The future of leather fashion- poultry in motion?
Ever since Roman farmers domesticated and selectively bred wild fowl, chickens have been utilised in food production as egg producers and, plucked, skinned and roasted, as the centrepiece of many a dinner table. Now it is the quality of the skins themselves that are being praised.
According to John Dingle, a senior lecturer of the University of Queensland, a chicken-leather industry is completely viable. Mr. Dingle works for the department of animal production research, lecturing in and researching poultry. A 12-month study conducted by the department has revealed that chicken leather would be welcomed by the leather industry in the manufacture of certain fashion items.
However, its practical use would inevitably involve the manufacture of small items. "The sort of things they suggested would be, say keying fobs and little holders, small things like wallets and so on," Dr Dingle said. He continued that, if stitched together in a patchwork pattern, chicken-leather could still be utilised in apparel manufacture.
The department is currently researching factors that affect the quality of Emu leather, and comparing the leather manufactured from the skins of ostrich, deer, goat, bovine and sheep.
