Valorisation of Chicken feathers: Current status and Future prospects

Tamrat Tesfaye

Supervisors :- Prof. Bruce Sithole

Prof. Deresh Ramjugernath

April 5-6/2016

Why Chicken Feathers?

20-22% Other wastes (blood, head, feet, viscerae, bones)

8-10 % feathers

68 -72 % meat

Human beings do not consume chicken feathers (…at least not on purpose!)

45

g t

o 2

.5-3

.0 k

g af

ter

42

to

4

5

day

s -

Th

ey

are

sl

augh

tere

d (

Ap

ple

by,

19

92

).

World poultry production

• Broiler chickens: 58 billion chickens

• 46.6 billion lbs chicken meat in USA

• 20 billion pounds feathers

North West

25%

Western Cape

22% Mpumalanga

18%

KwaZulu-

Natal

16%

Eastern Cape

7%

Gauteng

5%

Free State

5%

Limpopo

1%

Northern

Cape

1%

Distribution of slaughtering-SA

0

500

1000

1500

20052007200920112013

Bro

ilers

sla

ugh

tere

d

(Mill

ion

s)

Year

Broilers slaughtered in

SA

528 million pound chicken feathers/annum

275 broiler producers and 231 contract growers, (SAPA, 2013).

Structure of Chicken feathers

• Low density - No natural or synthetic fibres can compete • Excellent compressibility, sound dampening, and warmth retention

Composition of chicken feathers: • 91% protein (keratin) 1% lipids, and 8% water. • Disulphide bonds, hydrogen bonds, covalent bonds, salt linkages and cross linkages (Schmidt,

2001).

UTILIZATION OF FEATHERS:- Present Scenario

• What to do with the more than 20 billion pounds of poultry feather waste generated each year?

Utilization and disposal

techniques/ present scenario

Burial and controlled land

filling

Incineration Medical

applications Decorative purpose

Shuttle cocks

Feather fibers, yarn and fabrics Blending with other fibers

Biodegradable plastics

UTILIZATION OF FEATHERS:- Future prospects

Biomedical Engineering

Packing material The feathers used to produce bioresin plastic

Water purification • Sponges

Fuel Storage

• strong, lightweight, hollow tubes.

• more porous after heating

• Increased surface area

Biofuels and biodiesel

Paper industry and Filtration

Geotextiles • Stiff and rigid: • restricts soil erosion • Increases soil moisture content

Pharmaceuticals Fats: cholesterol source synthesis of vitamin D3 Steroid pharmaceuticals

Cosmetics For skin:- increases skin elasticity and hydration. For hair:- moisturising properties

Construction industry

Conclusion

• Low cost, large availability and unique properties

• Increase national security by decreasing reliance on foreign oil resources.

• Minimize environmental pollution

• Enhance economic benefits for the poultry producers, processors, and stimulate development of feather product industries.

Thank you for your attention!

Any questions?