Abstract Skins from 120 15-month-old wethers born in two seasons were used in two fellmongering and tanning trials. The breeds represented were Romney, Border Leicester × Romney Perendale, Cheviot, Dorset × Romney, Drysdale, Drysdale × Romney, and Merino × Romney. Differences between breeds were significant in both trials for skin weight and slipe wool weight. Romney gave similar slipe wool weight to Drysdale × Romney and Merino × Romney in trial 1 and similar to Border Leicester × Romney in trial 2. Perendale and Dorset × Romney skins produced less slipe wool than other breeds in trial 2, Cheviot ranking lowest in both trials. Leather of best quality was produced by Romney and Drysdale × Romney in trial 1 followed by Cheviot and Perendale, Drysdale and Merino × Romney producing a poor quality product. In the second trial, raising the liming temperature improved leather quality of Romney, Dorset × Romnty, Border Leicester × Romney, and Perendale skins. Perendale skins showed greatest benefit from the high...
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