Skin and leather characteristics of hair-type goats reared in a hot-humid region

Skin and leather characteristics of hair-type goats were studied in relation to their sex and age, using 100 randomly-selected skin from goats reared in east west Iran. Mean weights of skin and leather were 859.2±35.2 and 357.4±16.2 g, and the length and width of leather ranged from 60 to 121 and 41 to 87 cm, respectively. Age had a significant effect on the weight and area of skin and leather. Male goats had larger skins and leather weights and areas as well as thicker skins and leathers over shoulder and ribs compared to females. Age also had a significant effect on skin thickness and tensile properties from different parts of the body. Skin on the hip, back and shoulder was thicker than on the ribs and belt. Samples taken parallel and perpendicularly to the backbone from shoulder, hip and ribs parts showed significant differences in the mean value of breakage force, tensile strength and extensionat break. The leathers had a wide range of breakage force, tensile strength and percent-age extension, being 6.7 to 58 kg.f, 94 to 448 kg.f/cm2; and 33 to 93%, respectively. The results showed that there were significant differences in quantitative and qualitative characteristics of skin and leather between different goats of different genders and ages.