procedure begins with the tail and moves down to the head. Where the film is weakly connected to the skin, it is better to remove it by hand. Then the excess skin is cut off until the same skin thickness is obtained.

The final stage of skinning is a breakdown, which is done neatly in the direction from the tail to the floors and head. Excessive zeal can expose the hair roots of the fur.

Expert advice: so that at the stage of skinning the skin does not slip in your hands, it must be wiped with a dry cloth. The same action applies to the hands and the instrument.

Degreasing operation

At the end of the skinning, the raw material of the rabbit must be washed and degreased. The degreasing solution is prepared from 5 grams of washing powder and a liter of water. The skin must be washed by hand until the skin turns white and creaks on the fingers. Then the processed object for rinsing should be put in clean water.

You can squeeze rabbit skins only with your hands, passing them through your fist. You can’t twist them, because the fur breaks and deteriorates from strong compression. After washing, the skins are wiped with a dry and clean cloth.

The second stage - dressing skins

Currently dressing skins is carried out in two ways:

• pickling - treatment with a saline-acid solution;
• fermentation - immersion in a jelly-like solution of yeast and flour.

Pickling is considered a universal method of processing raw materials and is most often used at home. It is based on placing the material in a pixel. The acid acts on the fibers of the skin and makes them elastic. After pickling, the product stretches well.

Pikel is prepared from 60 grams of concentrated organic acid (acetic, formic or lactic), one liter of water and 30 grams of salt. The amount of solution should be calculated from a ratio of 3: 1. That is, 1 kg of raw material is taken for 3 liters of the mixture. The skins are poured inside with the prepared composition and, depending on their thickness, remain in it for a period of 6–24 hours. During this time, they need to be stirred frequently.

The readiness of the skins is determined as follows: after removing the product from the solution and folding it four times, you need to press on the fold. After straightening the web, a white fast disappearing strip should form.

The readiness of the skins is also determined by the easy pulling out of the hairs in the inguinal region and the rolling of the inner layer when exposed to it with fingers.

Bedding of rabbit skins

After pickling for the maturation of the skins, a soaking procedure follows. To do this, the material must be slightly squeezed through the fist, turned right out and folded into a pile. Place a load on top. In this form, the rabbit raw material remains lying for 24-40 hours. After soaking, it must be placed in a soda solution to remove acid residues.

Skin tanning

To give the skin strength, it must be subjected to a tanning process. As a result, it will shrink less, be resistant to moisture and chemicals. Tanning is done in two ways:

• dressing with a decoction of the bark of trees (pine or willow);
• chrome alum treatment.

At home, tanning is more used in the first way. To do this, pour water into a bucket with chopped branches or bark, put on fire and boil for about 30 minutes. The resulting solution is drained, salt is added to it at the rate of 50 g per liter of water. With a brush, a chilled decoction is applied to the rabbit meat. The material impregnated with a tanning agent is folded inside and left for a day.

In the second method, compounds of chromium, iron, formaldehyde, etc. are used as a tanning agent. The solution is prepared from 7 g of chromic alum and one liter of water with the addition of 50 g of salt. This proportion is calculated for 1 kg of raw material and 3 liters of tanning agent. With this mixture, the skin is smeared several times during the day for three days.

After chrome tanning is completed, the leather loses a level of strength. Soda solution will help to eliminate this drawback. It is prepared from a liter of water and 1.5 kg of soda.

The readiness of tanning is determined by the velvety surface. Then the flesh can be cleaned with fine-grained abrasive paper to achieve the necessary softness.

Oiling skins

The next stage of dressing is fattening. It is carried out using water-fat emulsions, which are applied to the mezra with a swab in several layers. Skins with a fat mixture are rolled up with fur inside and left to lie down for several hours. Then the product is dried, kneaded and combed fur.

To make fat, many experts use castor oil, melted fish oil, glycerin, lard, egg yolk, and even fat cream. Fattening is necessary to give rabbit products greater plasticity, luster, water resistance and strength.

The final stage is drying and finishing the skins.

Drying is the final step. For this ready product the rabbit is straightened and left to dry in the open air away from sunlight and heating appliances. After it is kneaded and stretched in different directions. Then, with the rabbit meat, you need to do the following:

• rub with chalk or tooth powder;
• sand with fine-grained sandpaper;
• slightly knock out excess chalk or powder;
• comb the fur with a brush.

Treated skins can be stored indefinitely. It is better to save them in linen or cotton bags. Plastic bags are not suitable for this purpose.

The cost of rabbit skins in the Moscow region

Rabbit fur products are lightweight and affordable. Fur coats, vests, hats are worn for a very short time. Therefore, such things are worth buying for children. They are also suitable for those who like to experiment and often change their image. The price in Moscow for dressed rabbit skins varies between 450-1300 rubles and depends on the area of ​​​​the product, the breed of the animal and the quality of the dressing.

The fur of individual breeds of rabbits is highly valued in the manufacture of clothing and many other fur products. True, it is necessary to talk about the value of such a skin only if it is properly processed and prepared for further use. And such a process as dressing rabbit skins involves a number of its own characteristics and requires special skill from the performer. But still, you can learn it. The main thing is to carefully follow the instructions and gradually gain experience.

Necessary tools for processing rabbit skins

Before dressing a rabbit skin at home, you need to prepare in advance a convenient place to work and all the tools necessary for such a process. Of the tools you will need:

• well-sharpened handy knife;
• special rule for drying the removed fur;
• some chemical compositions used to increase the shelf life of skins;
• table salt in large quantities;
• bulk containers (pots, deep bowls or basins).

Scissors (regular and with curved edges), brushes with bristles of different stiffness are also often used in the process.

The rule is a frame made in the shape of the letter "A". It is made of hardwood or thick galvanized wire is used for this. According to the type of design, such products are divided into:

• rules made from one board;
• sliding options;
• knocked down from several thin rails;
• slightly tweaked rogulins found in shrubs or plantings.

How to skin a rabbit?

Not all breeders succeed in skinning a rabbit perfectly the first time without spoiling it. But, such skills are acquired with experience, so you should not be upset about this. The main thing is to strictly adhere technological process which involves the following steps:

1. The killed rabbit is tied by the limbs to the horizontal bar. For the convenience of work, the hind legs of the animal must be slightly parted to the sides.
2. In the immediate vicinity of the hocks, a neat incision is made around the limb with a sharp knife.
3. Then the skin is cut from one hock joint through the inside of the leg and crotch to the other.
4. After that, the ears of the animal are carefully cut off, as well as the tail and front paws. Limbs must be cut at the wrist, no more.
5. For ease of removal, it is imperative to cut the skin on the head around the eyes, mouth and nose.
6. At the end of the preparatory moments, the fur is taken in the area of ​​the hips of the hind legs and gently pulled towards the head. Be sure to make sure that the skin does not stretch too much during the process. This may adversely affect its quality.

Reference. At the end of the procedure, the rabbit should not be removed from the crossbar. It is much more convenient to cut it into meat in this position.

It is worth noting that it is possible to obtain high-quality skins only from those individuals that have already reached a weight of 3-4 kg. In addition, such a procedure is desirable to plan for November. By this month, the animals are already molting, which means that the skin will be of high quality.

Dressing

Such a procedure requires a lot of experience and a good theoretical base. The whole process of dressing rabbit skins in industrial and domestic conditions requires strict adherence to a number of individual measures. All of them can be divided into three main groups:

1. Preparation of the removed fur. This stage includes soaking, skinning and the process of degreasing the skins.
2. Direct dressing. It includes pickling, bedding, leather tanning and a separate greasing procedure.
3. Final processing. This includes drying the prepared fur and finishing it.

Each of these processes involves a number of its own nuances.

soaking

Before processing the skin of a rabbit, immediately after slaughter, it is necessary to remove all remnants of fat and muscle tissue from it. After that, it is soaked in a special solution. To do this, all the resulting skin is placed on the bottom of a wide enameled container. Then it is poured with water at the rate of 3 liters of liquid for each kilogram of skins.

Be sure to press down the raw material with some kind of load so that it is in the water at a depth of at least 2-3 cm from the surface. The soaking time depends on the quality of the skin and a number of other points. As a rule, it ranges from 6 hours to several days. Finish the procedure when the skin looks fresh.

To prevent spoilage of blanks by the action of various bacteria, the following substances can be added to the water:

• common salt at a concentration of 50 g/l;
• zinc chloride - 2 g/l;
• formalin - 1 g/l;
• sodium bisulfite - 2 g / l.

A decoction of oak and willow leaves also effectively copes with putrefactive bacteria. It is added to water in an amount of 50 ml per 1 liter.

The soaking contents of such a solution must be mixed regularly. Water is changed twice a day. At the same time, it is extremely important that all products float freely in the liquid, and this requires a large saucepan or other container.

Mezdrenie

The mezdra is the subcutaneous layer of fiber in animals. It contains water and a large amount of collagen. Immediately after soaking, the procedure for removing such a layer follows. Before its implementation, soaked skins are thoroughly washed with plenty of clean water. Next, the liquids are allowed to drain, and the blanks themselves are wiped dry with a cloth.

Mezdrenie on an industrial scale is carried out on special machines. At home, such a machine is too much luxury. Therefore, for the procedure, an ordinary wooden deck (also hardwood) is used, which has a slightly convex frontal part.

On such a deck, the skin is dressed with fur inside. After that, with the help of a sharp knife, the mezra is carefully scraped off, moving from tail to head.

Degreasing

The degreasing process involves two main ways of implementation. Mechanical is implemented right on the rule. The skin is fixed on the board, after which the blunt side of the knife or a similar object carefully drives off all the fat with longitudinal movements. At the end, the back side is carefully wiped with sawdust. It is important to remember that in the process of such work, the knife must be held exclusively at a right angle to the surface of the rule.

The second method involves the use of washing powder and less effort on the part of the one who does the dressing. It is implemented in the following way:

1. In a wide container, a solution is prepared with a concentration of 4 g of powder per 1 liter of pure water. After thoroughly dissolving the agent in the liquid, the skins are placed in it and washed thoroughly. The procedure is stopped as soon as the mezdra turns white and begins to characteristically creak in the hands.
2. Then the raw material is taken out of the bowl and rinsed thoroughly. It is advisable to rinse under running water.
3. We prepare a solution of heated water and ordinary toilet soap in proportion. For 1 liter of liquid you need 10 g of soap. Then we lower the blanks into the resulting liquid and carefully lather from the side of the wool.
4. The skins are rinsed again, after which they are hung up and allowed to drain. The main thing is not to overdry the product. It is better to wipe them thoroughly with a piece of cloth immediately after draining the water.

Pickling

The pickling procedure is a special treatment of rabbit skins with acidic solutions to increase their strength and durability. For its implementation in enamelware, a special solution is prepared, which includes three main components in the indicated proportions:

• water in the amount of 1 l;
• salt - about 30 g;
• vinegar essence - 15 ml.

The prepared skin is lowered into the container with the fur side down. It should be kept in such a liquid for at least 2 days. It is possible to determine its readiness for further processing by bending the mezra. If, after bending, squeezing and subsequent extension of the mezdra, a white mark remains on the bend, which does not pass within a few seconds, the process is considered completed.

bed sore

The soaking process is necessary in order to remove excess acid, which can further complicate the work with blanks. For its implementation, an appropriate solution is also required. It is prepared by dissolving 1.5 kg of baking soda in a liter of warm water. Skins are placed in the solution for 20-40 minutes. Then they are removed from the vessel, carefully squeezed out of excess moisture, and then stacked in piles, pressing each such pile with a heavy load. All raw materials in packs should lie exclusively with the fur up. The soak takes at least 12 hours.

Tanning

Tanning is also aimed at increasing the strength of the blanks, as well as providing them with proper water resistance. It is carried out by treating the mezdra with decoctions of oak, willow or broom bark. Moreover, each type of wood is used for a specific type of product. Oak bark makes products hard and rough. Willow enhances strength, but at the same time retains the proper softness of the workpiece.

To prepare a decoction, the collected bark is boiled for 30 minutes in a saucepan, after which it is poured into a separate container and 40 g of salt is added per liter. The solution should be applied to the core only with a brush. If the decoction gets on the fur, it will lead to its staining.

After applying the composition, the blanks are turned out and put on the rules. When drying, they should be periodically stretched to maintain softness.

Fattening

Greasing gives tanned leather softness and elasticity, without compromising strength. To implement the process, special mixtures are used. The simplest recipe for such a composition involves mixing ordinary glycerin and egg white in a 1: 1 ratio. This mixture is beaten tightly and applied to the mezra with a brush. After that, the product is allowed to dry in stacks for 4 hours.

Drying and finishing skins

After careful fatliquoring, the product is left to dry for a while. During this procedure, they need to be kneaded and stretched from time to time so that they do not lose their softness and elasticity.

At the end of drying, the skins on the reverse side are abundantly sprinkled with chalk and easily processed with sandpaper. Such a moment will make it possible to give the flesh a noble white color. As soon as such a procedure is completed, it is necessary to carefully knock off the remnants of chalk and particles erased with sandpaper from it. After that, the fur is carefully combed.

Conclusion

There is always a demand for well-dressed rabbit skins. Especially if it is the fur of Rex or Chinchilla rabbits. But, when making it yourself, you should take the process extremely seriously, because one mistake can ruin even the highest quality raw materials. Therefore, in the process of work, it is extremely important for beginner furriers to strictly follow the technology of dressing and stock up on a sufficiently large amount of patience.