Butchering adult rabbits in winter is best

because they have thinner skin and thicker

fur.

Tanning a Rabbit Hide

A hide can be split from head to tail along

the belly's midline at any time during this
process, but I prefer to wait until the
process is complete to do this

Washing and Cooling the Skin

1. Let pelt soak in cold water, then thoroughly rinse the hide in more cold water to finish cooling
it as quickly as possible
2. Washing away all the blood left in the skin, any that's not removed will leave permanent
brown stains in the leather after tanning
3. Carefully squeeze (never wring!) the excess water from the pelt
4. Thoroughly cleaned hides can be preserved for later processing by freezing; drying on a
stretcher, or salting and drying

First Tanning Solution

1. In a 4-6 gallon plastic bucket, pour 2 gal. of room-temperature (about 70F) water into the
pail, and add either but not both of the following recipes.
Each formula will be
RECIPE #1
adequate to tan 6-9
Salt/Alum
medium-sized pelts
- 1 cup of coarse or granulated salt (not iodized)
- 1 cup of common alum (aluminum sulfate or any of several similar double sulfates),
powdered or granulated
RECIPE #2
Salt/Acid
- 1 pound of coarse or granulated salt (not iodized, about 1 3/4 cups)
- 1 ounce of full-strength sulfuric acid, or 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of battery acid (dilute
sulfuric acid)
*5-lb. sack of the salt (look for non-iodized pickling salt) for about $1.00
*Alum is stocked by biological supply companies, handicraft and leather shops, chemical
suppliers, pharmacies, and feed stores. Doesnt matter if its commercial or medicinal grade,
$1.00 - $3.00 / lb.
*Battery acid (electrolyte) is available from auto supply houses for about $1.00 per gallon
(128 ounces) and is usually sold in 5-gal. buckets
More expensive alum mixture produces whiter, softer leather with a fine feeling

2. Add chemicals to the water, powders must be completely dissolved before adding the pelts.
DO NOT USE METAL TO STIR, the elements will dissolve into mixture.

Special
3. Drop
eachNote:
skin into the mix and swish it around to work the solution into the fur and skin. A
wooden stick or spoon (or gloved hands) can be used.
Dont use water above 80F
4. Allow pelts to remain in the brine at room temperature (65-70F) for 2 days, stirring at
Make
sure
solution
is completely
well them down using a glass jug filled with water
least
twice
a day.
If pelts
float to themixed
top, weigh
or a clean rock
Stir pelt in solution so liquid comes into contact with all parts of pelt
5. After 2-7 full days, squeeze excess brine from the skins (save the solution) and rinse pelts in
cold water

Fleshing the Hide

Fleshing is process of removing fatty tissue to expose the actual leather to chemical action.
Rabbits have a clearly defined under-tissue which can be peeled off in one piece after the first
chemical soaking.
1. The flesh separates most readily from the back. Start there and peel towards neck. A steak
knife can be used to scrape difficult areas on the belly and around legs. Be careful not to peel
too deep and expose the root hairs, but try to get off as much fatty tissue as possible.
2. Rinse the fleshed hides in cool water and then squeeze out (never wring!) the excess liquid

Second Tanning Solution

1. Add the same amount of salt/alum or salt/acid as you did in the first soaking solution to the
current brine
2. Put the pelts in the liquid, one at a time, working each hide thoroughly like before - to coat it
with the mix
3. Keep the skins soaking at room temperature for 7 days, stirring them at least twice a day.
4. You can test for tanning "doneness" by boiling a small piece for a few minutes in water. If the
leather curls up and becomes hard and rubbery, not ready yet. A well-tanned skin will show
little or no change in boiling water.

Drying and Fluffing

1. After one pelt tested "done," remove all from the solution and squeeze out excess brine
2. Any liquid that remains should be dumped out discard so chemicals dont contaminate
garden, water, or animals
3. Wash each pelt thoroughly with a mild detergent. Can use inexpensive scented shampoo for
soft, fluffy, clean, and sweet smelling fur
4. Rinse the hide several times in lukewarm water and squeeze out (never wring!) the excess
liquid

5. Hang pelts in the shade to dry. Takes 6 hours - 2 days for skins to become fully dried,
depending on temperature, humidity, and thickness of leather. DO NOT put wet hides in direct
sun or near heat - they will quickly shrink and become brittle.
6. OPTIONAL: When pelts are just barely damp, put in electric dryer with NO heat, for 15 - 45
min. The machine fluffing makes fur easier to work with.
7. You may see white patches start appearing on the leather. This is when you need to start to
work them

Working the Leather

1. Pull the leather side of each pelt back and forth over the back of a chair, in all directions. Also
pull and stretch parts that need extra work with your fingers. The leather should turn
increasingly white and soft as it dries out completely.
- If any parts become stiff, spray water on them and continue to work them
- Be firm as you pull the leather, but don't use too much force, or you might tear it
- Finished hides may be tacked to a frame so they dry flat

Finishing and Storage

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Brush fur with a small hairbrush

Massage into fur mink oil (can buy at shoe store) or Neats Foot Oil into the leather
Try buffing leather with fine sandpaper to give it a soft feeling
Allow hide to dry
Dont keep hides in airtight container. You can place them in a cardboard box with bar soap to
repel insects