Rabbit's Foot

[Happy]

My father's a biology teacher and kept a number of snakes including a large Burmese python, a tree boa, and a red tailed boa. We fed rabbits to some of them and if we had one that had any broken limbs we wouldn't feed them for the reason I listed above.

I don't doubt it, I just want to have a conversation about it with someone I know. She's not been around though, so I might forget before talking to her. I personally wouldn't feed a snake anything that wasn't intact either.

 

[Shelbers91]

What about if you take off the feet then debone the leg? The snake regurgitates the bones anyways so if you debone that piece they should be ok right?

 

[Happy]

I suppose if you disarticulated it at the knee or hip, it would prevent jagged bone issues.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

What about if you take off the feet then debone the leg? The snake regurgitates the bones anyways so if you debone that piece they should be ok right?

They actually digest the whole animal, bones and fur and all, the only snakes I know of who spit up the hard stuff are egg-eaters. Watching them swallow an egg, crack it inside them, then spit out the empty shells is actually really cool! But constrictors (and really any other snake I can think of) actually break down the bones with their incredibly powerful stomach acid.

Somewhere online I once saw x-rays of a snake after eating a rat, taken over time, and the bones just dissolved into nothing.

Just sayin'.

HOWEVER, missing a leg bone won't deprive an otherwise healthy snake, so I can't see why that wouldn't work.

 

[Julz]

my plan to do the same for rabbit feet is to give the actual bone to the dogs and treat the fur then stuff with just material goes against tradition for a half Gypsy like myself and your niece would have to wait for me to do this for you as freezer camp day long way off but thought id put it out there for you anyhow!

 

[DarayTala]

I've actually used just salt to preserve rabbits feet and it works just fine. I leave the feet completely immersed in salt for at least a month, usually longer just to be safe. You can take the skin off and scrape off the tissue, but it works just as well either way. I've been using the same method with chicken feet for years, and occasionally with feet from other fresh hides like goat, raccoon, etc (I make my living doing leather work), and I've never had a problem with smell or decomposition yet. Once the foot is preserved you can wrap wire, or shape thin metal into a cap, and top the foot with it. If you do decide to try it yourself, good luck!

 

[Shelbers91]

What about if you take off the feet then debone the leg? The snake regurgitates the bones anyways so if you debone that piece they should be ok right?

They actually digest the whole animal, bones and fur and all, the only snakes I know of who spit up the hard stuff are egg-eaters. Watching them swallow an egg, crack it inside them, then spit out the empty shells is actually really cool! But constrictors (and really any other snake I can think of) actually break down the bones with their incredibly powerful stomach acid.

Somewhere online I once saw x-rays of a snake after eating a rat, taken over time, and the bones just dissolved into nothing.

Just sayin'.

HOWEVER, missing a leg bone won't deprive an otherwise healthy snake, so I can't see why that wouldn't work.

Oops you are right. Most snakes I've watched eat were egg eaters. And ya know, I have no idea why that is. Lol would that degrade the quality so that I should lower price if I did that?

I've actually used just salt to preserve rabbits feet and it works just fine. I leave the feet completely immersed in salt for at least a month, usually longer just to be safe. You can take the skin off and scrape off the tissue, but it works just as well either way. I've been using the same method with chicken feet for years, and occasionally with feet from other fresh hides like goat, raccoon, etc (I make my living doing leather work), and I've never had a problem with smell or decomposition yet. Once the foot is preserved you can wrap wire, or shape thin metal into a cap, and top the foot with it. If you do decide to try it yourself, good luck!

Why type of salt do you use? I did this bird wing in table salt for like 2 months and it doesn't stink. (Found dead bird under moms cars hood. It was gross but this wing was in decent shape so I wanted to try to practice preserving ) Stupid phone is deciding to make my pictures too big to post today so I had to hold it out as far as I could and zoom in for crap quality sorry. Idk how to get the salt off though
Also does anyone know how to dye rabbits feet?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I don't think it would damage the quality, but some people may be picky and won't buy if there's a "blemish." Sometimes my feeder-supplier would have a leg or tail pop off after being frozen, I never minded but some people do. IMO the animal isn't missing enough to reduce the nutrition so who cares?

No idea on the salt (when I've salted deer hooves and whole dewclaws or whatever they are, I just use non-iodized sea salt, bought cheaply at the local grocery store) but I would imagine any permanent dye would work on the rabbit's feet. If you wanted to get REALLY fancy, the Tandy Leather Company has a lot of dyes that are really cool: http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-u ... MgodEUQABw

They have a store like an hour away from me, I love it. Like a kid in a candy shop.

 

[Happy]

Mineral salts are supposedly better for tanning and preserving. If that is the case, epsom salt should be fine. I've never actually tanned or preserved anything though, so take that suggestion with a pinch of salt (pun intended).

 

[DarayTala]

I've used mineral salts, sea salt, table salt, kosher salt, pretty much whatever I had on hand. I haven't noticed any difference in the quality, and some of the stuff I've preserved I've had for years now. I get the salt off by gently brushing or shaking it off and then using a blow dryer on cool to carefully blow the rest out of the fur if needed.

 

[Lowell]

My first thought when I read the post was to "freeze dry" the foot. Put it in the freezer till you forget about it and it will probably be dry and preserved.

I have done it with deer feet to make them a shape for a gun rack that would hold a gun.

 

[Bad Habit]

Well, Dobby passed away. Currently have the feet soaking in a solution of borax and alcohol, to make sure they are clean and have no bacteria. Going to pull them out to air dry for a while, then put them in salt for a month or so, and then a friend of mine from market is going to make cuffs for me to glue the finished feet into. One for my niece, and one for a friend.

 

[Jack]

The salt will be an issue
I mean it'll work, but is corrosive to iron and will be drawn in to the foot

Borax and freeze drying is probably one of the best ways, on of the 'quick' methods currently used is a vacuum/freezer that freeze drys a prepped mount.
The alcohol will work to wet preserve the foot, the borax should work on the long term, and freezing with good air circulation to dry it, will do long term.

 

[Bad Habit]

It's a good thing I'm not using iron to turn it into a key chain, then, isn't it?

 

[Dood]

Iron is a main ingredient in steel and small amounts are found in other metals, but if you are using plastic it should be ok.

 

[Bad Habit]

I am using copper. Well, not me, but my jewelry maker friend

 

[Happy]

Slat will still make the copper patina, turning it green.

 

[Bad Habit]

well then I guess I screwed up. I'll just go throw them out now then.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

well then I guess I screwed up. I'll just go throw them out now then.

Don't throw them out, it cannot hurt to try...and hey, I like copper with a patina!

 

[Happy]

Make a mobile out of them. Coat the top with wax or plastic before adding the copper. They're not ruined, they're just in need of a different approach. I wasn't trying to down on you, I was trying to give you food for thought.