Anyone ever dried a chicken skin?

A friend and I over the last couple of days have culled most of my Roosters.

We skinned them as this is an easier less smelly option.

The end result however was amazing! The intact skin with the feathers still on, including the wing tips, and tail feathers. Just stunning!!!

We have removed most of the fat layer (what little there was) and pinned them on a board and left them to dry out a bit.

Should we salt them? Or wait until the skins have dried out.

The objective is to keep the skin intact complete with the feathers.

Hi Xartep,

I've never done it but know that the biggest danger are flies. Once the maggots start eating away the skin is spoilt. If you don't get any more competent advice soon - I'd salt them, roll them up with alu foil and put them into the freezer and see whether there is a tannery who can preserve them.

Contact a taxidermist for advice :cool:

Never done chicken, Pheasant through... it's easy, just ask an old fly tyer who has drawers full of kingfisher, starling, pukeko, pheasant, rooster, quail and anything else you can think of skin your bird, clean the inside layer and lace to a frame, then paint with concentrated potassium permaganate solution (purple condys crystals I believe for the oldies) once dry, repaint, continue until the skin is permeated with a purpleish colour visible from the feather side if you brush the feathers apart.

The pot. permaganate stops rot and those flaming eat-anything moths, while keeping them dry keeps out maggots.

if you do a lot and they're colourfull types, you could try selling a few of the surplus on trademe under "hunting and fishing > Fishing > Flyfiishng > Other" as fly tying supplies.

Never done chicken, Pheasant through... it's easy, just ask an old fly tyer who has drawers full of kingfisher, starling, pukeko, pheasant, rooster, quail and anything else you can think of skin your bird, clean the inside layer and lace to a frame, then paint with concentrated potassium permaganate solution (purple condys crystals I believe for the oldies) once dry, repaint, continue until the skin is permeated with a purpleish colour visible from the feather side if you brush the feathers apart.

The pot. permaganate stops rot and those flaming eat-anything moths, while keeping the dry keeps out maggots.

Thank You, will get some of that tomorrow.