Feeding and growth of the dromedary. Effect intake of the concentrate in dry matter ingestion and young camel growth in Tunisia

Abstract

In view of searching the best growth and diet ration, three batches of ten weaned young camels of one year of age (4 males, 6 females) have received during 175 days oats hay ad libitum and a concentrate of 80 p. 100 of wheat bran. Total ingested water has been also measured. The animals were kept under hobbled stailing. The average feed
consumption was 1.6 kg dry matter per kg of liveweight (1.4-1.8) or 61 g dry matter/kg of W^0.75 (metabolic weight factor). The intake capacities were little affected in relation to the amount of distributed concentrate. Day substitution rate with the concentrate was high (0.6 kg dry matter hay/kg dry matter concentrate). The average daily weight gain variation ran from 326 g up to 525 g in relation to the daily concentrate allowance, (x in g/kg for W0,75) according to the significant relation : y = 284 + 5.4 x. Following these experiments, the mean consumption indexes were 7.4 kg dry matter and 5.2 meat forage unit per kg of gain respectively. While the nitrogen efficiency is next to that of sheep, it clearly outstands that of bovine. The mean
ingested water consumption was 2.2 l per kg dry matter.