Leather is one of the important animal products. Hides and skins of animals are cleaned and tanned with tan materials obtained from the vegetation world so as to get leather. The demand for leather is gradually increasing in the world. It is demand for making shoes, belts, harnesses, bags, suitcases, automobile seats, etc. and it is almost indispensable in the present day world.
The common sources of leather supply are cattle, horses, sheep and goats. Leather is also obtained from snakes, crocodiles and fur animals like silver fox, mink, otter, etc. of the cold regions.
Cattle hides are largely raised in Argentina, Uruguay, U.S.A., Russia, South Africa, Pakistan and India. 70 per cent of total leather production of U.S.A. comes from cattle hides. The raising of goatskin is important in India, Spain, and Brazil. The leading exporters of hides and skins are India, China, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
The importers are U.S.A., U.K. and Germany where leather-manufacturing industry is well developed.
Other Animal Products
Animal bones are used in manufacture of buttons, combs, knife handles etc. Bonemeal is used as fertilizer.
India and China are the exporters of bonemeal. Horns of some animals are used in making combs, buttons etc.
Tusk of elephants is used in making ivory works. Most of these products are raised in the area of meat packing industry.
Poultry - It supplies meat and egg to man. Poultry farms are found near cities and towns though hens are kept by individual farmers in remote villages. The scale of farming is not large like cattle or sheep.
Nowadays poultry farming is not an old and hacknied technique. For producing more eggs from the flocks more attention has been paid and is being paid for using the modern methods for hatching the eggs automatically. For healthy flocks a new system of sheltering has been developed and various nutritious feeds are being given. At present a large number of chickens are kept in a farm.
Special types like Leghorns have been developed by breeding. Mechanical incubation has helped much in the large scale breeding of hens.
Denmark has developed poultry on scientific lines. Government helps in promoting the growth of poultry in Denmark. Denmark exports eggs to Great Britain. In the U.S.A. poultry farms are found near the cities in the maize belt and in California. U.S.A. exports eggs to Europe, China has poultry farms-mostly in villages in order to supplement food. India is also attempting to develop poultry.
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