Daily feeding activities of pregnant camels in their natural environment

Abstract

Our study aimed to determine the daily activities of pregnant camels (PC) in their natural habitat in the Saharan rangelands of the El Oued region, which is situated in southeast Algeria. In this research, three she-camels at the end of their gestation period, more than ten months, were monitored during the autumn in an Erg-type pasture. The data collection occurred during the period when the camels were grazing outside their camps, lasting around 45 minutes to an hour for each camel, from departure to return. During the autumn season, grazing was the dominant daytime activity, accounting for 57% of the time, followed by movement, and then other activities like rumination and watering. Furthermore, the available flora consisted almost entirely of perennials. The most popular species are not always the most abundant. Results showed that the pregnant camels selected a total of six perennial plant species out of the nine plants available. This demonstrates that the diet of pregnant camels is more diversified than that of empty camels. Anabasis articulata and Cornulaca monacantha were the most grazed forage species with 47.85% and 33.86%, respectively. Due to their grazing behavior, pregnant camels covered distances ranging from 15.4 to 20.5 kilometers per day, which is less than the distances traveled by non-pregnant camels. However, pregnant camels exhibited higher selectivity in their grazing habits. Additionally, the quantity of dry matter ingested is estimated at 9.61 kg DM/day, which equates to a mean of 2.40 kg DM/100 kg LW/day. In conclusion, pregnant camels, in contrast to non-pregnant ones, consume more food while covering shorter distances, aiming to meet their needs while preserving the local vegetation cover.