If you source your hides from your own flock, then you will likely have some consistency with results for each one. When you begin sourcing them from off your farm, be prepared for everything. There are some key things to keep in mind:

1) Each hide will be different. Some minimally different, others will be very different. Different in effort to clean, flesh, etc. You will have to adjust your methods and time accordingly.

2) Age, gender, and even the breed have their roles: I have found the older the sheep, the tougher the hides are to soften, and if they are from an old ram, then be prepared for a little extra elbow grease to soften, and remove the sheepy smell.

3) Hides should smell meaty, bloody even, probably even like manure, and of course like a sheep. The fat contains the most “flavor” so the fattier the sheepskin, the smellier it will likely be. Fatty ram hides have the most pungent and distinct smell. a. If it smells rotten: Some people are more sensitive to smells than others, so you may think it is rotting, when in fact it is not. But, if it smells “bad”, like it is decomposing, try pulling the wool in various spots on the hide. The wool is always going to be easier to pull out on the edges where the skin was cut off the animal, but if you grab the center of the hide and wool slips or pulls right off, then it has started to decompose. There is nothing you can do to reverse this

4) Timing: Your climate will play a role in how long it takes for you to complete tanning. I find that spring and summer are more favorable. Summer is very humid and hot in Ohio, and it can take a while for hides to dry, plus there are so many flies! Winter can be a challenge because working in the elements is not ideal, but you get the benefit of having a bit more time to get hides cured because the temperatures are low. In most conditions, it takes four days – two weeks to complete a hide. I spend anywhere from 4- 10 hours on one sheepskin from start to finish.