Skin\Leather Quality of Sudan Desert Sheep

The properties of leather and its uses depend on the characteristic of the fiber bundles such as fullness, disorderliness, compactness, straightness, delineation, boldness, splitting and separation. Poor nutrition causes an animal to be smaller and the skin or hide to be thinner and to be poorer substance. However as animals grow older, the grain surface becomes tougher and coarser. Also with age, the animals accumulate more scars from brands, diseases, parasites, and other injuries. Generally, high quality values were recorded at winter season for all Sudan desert sheep skin\leather characteristics parameters. These findings might be mainly referenced for seasonal changes. At winter season temperature was in its low degree and this might be reflected on good leather attributes. Besides, the availability of winter range and agricultural byproducts which is remains from autumn crops planting at this time. While fat and moisture contents high values were observed at autumn season and elongation or elasticity high values were obtained at summer season. However, Sudan desert sheep leather fat and moisture optimum values at autumn season might be due to the abundance of natural pasture.