"Cleanest" butcher for taxidermy?

[Painted Calls]

Yeah my friend said something about touching the foot with one wire and the foot with another. I had the same reaction that you have.

No no no no no. My goodness.

 

[cottontail farm]

Hmmm. For taxidermy, you just need the hide, right? I mean, you're not actually going to embalm the thing. To my limited knowledge, you don't need to keep the organs intact, you're going to mount it on a frame. That's how they do deer and other mammals so I'd imagine that's how one would do a bird as well. Having said that, I don't think it matters much how you do the actual kill, provided you don't damage the feathers too much. At some point you have to skin the bird, that's what you need to know. Google how to skin a chicken.

Yes, I only need to be able to skin it carefully and repair any damage to the skin. But the way I usually process birds is to decapitate them and I don't think there is any fixing that.

 

[cottontail farm]

A taxidermy friend wanted a roo. He wanted to electrocute it. Not sure how he would have done that.

Someone on here was using ether in a tight container for non-food animals

I'm not really sure that I'd trust either of those methods. Maybe I'll just shoot it?

 

[cottontail farm]

I'm sorry for your distress but my weird brain laughed WAY too hard at you fainting twice. I wish there was an emoji for smelling salts

I'm not really sure why this is kicking up so much dust? It's the burchering forum for discussing, well, killing birds? The only difference is that I'm stuffing the skin instead of throwing it out?

 

[Painted Calls]

Yes, I only need to be able to skin it carefully and repair any damage to the skin. But the way I usually process birds is to decapitate them and I don't think there is any fixing that.

You'd be surprised what a good taxidermist can fix. I'd worry about damaging feathers this way though.

 

[cottontail farm]

Choke the chicken huh? This is a serious thread but I have the giggles.

 

[Molpet]

Pithing maybe something to look up

 

[cottontail farm]

Most ducks are shot gunned. The feathers do well hiding the holes on a mount and a good taxidermist will work with what they have. Talk with your taxidermist and see what they suggest. Cervical dislocation or slitting the throat is quick and humane.

Will you skin yourself and process the meat? The taxidermist may want to do that personally. Saving the hide is an art and different people handle the wings differently.

Thank you. This is something I've been reading about for years, have collected books on and would like to try myself. It will be a ton of work but something I'll be proud of. I'm thinking shooting it would probably be best but was looking for an alternative because it might be a bit harder to repair the damage on a bantam then, say a duck.

 

[RUNuts]

Thank you. This is something I've been reading about for years, have collected books on and would like to try myself. It will be a ton of work but something I'll be proud of. I'm thinking shooting it would probably be best but was looking for an alternative because it might be a bit harder to repair the damage on a bantam then, say a duck.

There are small ducks. Teal are little rockets. Delicious and worth the effort. Shotgunning is too uncertain for a kill, in my opinion. A 22 would destroy the head. Hadn't considered this aspect.

Congratulations! You will be preserving one yourself. I'd like to hear how you handle the wings. Will you make a body form or purchase one? A coworker would wrap straw and custom make his forms. We had several discussions many moons ago. I was curious but not inclined to attempt it myself.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes, I only need to be able to skin it carefully and repair any damage to the skin. But the way I usually process birds is to decapitate them and I don't think there is any fixing that.

Sure would be interested to see the finished product. Is this a particularly magnificent bird, or just something to practice on? Picture of the bird now would be nice too, actually.