➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[007Sean]

Then how are mine preserved? They are not falling apart and are 100% dried out? The instructions are online, so I guess they are wrong? Dunno but it seemed to work for us.

They aren't preserved, just dried out. The muscle has dried but will be subject to bugs and will deteriorate over a short span of time. It will also be subject to moisture and can accelerate the deterioration. By removing the meat and using a preservative, it will prolong the time span of the mount. @The Phantom is also a taxidermist, she might be interested in this conversation as well.

 

[007Sean]

It's long been discarded—I just saved the skull. I did a Google search at the time but the info I could find was incomplete and conflicting. Got any tips?

Yeah, there are a couple of ways to preserve the skins of small animals. A dry preservative or a 'wet' method or traditional tanning the hide, often called acid tan or chrome tanned, because of the acid salt chemicals used to tan the hide. Its messy and labor intensive. You can also brain tan, which is way more labor intensive of any method.
LiquiTan, trade name, can be used for small skins and capes.
The animal should be skinned, all fat and muscle removed and salted down to stop bacteria growth. Roll the skin up, flesh side in, and put in a refrigerator to 'sweat', that means getting the moisture out of the skin. Depending on how big the skin is that's to be tanned, a day to a week is usually satisfactory. Then remove the skin soak it in fresh water to remove the salt and flesh the hide to remove any remaining fat, muscle and the top layer of membranes on the flesh side.
Let dry but not to a point of being hard. Apply the LiquiTan to the flesh side and let it absorb into the hide.
Now the fun begins, take a blunt board and work the skin back and forth to breakdown all the fibers to soften the hide, lots of 'elbow grease' is need to work the hide properly. You may have to reapply to certain areas until soft.
ETA that's the shortened version of a long process.

 

[BantyChooks]

Yeah, there are a couple of ways to preserve the skins of small animals. A dry preservative or a 'wet' method or traditional tanning the hide.
LiquiTan, trade name, can be used for small skins and capes.
The animal should be skinned, all fat and muscle removed and salted down to stop bacteria growth. Roll the skin up, flesh side in, and put in a refrigerator to 'sweat', that means getting the moisture out of the skin. Depending on how big the skin is that's to be tanned, a day to a week is usually satisfactory. Then remove the skin soak it in fresh water to remove the salt and flesh the hide to remove any remaining fat, muscle and the top layer of membranes on the flesh side.
Let dry but not to a point of being hard. Apply the LiquiTan to the flesh side and let it absorb into the hide.
Now the fun begins, take a blunt board and work the skin back and forth to breakdown all the fibers to soften the hide, lots of 'elbow grease' is need to work the hide properly. You may have to reapply to certain areas until soft.
ETA that's the shortened version of a long process.

Thanks.

 

[007Sean]

Thanks.

Your welcome...it takes alot of hours to properly tan even a small hide.

 

[007Sean]

Mr Sean do u think its worked for her becuz theres so little meat?

Hereis the link she sent me saying ro do it this way

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-preserve-bird-wings-legs-and-heads...the-/

I ran across this many years ago....your not preserving anything! by this method, all your doing is drying it out. If you read at the end it says the same thing I said, if moisture gets to the wing it will rot because it still has the muscles attached. By removing as much of the muscle as possible and using a preservative, not a dessicate, you won't run into that problem.
And as I said Borax is better to use than cornmeal. It's not that hard to remove any that may get attached to the wing. Salt has also been used for thousands of years to preserve things.
And as far as a head being done that way would be totally stupid IMHO.
It would be better to skin the head out to the beak, remove the eyes, brain. Use persevative on the skin and in the brain cavity, fill the cavity and eyes sockets with clay and roll the skin back over the head. Let it dry and it is better preserved and doesn't take 2 months.

 

[mixedUPturk]

I ran across this many years ago....your not preserving anything! by this method, all your doing is drying it out. If you read at the end it says the same thing I said, if moisture gets to the wing it will rot because it still has the muscles attached. By removing as much of the muscle as possible and using a preservative, not a dessicate, you won't run into that problem.
And as I said Borax is better to use than cornmeal. It's not that hard to remove any that may get attached to the wing. Salt has also been used for thousands of years to preserve things.
And as far as a head being done that way would be totally stupid IMHO.
It would be better to skin the head out to the beak, remove the eyes, brain. Use persevative on the skin and in the brain cavity, fill the cavity and eyes sockets with clay and roll the skin back over the head. Let it dry and it is better preserved and doesn't take 2 months.

Your being condescending and i dont appreciate that. I very much respect you, your knowledge, and theres no need to treat us like morons. We believed something we read on the internet, that Seemed to work, thats all. I read every bit of it twice. i see where your coming from and i asked an honest question. They also say to use moth balls and that would be furthure proof of what your saying. Im trying to have my information clear. Thanks

 

[ShrekDawg]

I wonder what super suburban people do in their spare time...while we play with preserved dead things

Go to spin class. Wear “athleisure”. Order oatmilk lattes.

Also go to PTA meetings, drive their kids to soccer practice, ask to speak to the manager.

Really tho?! id be so bored!



Thanks!



Nice to meetcha and very nice hutch!

Agreed! Wearing the same now wanted to take a pic but no one wants to see the jungle 3 toddlers = little time for self care

Aww I’m sure you look fine!!

Did you at least pop it?

EWWW Kiki!!

You are grossed out at the suggestion of digging in the compost and the smell but wanted them to pop it!?

I had just under 2 per square foot at first and while they seemed content and didn't fight, they refused to lay. Even at 1 per square foot, I had to cull back further. Now I'm at 1 per 2 square feet and they are laying well. I could certainly add some more at this point, but I wouldn't go over 1 adult per square foot.

Thanks this is helpful.

Hey, preserved dead things are cool. I don't have any bird wings, but I wanted to save a few of the quail ones the last time I processed. Maybe I will next time.

I was going to save the weasel pelt that I got this spring, but I've no idea how to preserve it.

Do it!

Now I'm going to be saving quail wings.

I wish Sam hadn't escaped—her wings were gorgeous. I was seriously eyeing them as something to preserve when her turn for the chopper came.

Awww that sucks

 

[el dorado quail]

Go to spin class. Wear “athleisure”. Order oatmilk lattes.

I admit to the second thing. I love nike - so comfy and cool while laboring for the quail gods

Really tho?! id be so bored!

Everytime I have an extended suburbia stay I pretty much die inside...

Cornmeal will do nothing as far as preserving the wing. If you don't have a dry preservative on hand, you can get Borax at the store... it was used for years before modern dry preservatives became available for the profession.

Is borax an old timey box soap? Can you do heavy salt immersion also?

Also go to PTA meetings, drive their kids to soccer practice, ask to speak to the manager.

Barrrrfff

 

[ShrekDawg]

I admit to the second thing. I love nike - so comfy and cool while laboring for the quail gods




Everytime I have an extended suburbia stay I pretty much die inside...


Is borax an old timey box soap? Can you do heavy salt immersion also?


Barrrrfff

agreed

 

[007Sean]

I admit to the second thing. I love nike - so comfy and cool while laboring for the quail gods




Everytime I have an extended suburbia stay I pretty much die inside...


Is borax an old timey box soap? Can you do heavy salt immersion also?


Barrrrfff

Yes, the borax soap can be used but it has a detergent in it...plain borax is better. When I was mounting birds, if I wanted to eat the bird, I would use cornmeal while skinning. If I was just mounting the bird I would use Calorox exclusively. Using salt will dry the meat by drawing the moisture out of the muscles but doesn't 'preserve' the skin, and help keep bugs from getting to whatever it is that you're trying to preserve. You can also use alum to draw the moisture out of whatever you want to 'preserve' but it too will not keep the bugs away.

ETA after skinning, using the cornmeal, I would then use the Calorox to preserve the skin.