Hi Leila..

well, i play a set of beef ribs which i retrieved from my local butcher shop about 20 years ago....... I have played them on and off for this time, and they have sat around sometimes for years without being played... never had a problem, never been concerned with them being brittle....

maybe take them to your local butcher and see if there is any concern about them, or it's just an aging process????

don't know more than that.. sorry.....

enjoy playing them, you get some great looks while playing them from people who have never seen them before, and more importantly, they are the only instrument that i've found that you can play and drink at the same time!!!

enjoy

musicman