Sheep - AgRIS

one crushing mills and about 360 bone digesters in the country at the end of the Fourth Plan.
Most of the mills crush bones primarily with the object of exporting crushed bones and bone
grists. The bone digesters are working on a cottage industry basis set up in various states with
the aid of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission or the State Governments for
converting locally available raw bones into bonemeal for utilisation as fertiliser. New bone
digesters will have optimum use if set up only in areas capable of utilising the bonemeal,
preferably in remote places unconnected by rail or road. Cooperatives of bone collectors should
be provided with bone digesters on rent. Encouragement should be given by the State
Governments for setting up factories for the manufacture of gelatin, glue and Neat's foot oil.
b) Animal Fats
Full and rational utilisation of animal fats which are available in large quantities from
fallen and slaughtered animals is highly important. This would not only benefit the livestock
producers but would also help in saving foreign exchange worth corers of rupees, which are
being spent at present on the import of animal fats. As large a quantity as 61 million kg. of
animal fats valued at Rs. 8.9 corers were being imported in a year (1972-73).
Slaughter houses which are being modernised should have a byproduct plant within their
precincts or in close proximity so that all available fats from slaughtered stock could be
processed. Efforts should also be made for efficient and quick recovery of fats from the dead
animals. Since the proportion of fallen stock is very much higher in the ease of bovines, a chain
of carcass utilisation centres should be established in areas of concentrated bovine population.
c) Bristles
India is one of the few countries which produce bristles of very high quality. Indian bristles
are mostly obtained on the indigenous domesticated pigs . Small quantities of bristles are also
obtained from the wild and semi-wild boars. The annual production of bristles based on the
Livestock Census of 1966 has been estimated by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection to
be of the order of 3,40,000 kg. During the years 1972-73, bristles weighing 1,41,672 kg. valued
at about Rs. 1,37,000 were exported.
d) Blood
At present blood is being collected only in a few slaughter houses of the country. In
developed countries, blood finds several important uses. It is consumed by human beings in the
shape of black puddings and blood sausages, and blood albumen is employed as a substitute for
eggs in the ice cream manufacture and in bakeries. It is used extensively for industrial purposes,
as a fertiliser and is incorporated as an important constituent for the manufacture of stock feeds.
In India only blood collected from sheep, goats and pigs is utilised for human consumption. It
is consumed by the weaker sections of the society after frying it with spies or boiling it with
rice. Occasionally it is mixed with wheat flour in the preparation of chapaties.
Collection of blood from all the slaughtered animals is highly important. When
incorporated in the livestock feeds, it would provide a valuable source of animal proteins and as
a fertiliser it would enrich the soil. Uncollected blood in a slaughter house becomes a serious
sanitary problem. It quickly clots, choking drains, septic tanks etc. and rapidly decomposes
serving as an ideal medium for bacterial growth. Blood collection on efficient lines will be
possible only in modern slaughter houses as collection has to be done speedily and without
dilution with water. Otherwise, processing would be prolonged making moisture removal
highly expensive.
e) Horns and Hoofs
Horns and hoofs constitute a very small portion of animal byproducts but because these are
rich in keratin and have considerable value as fertiliser after conversion into meal, these have
much economic value. The horn core is particularly rich in ossein which is used in developed
countries for manufacture of gelatine. The export trade in buffalo horns and antlers fetched Rs.
6.2 lakhs in a year 1972-73. It is desirable that wastage in the collection of horns and hoofs is
reduced as much as possible and export trade in these items is increased. Further, horns and
hoofs left in the country should be processed for the manufacture of gelatine and the unutilised
portion converted into meal for use as fertilisers.
f) Meat Unfit for Human Consumption
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