A major by product of poultry industry is waste feathers. The huge increase in size of individual production facilities and the total poultry industry has resulted in enormous increases in waste, particularly feathers, to be managed. Feather waste is produced in massive amount resulting in large quantities of this byproduct of poultry industry. Feathers constitute over 90% protein, the main component being beta-keratin, a fibrous and insoluble structural protein extensively cross linked by disulfide bonds. Keratin is resistant to digestion by animals, insects and proteases leading to serious...