Maintaining Quality Goat Skins
Goat skins, though usually considered a by-product of slaughter, are a valuable commodity in their own right as sources of high-quality leather. The goat skin can represent as much as 15% of the total slaughter value of the goat.
To maintain the highest value for skins, certain management and disease control efforts should be observed. Good nutrition throughout life improves the strength of the skin. Infectious skin diseases, such as goat pox, and external parasites, such as lice, keds, ticks, warbles, and mange, must be controlled in the live animal to avoid excessive damage to skins and subsequent downgrading. Any tattoos, fire branding, or injections should be performed on the periphery of the animal, avoiding the flanks and back. Animals should be handled gently during transport to market to avoid subcutaneous hemorrhages that can damage skins.
Source:
Smith Mary C., Sherman David M.. Goat Medicine. 3rd edition. — Wiley-Blackwell,2023. — 976 p.. 2023
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