How much for steer hide?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

We are butchering our steer next month and I was hoping to sell the hide (raw) if possible. He is around 1000 lbs and is buff and white with his winter coat. How much should I ask for it?

[majik]

I would be interested to know how this works out. Up here, there is NO market for local, raw hides. All the big slaughterhouses ship them to China for pennies, or worse, they throw them away. There are no local tanners, so no market...

[Alice In TX/MO]

Raw, about $10. Tanned, about $250.

[JIL]

here the local butchers will sell you you're hide for $25-40 bucks they have a market here with tanners.

[edcopp]

Originally Posted by JIL

here the local butchers will sell you you're hide for $25-40 bucks they have a market here with tanners.

Here, where?

[springvalley]

Most butchers just pitch them here also, so sad, lots of leather going in the scrap bin. > Thanks Marc

[Paquebot]

Market was $75 for top quality early last year, 2009, then dropped to $40 before the end of the year. But they wouldn't be worth a dime if there's no buyer in the area.

Martin

[texican]

Take it home, stretch it out on a frame in the barn, strip off the fat and meat and sinew, douse it down with dry borax soap... it'll turn hard as iron in a week or so. It'll last forever in such a state... the borax thwarts insects.

If you want at that point, you can make a rug, or just store it for later projects. If you think you'll be making leather, soak it a day or two in water, checking to see when the hair starts slipping... when it does, pull it out and scrape the hair off... stretch on a frame in the barn, douse with borax.

Or you can make your own leather... either brain tan and smoke, or use chemicals.

I've used raw cleaned hides as coverings for rustic chairs. Clean, stretch, and borax till bone dry. Soak it at your convenience, and stretch over wooden frame. It'll stretch a lot if soaked thoroughly, and once it dries, it'll last forever.

[JHinCA]

Originally Posted by texican

........
I've used raw cleaned hides as coverings for rustic chairs. Clean, stretch, and borax till bone dry. Soak it at your convenience, and stretch over wooden frame. It'll stretch a lot if soaked thoroughly, and once it dries, it'll last forever.

I have chairs with rawhide covers that were my great great grandmother's

[7thswan]

Last time I asked here, they were going to charge me to give me the hide. Said what they get for the hide from a buyer, reduces the cost of processing. I do get the heads(from another place) free, when we have a Longhorn butchered. I dought your hide is worth anything, unless you want to mess with it.