Leather quality of some Sudan Desert sheep and goats

The sheep population of Sudan is about 49 million, over 36 % of the livestock in the country. Most are the Desert sheep, which are distributed across the low rainfall savannah, semi-desert and desert zones (El-Hag et al., 2007). The desert sheep are distributed north of latitude 10° N, extending eastward into Eritria and westward into Chad (Wilson, 1991). Desert sheep of the Sudan comprises seven sub-types, namely Kabashi, Hamari, Meidob, Beja, Butana, Gezira and Watish (Mcleory, 1961). The desert sheep is raised mainly under extensive nomadic conditions depending on natural grazing. Kababishi (the model of the ecotype) is further classified into tribal subtypes, Hamari, Kabashi and Shanbali in West and North Kordofan and Darfur states (Mukhtar, 1985 and El-Hag et al., 2001). The tribal subtype Kabashi is raised in the northern and eastern parts of North Kordofan and Darfur States while Hamari subtype is found in the western part of Kordofan and Darfur regions with different grades of crosses between these two tribal subtypes in the middle of the region. The main colours of Kabashi are brown, light brown and spotted black or red and white. The dominant colour of Hamari is red (Ali et al., 2014). In Sudan goats were estimated at 42.5 million head forming about 31.7 % of ruminants in the country, 18.2 % of goats in Africa and 5.3 % of the world goat population (FAO, 1999; Yousif and Fadl El-Moula, 2006). This population composed of four major local breeds, Nubian, Desert, Nilotic and the Dwarf, distributed throughout the country (Wilson, 1991). The Nubian goat is considered as a milk production, while the other breeds are generally considered as meat animals (Devendra and Mcleroy, 1987; Gall, 1996). The Desert goat is characterized by the long drooping (lop) ears, as in the Zaraibi of Egypt and Nubian of the Sudan (Babeker and Elmansoury, 2013).


Introduction
The sheep population of Sudan is about 49 million, over 36 % of the livestock in the country.Most are the Desert sheep, which are distributed across the low rainfall savannah, semi-desert and desert zones (El-Hag et al., 2007).The desert sheep are distributed north of latitude 10° N, extending eastward into Eritria and westward into Chad (Wilson, 1991).Desert sheep of the Sudan comprises seven sub-types, namely Kabashi, Hamari, Meidob, Beja, Butana, Gezira and Watish (Mcleory, 1961).The desert sheep is raised mainly under extensive nomadic conditions depending on natural grazing.Kababishi (the model of the ecotype) is further classified into tribal subtypes, Hamari, Kabashi and Shanbali in West and North Kordofan and Darfur states (Mukhtar, 1985 andEl-Hag et al., 2001).The tribal subtype Kabashi is raised in the northern and eastern parts of North Kordofan and Darfur States while Hamari subtype is found in the western part of Kordofan and Darfur regions with different grades of crosses between these two tribal subtypes in the middle of the region.The main colours of Kabashi are brown, light brown and spotted black or red and white.The dominant colour of Hamari is red (Ali et al., 2014).In Sudan goats were estimated at 42.5 million head forming about 31.7 % of ruminants in the country, 18.2 % of goats in Africa and 5.3 % of the world goat population (FAO, 1999;Yousif and Fadl El-Moula, 2006).This population composed of four major local breeds, Nubian, Desert, Nilotic and the Dwarf, distributed throughout the country (Wilson, 1991).The Nubian goat is considered as a milk production, while the other breeds are generally considered as meat animals (Devendra and Mcleroy, 1987;Gall, 1996).The Desert goat is characterized by the long drooping (lop) ears, as in the Zaraibi of Egypt and Nubian of the Sudan (Babeker and Elmansoury, 2013).
In forest regions and regions that are not suitable for crop cultivation and cattle production Small ruminants are the most important livestock for rural inhabitants (Daskiran et al., 2006).Goats are important in arid and semi-arid zones especially in developing countries due to their superior adaptation to environment and feeding habits (Devendra and McLeroy, 1987).Their inquisitive feeding habits enable them to extend their feed preferences and also perform well in situations where other ruminants may not be able to survive.Goats prefer variations in their feed and they are selective feeders (Devendra and Coop, 1982).
In Sudan, goats and sheep play an important integral component in most traditional production systems.They provide milk for children, meat, skin and cash income from sales (Ageeb, 1992).This trail is aimed to study Sudan sheep and goats leather properties in relation to breed type and age category.

Study area
Skins samples were collected from Elobaied leather market, North Kordofan state in latitudes 11° 5' -13° 75' N and longitudes 27°-29° 5' E in Sudan (Tibin et al., 2010).The area is located within the poor Savannah belt.The climate is warm in wet season, hot dry in summer and cool dry in winter.The rainy season is about four months (mostly from July to October), peaking at August and the annual average rainfall is between 300 -400 mm (Abusuwar et al., 2012).The soil is generally of smooth undulating sandy plain dissected by batches of loamy sand in the southern part.The dominant vegetation is a mixture of thorny trees, shrubs, herbs, where Acacia senegal is the most important type from economic point of view, for it produces Gum Arabic which is considered as the best cash crop Yehia (2002).

Skin samples collection and tanning procedures
Thirty pieces of fresh skins from Sudan desert sheep and goats (fifteen each) were collected randomly from Elobaied Leather Market at north Kordofan state, Sudan.Three age categories were studied for sheep (lamb, ram and ewe) and the same categories for goats (kid, buck and doe).Five skins were taken to represents each age category.The collected fresh skins cured by salt-drying technique.The cured skins were transported to Khartoum National Leather Technology Centre for tanning and laboratories analysis work.Leather was prepared from sheep and goat skins according to the main steps described by Ebrahiem et al. (2015a).
Sampling and assessment of chemical and physical characteristics were done according International Standards Organization (ISO2418, 2002and ISO 4044, 2008).Physical properties that assessed were Tensile strength and elongation percentage and it was determined according to ISO3376 (2002).Flexibility test was assed according to ISO5402 (2002).Tearing load and resistance to grain cracking was done according to ISO3377-1 (2002) andISO3378 (2002) respectively.Moisture, total Ash, fats and oils contents were determined according to SLTC (Society of Leather Trades Chemists, 1965).Chrome content was measured according to ISO5398-1 (2007) procedures.

Statistical analysis
The data were statistically analysed using analysis of variance method.The Statistix 8 program was used for this purpose on Complete Randomized Design (CRD) according to (Gomez and Gomez, 1984).Duncan's Multiple Range Tests (DMRT) was used for means separation (Statistix 8, 2007).

Effect of age category on sheep leather quality
As shown in table 1 Elongation percent was significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by the age category of the animals.The proper elongation percent was recorded at lamb and ram leather 58.7 ±2.8 and 58.3 ±3.6 respectively.Ewe elongation percent was 65.8 ±2.9 which exceeded the accepted limit for upper, garment and lining leather that estimated at 60 % by SSMO1 (2004), SSMO2 (2008) and SSMO3 (2008).Tensile strength (kg cm -2 ) results were significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by animal age, and in the suitable standard of SSMO1 ( 2004), SSMO2 (2008) and SSMO3 ( 2008) for upper, lining and garment leather respectively.Cracking load (kg) was significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by animal's age, and the high records were obtained at lamb's leather followed by ram's leather and last ewe's leather.Thickness (mm) Thickness (mm) results were significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by animal's age, and the high record was in lamb's leather (1.57±0.1 mm).Thickness results were in the SSMO1 (2004), SSMO2 (2008) and SSMO3 (2008) standards for upper, lining and garment leather.The high records of Tear load (56.4 ±1.5 kg cm -1 ) was assessed in lamb's leather and it significantly different (P ≥0.05) from which were reported for rams and ewes leather.Lamb's leather scored the better level of flexibility (1.4 ±0.7) followed by ewe's leather (2.3 ±0.9) and the worst degree was observed in ram's leather (3.6 ±0.8).Chemical contents of ash %, fat %and chrome % of sheep leather were not affected (P ≥0.05) by the animal's age.While moisture % results were significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by the animal's age.The high content of moisture (12.8 ±1.7 %) was reported at ewe's leather of Kabashi sheep.All chemical constituents were in the SSMO1 (2004)

Effect of breed type on leather quality of Sudan Desert sheep
As shown in table 3 et al. (2005) whom reported that, the native Ethiopian sheep lamb leathers had numerically higher tensile strength and percentage elongation at break.This is evidence that leather produced from these breeds is

Effect of breed type on leather quality of Sudan goats
As shown in  (1983) whom observed that, thickness of skin was not affected by breed and high degrees of homogeneity in thickness among different genotypes was obtained.
Tear load (kg cm -1 ) was significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by the breed variation.Similar result of significant difference was reported by Ebrahiem et al. (2015b);Sudha et al. (2009); Salehi et al. (2014) and Passman and Sumner (1983).Breed effect was detected among goat leather flexibility and Ash.Similar results were reported by

2 Effect of age category on Sudan goat leather quality
© Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources3.Chemical contents of ash %, fat % and chrome % of goat leather were not affected (P ≥0.05) by the animal's age.While moisture % results were significantly affected (P ≥0.05) by the animal's age.The high content of

Table 1
Effect of age category on leather quality of Sudan Kabashi desert sheep during Janury 2015 AMeans in the same row with the same letter are not significantly different (P ≥0.05)

Table 2
Age category effect on Sudan goat's leather quality during January 2015

Table 3
Breed effect on leather quality of Sudan Kabashi desert sheep during Janury 2015Means in the same row with the same letter are not significantly different (P≥0.05)

Table 4
Breed effect on Sudan ) Sudha et al. (2009)y during January 2015Values in the same row with different superscripts differ significantly stronger and could be extend more before the grain cracks.Resistance to grain cracking N cm 2-1 was affected by breed.Kabashi subtype was scored the high load (23.33 ±3.6)Similar results of significant difference was reported byEbraheim et al. (2015a) Sudha et al. (2009); Ebrahiem et al. (2015b);nt was not significantly afCraig et al. (1987) the breed.This result is different from which was found byEbrahiem et al. (2015b);  Teklebrhan et al. (2012);Craig et al. (1987)andJacinto et al. (2005)whom reported significant differences on goats and sheep leather in relation to breed variation.Tensile strength (kg cm -2 ) was not affected (P ≥0.05) by the breed.Similar results were obtained byEbrahiem et al. (2015b); Teklebrhan et al. (2012)andOliveira et al. (2007)whom reported that, significant difference in leather strength properties among goat's breeds was not detected.Cracking load (kg) was affected (P ≥0.05) by the breed.Similar result of significant different was reported byEbrahiem et al. (2015b)on Sudan goat's leather.Thickness (mm) was not significantly affected by the breed (P ≥0.05).Similar results were obtained by Ebrahiem et al. (2015b); Oliveira et al. (2007) Sudha et al. (2009); Salehi et al. (2014) and Passman and Sumner