Salted Icelandic Pelts

Preparing the sheep's hides for tanning when they come off the animal is a multi-step process. It's a messy job, one that requires fortitude, commitment and perseverance.

Late fall is the time of slaughter for us with our Icelandic sheep. Many folks don't bother with the hides because it is a lot of work. But, once processed, Icelandic sheepskin pelts are incredibly gorgeous and luxurious and they make a fine value added product for the farm.

Last year we had aproximately 50 animals processed between our wholesale and retail business. Most slaughterhouses will give you the skins if you ask for them, but it often does require an additional trip to the processor to pick them up. Ask your facility, perhaps they can freeze them and hold them for you. Some slaughterhouses will actually salt them for you, but you'll still need to let them dry a bit before shipping them off.

We typically make the extra trip down to pick up horns (a post for another day!) and hides. Once we get them home, we scrape them and trim the fat. We cut and trim the neck and crotch where they need evening out. Then each pelt is salted by hand with copious amounts of fine salt which can be obtained in 50lb bags from your local feed store. Then the pelts are hung to drip dry. The fleeces are filled with blood from the slaughter. We often create a small trough with plastic to catch the blood. The salt preserves the skin of the hide, preventing rot. It also prevents the terrible odor associated with decaying biological material. Salting the pelts is necessary in order to get them to a tannery for tanning. Most tanneries take around 12-16 weeks to process fall pelts.

Finished Icelandic Sheepskin

But once you have the finished pelts, you'll realize why you went to all that effort! See our Icelandic Sheepskins for Sale from our Vermont farm by following this link: Icelandic Sheepskins for Sale