Pre- and Post-Slaughter Factors Influencing Hide and Skin Quality in West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia has high livestock population and hence has high potential for hide and skin production. Likewise, in west Shewa Zone of the country there is high hide and skin production. But hides and skins are affected by different types of defects that hampered effective and efficient utilization of these resources. Therefore, a study was conducted in Bako Tibe and Ilu Gelan districts of west Showa zone with the objectives to assess pre- and post-slaughter defects that influence hide and skin qualities. Primary data were collected from sample household heads, middlemen, butcheries, hotel/restaurants and tanneries using semi-structured interview and direct observations. All middlemen, butchery and hotel/restaurants in the study areas were employed for data collection while households were selected using simple random sampling techniques. Results of the study revealed that all household respondents reported absence of extension services on hide and skin management. The maximum pre-slaughter defect observed by households (87.2%), hotel/restaurants (91.3%), butcheries (93.3%) and middle men (90%) were due to ectoparasites. Out of the respondents 64.6%, 40% and 82.6% of respondents from household, butcheries and hotels/restaurants, respectively were slaughtered animals on the ground without stunning. The maximum post-slaughter defects observed during slaughtering by households (95.4%), hotel/restaurants (87.0%), and butcheries (86.7%) were dirt and flay cut. According to the respondents, 38.5 of the households kept hide and skin on the ground before marketing. It was found that the major post-slaughter defects of hide were flesh remnant (94.3%), dirty (74.3%), corduroying (71.4%), and flay cut (65.7%). Moreover, traditional animal husbandry and slaughtering practices, poor storage and preservation methods of raw hides and skins, the absence of slaughtering facility and extension service exacerbated the problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need for good animal management practices, animal transportation and slaughtering, and post slaughter hide and skins management.