How to dress a goat skin at home: rules and step by step instructions

Growing animals with fur on the backyard poses a problem for the owners: what to do with the skin after slaughter? How to dress the skin of a goat at home? The process of processing leather and fur raw materials takes time and patience. But, having a desire and theoretical knowledge on this issue, a beginner can cope with this difficult task.

Characteristic features of hide products

Fur products from goat skins are light, warm, beautiful. The difference between goat skin and sheepskin lies in the structural features of the dermis. The skin of mammals consists of 3 layers:

• epidermis;
• dermis;
• subcutaneous fat.

The dermis is formed by collagen fibers and connective tissue and consists of 2 layers: papillary and reticular. The strength and elasticity of the skin depends on the state of the dermis. In goat skin, unlike sheep skin, the papillary layer is denser, and the reticular layer is thicker. Collagen fibers of the papillary level form a dense network, which gives the dermis strength. The collagen bundles of the mesh layer are interlaced crosswise, which affects the elasticity of the skin.

Sweat and sebaceous glands are less than in sheep skins. Hair bags are straight, fused by 2-3. Thanks to this structure of the dermis, goat skins become soft and elastic after dressing.

Classification of goat skins

The weight of a pair (freshly skinned) is about 6% of the weight of the animal. According to the thickness, paired skins are divided into IV subgroups (in millimeters):

• from 1.8 to 2.5 - adult goat;
• from 2.2 to 3.5 - adult goat;
• from 0.9 to 1.4 kids at 2-3 months of age;
• 1.3 to 2.2 - kids aged 5 to 6 months.

The quality of raw materials depends on the period of slaughter, on the basis of which they are classified:

1. Winter goat (November-January). Purpose - fur coats, fur products, shoes and haberdashery.
2. Spring (February-June). Not used in leather and fur production due to numerous defects in the dermis, the molting period.
3. Summer (June-July). Appointment - the manufacture of chevro and lining for outerwear.
4. Autumn (August-October). Purpose - the manufacture of high-quality chevro and leather linings.

Depending on the breeds goats are distinguished:

• bread (for example, Russian breed);
• steppe (Orenburg);
• fur (Pridonskaya).

Skins of kids up to 1800 square centimeters are divided into:

• moire-klam (at least 300 square centimeters) - from premature animals and miscarriages;
• from 400 square centimeters with pile length up to 4/more than 4 centimeters.

According to the size and age of animals, the skin is classified:

• fur goat (up to 1.5 months);
• very small (up to 3 months);
• small and medium (3-6 and 6-10 months);
• large and extra large (young and adult animals).

4 grades are distinguished by the quality of hairline.

How to skin

The carcass is hung up by the hind legs and 3 cuts are made:

• transverse from one hindhoof to the other through the anus;
• transverse from the metacarpal joint of one front hoof to the other through the sternum;
• longitudinal from the throat along the sternum and belly to the tail.

The skin is removed in one layer, from top to bottom. Tight fit of the skin to the carcass is cut with a knife. Fat and fat are cut off, leaving on the meat.

Required tools

Tools for dressing:

• skinning knives;
• metal scraper;
• fat skimming spoon;
• clips;
• hammers (wood and metal);
• metal comb;
• brushes.

In addition, you will need tools for stretching and cleaning the goat (blanks, hangers, frames).

Rules for dressing

At home, subject to technological requirements, a high-quality semi-finished fur product is obtained, suitable for further use.

Primary conservation

The skin is cooled by laying it upside down for 30 minutes. Preparation for conservation begins with the removal of meat and fat residues. Then the goat is covered with s alt (1.5-2 kilograms), folded into an envelope and left in a cool room for 3 days so that the s alt absorbs moisture from the mezra. After that, the s alt is scraped off and the skin is stretched onto a frame to dry. Thin skins of kids are dried without the use of s alt (fresh-dry method). Dry the skins in a dry, warm, ventilated area for 2 weeks.

Soak off

Hard and dry skins for dressing must be softened, which requires soaking. At least 10 liters of water is required for 1 skin. To speed up soaking, prevent rotting and fat (excess moisture in the core) you need:

• water temperature 25-30 degrees;
• washing powder (2 grams per 1 liter);
• antiseptic (1 gram per 1 liter);
• food s alt (30/50 grams per 1 liter);
• shuffle.

For overdried skins, vinegar essence is added to the solution at the rate of 2 grams per 1 liter. The duration of soaking ranges from 20 to 48 hours, depending on the condition of the goats after drying.

Soaked goats, before proceeding to the next operation, should be degreased. To do this, dissolve washing powder, s alt, gasoline (if the skin is very greasy) in water at a temperature of 40 degrees.

Quantitative composition per 10 liters of water at a temperature of 40 degrees:

• washing powder - 200 grams;
• s alt - 300 grams;
• gasoline - 1 gram.

The skins are kept in solution for 24 hours at a constant temperature and stirring. Then the goats are washed in clean water for 30 minutes, hung out to drain the water and proceed to the next stage of dressing.

Mezdrenie

Soaked and fat-free mezdra is cleaned of films. The goat is laid out on a deck / staple and carefully, so as not to break through the skin, scrape off the remnants of fat and tendons. The mezdra is leveled in thickness, cutting thickenings with a sharp knife. Ridden goats are washed in soapy water (2 grams of detergent per 1 liter) at a temperature of 35 degrees. Then rinse for half an hour in warm water.

Picking

At the pickling stage, collagen fibers are subject to processing. Acid-s alt exposure dissolves the proteins that bind them, increasing the porosity of the dermis. The composition of the pickel includes (per 10 liters of water):

• s alt - 500 grams;
• acetic acid 70% - 250 milliliters;
• 100 milliliters of liquid soap;
• 300 milliliters of gasoline.

The temperature of the aqueous solution is 40 degrees. The skins placed in the pickel are periodically mixed and incubated for 2 to 3 days. The end of pickling is checked by a dryer or pinch. In the first case, in the groin area, the skin is folded into a cross and carried out along the fold with a fingernail. A white mark remains on the straightened dermis, disappearing after a while. Pinch is a test of the strength of the pile.

If it easily separates from the skin, then the skin can be removed from the pickel.

Decubitus

The squeezed goats are placed in a container with the fur outside, covered with burlap, oppression is set. In this state, the process of ripening takes place in the mezdra within 2 days. The temperature in the room at which the sore takes place is not lower than 18 degrees.

Tanning

After pickling, the core becomes soft and elastic, but exposed to moisture and temperature. The tanning treatment creates a protective film on the collagen fibers.

Chemical or natural tanning agents are used for tanning goats:

• chrompic (potassium bichromate) + sulfuric acid;
• chromium sulphate with basicity 42;
• willow/oak bark;
• horse sorrel.

Half of the prepared chromium tanning agent is dissolved in 10 liters of water at a temperature of 40 degrees (90 grams of chromium sulfate is poured with 900 milliliters of boiling water, stirred and divided into 2 parts). The skin is placed in the tanning agent, stirring once an hour for 10 minutes. After 5-6 hours, add the 2nd part of the tanning agent.

The whole tanning process lasts from 20 to 24 hours. Finally, neutralization is carried out. To do this, 250 grams of baking soda is dissolved in hot water, divided into 2 portions. The first is poured in 4 hours, the second - 2 hours before the end of tanning. Tanned skins are squeezed out, laid on a bed for 12 hours.

Fatting

So that the tanning agent is not washed out of the skin, the skins are covered with a layer of fat emulsion. At home, it can be prepared from equal parts of the yolk and glycerin. The skins are stretched on a frame, smeared with a brush and left to dry in a place protected from the sun.As the goatskins dry, they are creased and stretched to keep them soft and supple.

Cleanup

The last stage of dressing is cleaning the mezdra with sandpaper. Then it is treated with chalk / tooth powder. The fur is combed with brushes and a comb.

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