Effect of diet supplementation on growth and reproduction in camels under arid range conditions

Eighteen pregnant dromedary females (Camelus dromedarius) were used to determine the effect of concentrate supplement on growth and reproductive performances in peri-partum period. The females were divided into supplemented (n = 9; S) and unsupplemented (n = 9; C) experimental groups. All animals grazed, with one mature male, 7 to 8 hours per day on salty pasture rangelands. During night, they were kept in pen, where each female of group S received 4 kg/d of concentrate supplement during the last 3 months of gestation and 5 kg/d during the first 3 months post-partum. During the last 90 days of gestation daily body weight gain (DBG) was at least tenfold more important in group S than in group C (775 g vs. 72 g respectively). Supplementation affected birth weight of offspring (30.3 kg vs. 23.4 kg) and its DBG (806 g vs. 430 g) in group S and group C respectively. During the post-partum period, females in group S gained in weight (116 g/d) whereas females in group C lost more than 200 g/d. The mean post-partum interval to the first heat and the percentage of females in heat were 29.5 d and 44.4% vs. 41.2 d and 71.4% for the C and S groups, respectively. We conclude that under range conditions, dietary supplement a t i on of dromedary during late pregnancy stage and post-partum period improves productive and reproductive parameters.