Home >> Science & Nature >> Animals & Science

How to Skin Cows

A cow offers many uses after it is slaughtered. Primarily, it is known for providing a diverse collection of meat that you can eat in a variety of ways. In order to get to the meat, you must skin the cow. To be as resourceful as possible with the cow, most farmers will remove the skin with great care so that it can be used for other functions. The process of skinning a cow, while tedious, can yield a variety of products. Furniture, shoes, belts, hats and journals are just a few items that can be created from the hide.

Things You'll Need

Sharp knife

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the cow on its back at an incline. The head should be at the uphill point. Make a cut just below the tail and follow it all the way to the chin. Take care to cut only as deep as the hide, leaving the fat alone as much as you can.
- 2
  Cut a line on each of the legs from the joint above the hoof to the center cut that you made across the stomach.
- 3
  Using a fist and hand, begin to work the hide off at each leg until the cow is completely skinned. Begin at the points where the center and leg cuts meet, until you have skinned each of the legs and stomach.
- 4
  Roll the carcass of the animal onto the other side and remove the remaining loose skin.
- 5
  Clean the hide of any flesh that is lingering on the skin with a knife.

Animals & Science