Bet this will cause a furore !!!! But it's recycling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is there a hygienic way I can do this, I don't want mixie. There are lots of pathetic little scraps at the moment and loads and loads of small flat hedgehogs. Saaaaaaaaad.
Gen in Northumberland
If you want to cure skins like Rabbit try potash, remove the skin from the carcase if it is an intact carcase and not knock about slit up the belly remove the guts and then cut inside of the back legs and pull the fur over the back legs and right down the body to the head cut off the head and you will be left with the skin stretch this out and nail to a piece of wood and treat with potash some people will call it Alum, let the skin cure then stitch it together and stuff with with whatever takes your fancy for your girl thingy toy, :)
Sick >:(
Thank you Mr Smith for your helpful reply. We have lost the skills our grandparents once had.
I have seen mole skins pinned to a flat board somewhere locally, but forget where.
You cannot be squeamish in the country!!!! Those lovely little lambs which entertained us with their gambollings a few weeks ago have all disappeared, guess where?
Gen in rural Northumberland
Obviously you are bored in rural Northumberland.Maybe having to scratch your head and have a good think of how to occupy yourself. :P
genlistlass,
you can see already by one reply that if theres not a supermarket on the doorstep full of cans they are lost and what countryfolk do is classed as being sick, I've lost count of the times I have stopped to pick up road kill first thing in the morning, don't throw the carcase away get it the pot, :)
I live in a busy rural area.Real country people do not have to try to show how rural they are by following these stupid pastimes.Too busy working the land and caring for stock. :o
The person asked a genuine question and I only replied because I thought I could answer the query remember Betula we have a lot of cat owners on this site who could also make a fluffy toy now, :)
This sounds like one of Viz magazine's Top Tips..
"a flat hedgehog on a piece of string makes an excellent cat toy"
I agree sick.
june.
another use: follow Mr Smiths instructions. But instead of a toy when the skin is cured, place your foot on the skin. Draw a line around your foot, cut out and use as a wellie liner. Really keeps the feet warm in winter. ;D ;D Waste not, want not.
I remember as a child doing the shopping with my mother and going into the butcher (a 'real' butcher) and if you asked nicely they would cut the fluffy tail off a rabbit hanging in the window and give it to you. Changed days heh!
I was fed roadkill when growing up- mainly rabbits, hare, the odd pheasant and on a couple of occasions a deer. We needed to use a saw once to get a large red stag into the back of the car!
My dad will still pick up things that aren't too flat, waste not want not. Can't see the problem here, unless you're going out to run them over! Cats need entertainment, why not do it in a free, carbon neutral way?
i can't quite see how this is sick she is only interested in using something that is already dead to its full usefullness.
even if she was hunting it herself at least she's using every scrap of the carcass.
as they say waste not want not.
Quote from: taurus on May 18, 2009, 09:54:03
another use: follow Mr Smiths instructions. But instead of a toy when the skin is cured, place your foot on the skin. Draw a line around your foot, cut out and use as a wellie liner. Really keeps the feet warm in winter. ;D ;D Waste not, want not.
now that is a good tip, not that i'll get the chance to use it anytime soon.
I certainly wouldn't do it - but have no problem with anyone else using it for something useful?!
I suppose when the animal is dead whether it be by roadkill or in the butchers - there is no harm in using its skin as a by product for any use.
I do certainly not agree to some people (as some people do in China) just use the animals for their skin.
Old Bird
;D
Quote from: Old bird on May 18, 2009, 11:03:15
I certainly wouldn't do it - but have no problem with anyone else using it for something useful?!
I suppose when the animal is dead whether it be by roadkill or in the butchers - there is no harm in using its skin as a by product for any use.
I do certainly not agree to some people (as some people do in China) just use the animals for their skin.
Old Bird
;D
i agree with you, i think its wasteful to only use an animal's skin. i believe whether you are breeding an animal for slaughter or you are hunting it you should use every usable part of it to the best of your abilities and or pass it on to someone who can (and i don't mean pining it to a wall). if you can't use it properly then maybe you shouldn't be killing it.
Quote from: taurus on May 18, 2009, 09:54:03
another use: follow Mr Smiths instructions. But instead of a toy when the skin is cured, place your foot on the skin. Draw a line around your foot, cut out and use as a wellie liner. Really keeps the feet warm in winter. ;D ;D Waste not, want not.
I hope you mean the rabbit...not the hedgehog.......Ouch!
You need to scrap the skin well (sorry don't know if it's before or after curing can't remember...my Mum did sheep skins it took a long time) to soften it otherwise it will be very hard.
Thought that would get you all going ;D
I appreciate all the help, the extra ideas, like the wellie warmer idea! The funny comments made me laugh out loud. Hedgehog toys, ouch.
As for being bored in rural Northgumberland, I'M NOT. I'm not a farmer, I'm a 60 year old lady with arthritis who lives by her self most of the year.
Approaching 60 I moved house and continent. At 59 I started my own business as everyone thought me too old to employ. In a "new to me" village I joined the parish council forum, the Residents association, I'm on the committee of the local art group which stages open exhibitions three times a year. I'm in the local history society and am just about to start another art group as once a week is not enough.
Oh I'm in the village Book Club too. I might as well throw in that I've rescued a garden from being blitzed by previous owners energetic children, started a veggie patch and a cut flower garden. The greenhouse has my first every veggie seedlings filling its staging, and NO I'm not bored or looking for a pastime.
The cat is very aged and arthritic. I took him from a local rescue charity as no one would adopt him. He needs playing with often to keep his weight down and he doesn't like bought toys on which I've wasted enough money. Often I foster dogs from said charity if the kennels are full or they would suffer in kennels.
Still think I've nothing to do? Oh and by the way I'm from a farming background so don't make assumptions about people you don't know!
Gen in Northumberland.... grrrrrr.... off me soapbox!
All the little mice toys that are given to cats are made with rabbit fur, as are quite a number of kids toys imported from China. Cant see the problem with making your own myself, if I shoot a rabbit for the pot, the fur would normally get thrown away unless I use it to tie some fishing flies - seems a lot better than wasting it.
I do worry that all the old traditions will disappear due to the supamarkets. 20 years from now people will not Know how to make Jam - let alone skin a rabbit
However ....... its quite rare to find a rabbit without fleas ,this is how the mixi spreads, tho not every rabbit with fleas will have mixi. Make sure you hang the fur / rabbit long enough for the fleas to depart and keep the fur away from pet rabbits.
Hello Gen,yes I can see now why you need to scrape out a rabbit,watch out for those fleas now ::)
gentlistlass,
well said I doubt if Betula knows what part of the country Nothumberland is in, :)
If he is an old cat why not let him sleep and feed him less. My cats never had toys, they just went in the garden and played about. When they were younger they caught the odd bird, mouse, leaf or even a frog that frightened the live out of me as it jumped about the kitchen. I say 'let sleeping cats lie'. If you wish to make a toy out of rabbit kill, it doesn't really bother me, but can't really see the point if the cat is old. My cats used to quite like me knitting so they could taggle up the wool and they seem to like paper bags. Be careful of fleas, as we had to have the house sprayed, when my cats both had fleas and it was very, very itchy and unpleasant. Frontline is brilliant so no problems so far this year.
Quote from: Mr Smith on May 18, 2009, 17:53:42
gentlistlass,
well said I doubt if Betula knows what part of the country Nothumberland is in, :)
I do ,so there. :P
It is where people scrape dead rabbit off the road to make cat toys. ::)
Betula,
And a Nah,Nah, n Nah, Nah to you, I think you owe that lady an apology by assuming that she does nothing more than collect squashed bunnies,
My old rescue cat, Charlie, is now reading all this on the computer. He is clever cause he knows it is the only time I sit still for long.
As I am the chair person of The squashed bunnies of Northumberland Association I can only give one answer.NO. :o
Chair person or speaker I don't really give a toss with a bit of luck tomorrow for that comment, 'YOU'RE FIRED',
My name aint Michael ???