Abstract

Investigation of the influence of breed, sex and age factors on hide and leather characteristics indicates that when young Afrikaner and Friesland bulls and steers are reared under intensive feedlot conditions, bulls have a higher yield of green hide mass than steers and exhibit more favourable leather properties than steers, especially with regard to tensile strength in Friesland bulls. With the onset of sexual maturity in bulls after 12 months of age, accompanying changes in leather physical properties were apparent and tensile strength showed a decline particularly in Friesland bull leathers. These changes in hide physical properties appear to parallel increases in the level of natural crosslinking of the collagen molecular structure during ageing and maturation. Main differences between the two breeds studied were that Afrikaner animals were superior in terms of hide and leather yield whereas the leather of Friesland cattle was qualitatively superior.