The impact of farming system on sudanese camel calves growth rate

This study aimed to investigated the effect of management system on Sudanese camel calves growth rate, twenty (20) camel calves (10 males and 10 females) at the first day of birth were selected, from the Sudanese Arabi (Kababish) bred. The camels-calves with their dams were maintained under semi-intensive and Traditional management system for 18 successive months. Calves in semi-intensive system in addition of their suckling of their respective dams they take supplementation diets (one kg of concentrate/head/day), ad libtium watering, health care and spraying weekly by Gamatox against ticks and external parasites. The live body weight of camel calves were obtained through direct weighing in 6 months interval, through four periods including birthday, 6 month, 12 months and 18 months. The results indicated that there was non-significant difference (P>0.05) in Birth weight of calves raised under semi-intensive and traditional system. In both systems the male (39 ± 0.31kg) is significantly (P<0.05) heaver than the female (36 ± 0.34kg). The body weight of the calves under semi-intensive system during six, 12 and 18 months of age are 123 ± 2.21, 221 ± 2.17 and 326 ± 2.40 kg respectively, on the other hand the body weight of the camel calves under traditional system during six months, 12 and months are 96 ± 1.59, 159 ± 2.35 and 208 ± 2.50 kg, respectively. The results showed highly significant difference (P<0.01) between systems of management, The over all mean daily gain of camel calves under semi-intensive and traditional system were 535 ± 9.83 gram and 317 ± 5.46 g, respectively. The average daily body gain from birth to six months, six - 12 month and 12 -18 month of age in semi-intensive system were 477 ± 10.94, 542 ± 8.25 and 585 ± 8.37 g, respectively. On the other hand the results showed that the average daily body gain from birth to six months, six - 12 moth and 12 - 18 months of calves managed under traditional system were 352 ± 10.55, 272 ± 15.98 and 316.71 ± 5.46 g, respectively. It would be concluded that the growth rate and daily gain of camel calves were highly significant effected by farming system. (Texte intégral