Emergency Procedure to salvage skins

Skins that have already dehydrated before salting will most likely suffer hair loss during further processing, as the salt has not penetrated the skin to preserve it. In such cases the following procedure should be followed immediately to try to salvage the skin.

1. Remove all flesh and fat if possible.
2. Wash off all blood and dirt with cold water.
3. Soaked skins and hides in a disinfectant-salt solution of 2kg salt to 5ml dettol to 10l water for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. Ensure that the skin is immersed in this solution.
4. Lay the skin out on a clean surface with the flesh side facing up. Immediately salt the flesh side of the skin with approximately ½ cm layer of salt (no.1 vee sout). Ensure that all areas are covered and that there are no folds in the skin preventing the salt from penetrating.
5. Deliver to Taxidermy immediately.