# Hunting > Game Cooking and Recipes >  Skinning a lamb : Critical Success factors ...

## kiwi39

Hi All 

My slaughter and butchery skills have come a long way since we bought the lifestyle block, but one thing is proving to be my nemesis : Skinning . 

Most of the time punching out the carcass goes pretty well, but I've seldom got to the stage where I've skinned a carcass as cleanly as I'd like  - and by cleanly I mean perfectly with no flesh left on the hide. 

Every animal I kill seems to be different - some have been easy , others extremely difficult to get perfect. 

So My question : What would you consider to be your key tips and critical success factors in skinning a lamb ? 

So far my list is : 

- Use the thumb to seperate the skin off 
- go slowly 
- use water 
- punch out as much as possible while the carcass is on the ground 


regards 

Tim

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## Maca49

Get the right layer! I used to skin sheep along side my mate years ago, like chalk and cheese his perfect! Mines like Browns cows. Can't offer any advice, but mine tasted the same as his,

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## BRADS

Sounds like you've got it sorted there Tim
I don't use water at all. 
And use the second joint on my fingers rather than thumb, so sort of a fist but more pointy.
I was also taught to do as much as possie on the ground.

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## kiwi39

I guess its just practice .... 

I've found a little warm water makes it so much easier ... a very small amount

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## kiwi39

> And use the second joint on my fingers rather than thumb, so sort of a fist but more pointy.


I'll try that , thanks

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## puku

I'm by no means an expert at it. But warm water does help, just got to be careful not to transfer too much shit with the water. 
I tend to punch out as much as I can on the ground. Then lift it before splitting the skin down the guts. 
The part I don't get as tidy as should be is the rump. Tired short arms!

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## veitnamcam

I dont really get the opportunity to skin sheep but with veni knife off all around hind quarters down to first(last?) virtibray   and knife back from belly to past the flappy bit between hind quarters and ribs then the whole back will rip down, if your in a hurry/dont care just rip it down from the hind quarters. Ya lose that little flappey bit but it is barely two sausages.

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## Boaraxa

> I dont really get the opportunity to skin sheep but with veni knife off all around hind quarters down to first(last?) virtibray   and knife back from belly to past the flappy bit between hind quarters and ribs then the whole back will rip down, if your in a hurry/dont care just rip it down from the hind quarters. Ya lose that little flappey bit but it is barely two sausages.


Some like to take a little pride in there work especially when they put the effort in to fatten them   :Have A Nice Day: 
I start from the back eather where the balls are or were or the tits as you have probably worked out if you start it off good its no trouble to punch upto the brisket I use my fist and kind of roll it each punch all round the forequarter and around the flanks before hanging it up or if you like you can do the above while its hanging just gotta cut round its ass and cut round  its windpipe first before its hung...I tie the windpipe off with bailing twine tightly so when u pull it out green goo doesn't end up on the carcass or even better leave the lamb to empty for a day before killing it....or even better ! belly crutch or shear it first then kill its much easyer to keep clean just be awear if you shear it kill it the same day or leave it 3 weeks else it can make them a little tuffer .

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## Tahr

Kiwi, I live in Wellington and have skinned thousands of the things (ex farmer). I'm happy to come and give you some tips or a lesson the next time you are doing one. Like you, I like to see a perfect and clean job.
It would be my pleasure to help. Just PM me.

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## EeeBees

Always open the brisket before putting the animal on the gambrel... :Grin:

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## kiwi39

> Kiwi, I live in Wellington and have skinned thousands of the things (ex farmer). I'm happy to come and give you some tips or a lesson the next time you are doing one. Like you, I like to see a perfect and clean job.
> It would be my pleasure to help. Just PM me.


Thanks so much , tahr ... @ebf will no doubt also be keen to be there .. 

T

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## Tahr

When you are clearing the brisket, get a handful of skin and twist it a couple of times before you pull. It stops the fat coming away with the skin.

And once you have punched the flanks and cleared to the tail on each side, pull the skin up and around, not down, to avoid tears and pulling the fat off.

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## The Claw

> Kiwi, I live in Wellington and have skinned thousands of the things (ex farmer). I'm happy to come and give you some tips or a lesson the next time you are doing one. Like you, I like to see a perfect and clean job.
> It would be my pleasure to help. Just PM me.


I'd be keen to see the video of this lesson. I only skin a few lambs a year, but if I could makes a better/easier job of it would be a happier experience!

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## Tahr

> I'd be keen to see the video of this lesson. I only skin a few lambs a year, but if I could makes a better/easier job of it would be a happier experience!


No trouble. Would be pleased to.

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## kiwi39

> I'd be keen to see the video of this lesson. I only skin a few lambs a year, but if I could makes a better/easier job of it would be a happier experience!


here's what I've found so far ... watch this a couple of times and make sure you take learnings out of each animal you kill 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=penw_Ng93oA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGQKs6XiaP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb2UsSUGyfQ

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## Tahr

Yeah, you wont see much difference between how I do it and the first 2 vids, except I can't stand the sight of a skin without the ears left on. The ears are the proof of ownership through ear marks or tags. It was the same with ears when meat hunting, except they needed to be clean of tags or ear marks.

Even now, I still leave the ears on the deer I shoot and bring out whole.

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## sneeze

Im not to different from the vid. Few little things,I always strip the meat down  the  esophagus a little  before tying it to prevent the knot from slipping off and I wouldn't  do much knife work around the tail, just work  in from the flank , to the spine  then full fist up to the tail in a rolling motion. The  long tail might change that a bit though. 
  Never used water. Some will always be  little harder than others, like all animals.

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## Moa Hunter

That Ausi butcher is brilliant and very skilled. You might find it easier and cleaner to gut on the ground after doing your first skinning cuts,tying off the wind pipe and oesophagus then the arse hole and then split the abdomen, cut round the diaphragm reach forward in the chest to grip the wind pipe and pull the whole lot down from there back. That will pull a fine skin down that lines the cavity with the gut and leave it perfectly clean.
Then to skin hang from the head or front legs ( the head is better if you can see it will hold) the skin then pulls down over the shoulders leaving a perfect job. Just make sure to punch carefully around the back legs. With a wild pig split the skin down the back and pull off in ywo halves.

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## Micky Duck

if you do majority of punching out on ground BEFORE opening front up it helps no end, also if you punch from head towards bum you will keep that pesky thin meat layer on carcass work around front of shoulder and down each flank right up to tits region,sometimes you can get right around back and then only have split up front and wee bit around bum left once its strung up. if you do it asap from death it will come off piece of piss, I can shoot mine (yes they are mine) chuck it in wagon and be home skinning it 10-15mins later and they still come off fine. wouldn't leave it any longer though.

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## BushHunter

A month or so ago I gave a mate a hand to skin some sheep. his method :
1st he killed it.
2 - he made a nick inside rear leg.
3 - he put a air gun in the nick and filled it full of compressed air.
4 - hung it.
5 - skin/punch it out
6 - gut
7 - clean up, next one .....

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## veitnamcam

Done the air gun trick a few times on venison. Not very tidy but they ate well set and chilled by the time I skin them.
Does it still bubble up the membranes when warm?

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## craigc

The Aussie guy knew how to weld a knife.

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## Tahr

> The Aussie guy knew how to weld a knife.


wield  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Dynastar27

wonder if the golf ball trick works with sheep

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## kiwi39

> wonder if the golf ball trick works with sheep


???

What's the Golf Ball trick ? 

??

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## Dynastar27

cut of the hoofs cut the skin around the neck insert golf ball in the cut a bout 3 inch tie bailing twine or rope below the ball 

tie the head off to a fence post and the twine to a 4x4 and drive slowly 

have a look on youtube hahaha its pretty kool

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## BRADS

> cut of the hoofs cut the skin around the neck insert golf ball in the cut a bout 3 inch tie bailing twine or rope below the ball 
> 
> tie the head off to a fence post and the twine to a 4x4 and drive slowly 
> 
> have a look on youtube hahaha its pretty kool


He wants is done nice not rough as guts bro

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## Dynastar27

Doesnt look like it does a bad job @BRADS 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

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## gsp follower

my main fault on my last sheep[ was i forgot a few of the tricks as i hadnt done a sheep for years but punching on the ground means if you dont forget that you shouldnt get in behind that meaT  layer that makes the job look good. ive never seen anybody on farms tie off the neck in the works yes and stuff half a box of tissue up the gunga to.
that guy had all the essential;s a sharp knife skill and   perfect technique.
remember the thumbs if you get in behind that meat layer and you can salvage it unlesss your,ve already gone on pullin the skin like   i did.
 i was embarrassed by my job but it tasted alright :Pissed Off: 
 that wouldnt have been an excuse any of my foirmer bosses would have excepted tho :Grin:

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## Dundee

> Yeah, you wont see much difference between how I do it and the first 2 vids, except I can't stand the sight of a skin without the ears left on. The ears are the proof of ownership through ear marks or tags. It was the same with ears when meat hunting, except they needed to be clean of tags or ear marks.
> 
> Even now, I still leave the ears on the deer I shoot and bring out whole.


Tahr at work
Nice clean job too

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## Tahr

:Grin:  Its got a tear in it though.

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## Dundee

> Its got a tear in it though.


Yes Sean did a better job on the hogget :Thumbsup:

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## BRADS

Bugger that way to much fat.
Bloody cow cockys

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## Dundee

> Bugger that way to much fat.
> Bloody cow cockys


You would of enjoyed snipering it from 300 yard it didn't know what hit it. :Grin:

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## gsp follower

> Tahr at work
> Nice clean job too
> Attachment 37923Attachment 37924


i suppose doin it in your f..kin bathroom helped :Grin: 
reminds me of the time me and my uncle did a wild pig in the bath of the house at the farm in alfredton.
man was the heavily pregnent now deceased wife unimpressed :Wtfsmilie:  :Grin: 
for a small slim well educated woman she knew some hefty swear words and base insults. :Yaeh Am Not Durnk: 
[img]Yes Sean did a better job on the hogget Name:  picture 3204.jpg Views: 18 Size:  165.2 KB[/img]



> Its got a tear in it though.


a fuckin tear id reckon it must have balled its bloody eyes out by that headwound. :O O: 
jesus did you chase it round the paddock with an axe :Wtfsmilie:

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## kotuku

only reason I liked GSPs original statement was the bugger killed the bloody thing for me on the occasion of my 60th birthday :Thumbsup:  .after 4hrs 20mins in the spit roaster it was absobloodlutely lovely.BURP>BURP>BURP :Wink: 
 IMHO you cannot go past a bloody great feed of fresh killed mutton chops hot or cold with lashings of salt.BUUUUUUUURP :Have A Nice Day:

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## Dundee

gsp follower it was snipered with the 7mm08 at 300 yards and it didn't feel a thing :Grin:   Bloody tastier than the ones we have chased around the paddock with the .22 :Have A Nice Day:

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## gsp follower

> gsp follower it was snipered with the 7mm08 at 300 yards and it didn't feel a thing  Bloody tastier than the ones we have chased around the paddock with the .22


id guessed as much dundee just pullin ya tit :Grin:

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## Dundee

> id guessed as much dundee just pullin ya tit


that is spose to be my job :Thumbsup:

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## BRADS

> gsp follower it was snipered with the 7mm08 at 300 yards and it didn't feel a thing  Bloody tastier than the ones we have chased around the paddock with the .22


Have you not got a knife

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## veitnamcam

> Bugger that way to much fat.
> Bloody cow cockys


Most kiwis would say the crispy slightly burnt fat is the best bit..............but you sell to the highest bidder not the kiwis ay.

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## JRW87

> Most kiwis would say the crispy slightly burnt fat is the best bit..............but you sell to the highest bidder not the kiwis ay.


Second only to the marrow.

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## BRADS

> Most kiwis would say the crispy slightly burnt fat is the best bit..............but you sell to the highest bidder not the kiwis ay.


I agree but 3 inches of solid fat kinda ruins it imo.
All our meat is sold to kiwis but who knows what they do with it

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## Dundee

> Have you not got a knife


Our sheep aren't tame like yours bro,we don't handle them every day :Grin:

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## gsp follower

> Most kiwis would say the crispy slightly burnt fat is the best bit...


like my crusty old south island musterer boss used to say dundee.
''you can eat right up to the bullet hole'' :Grin:

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