Borax

Always have a box of Borax on hand, because it comes in handy for a lot of different uses on a homestead. I do use it occasionally for laundry, and I will also use it for flea control. However, I usually use it to preserve snake skins, rattlesnake rattles, and bird wings. Borax is a wonderful dessicant and preservative. If we will kill a snake with a nice skin, we will skin it out and then tack it to a board with the inside facing the outside. Then we sprinkle it liberally with Borax and rub it into the skin, let it sit for several weeks, shake off the Borax, and then take it off the board. The skin will be totally dry and have no odor whatsoever. Also, to preserve a rattlesnake rattle, I will get off all the flesh that I can, sprinkle it with Borax, and then put the rattle in a paper lunch bag to finish drying.

For a bird wing, like from a chicken or pheasant that you would like to preserve for fly tying or what have you, you will need a board. Make cuts down the inside of the wing and remove all the flesh you can from around the bones. It is ok if you can't get it all. Next, tack the wing in flexed position to the board with the inside of the wing facing up from the board. Then work Borax thoroughly into all the cuts. Don't be stingy with the Borax! Store the board and wing in an out of the way spot for a couple of weeks. At the end of that time, the wing will be preserved.