Productive performance and behaviour of calf camel (Camelus dromedarius) under semi-intensive and traditional rearing system

A study was carried out on two different rearing systems for observation maternal behaviour during critical period (1st 20days of life), productive performance and feeding behaviour during 3 months of age. Twenty lactating she-camels withtheir calves dromedary (Camelus dromedaries) Sudani camel divided into two groups Group one (n= 10 she-camel withtheir calves) managed in a semi intensive system in private farm in belbes city, all animals were herded during night inclosed pen and set free during the midday. Supplementation consists of concentrates (2kg/day) and roughages (5kg/day)were used. Group two (n= 10 she-camel with their calves) managed in traditional system by pastoralist in met abo alivillage, in sharkia province, Egypt. All the animals were brought to grazing areas where they selected the feed bythemselves from the available plants without any supplemented feeding. The aim of the current study was to evaluatematernal, ingestive behaviour and estimate productive performance of the camel calves under traditional system and semiintensivesystem and its influence on frequency of diarrhea, mortality, morbidity and incidence of mastitis. The resultsindicated that a significant increase in frequency of suckling, duration, calf camel 1st standing frequency drinkingfrequency, duration and grazing duration under semi-intensive system, while calf camel teat seeking frequency, durationand Calf camel1st standing duration with significant decrease during 1st 20 days (critical period), While there was asignificant decrease in grazing frequency in semi-intensive system. A significant increase in diarrhea frequency andincidence of mastitis under traditional system. The body weight and the daily growth rates of the calves under semiintensivesystem were higher than the calves reared in the traditional system. It concluded that, the semi intensiveproduction system showed some advantages for better rearing of calf camels compared with the traditional system. So,supplementing calves by good management under semi-intensive system lead to high productivity and reduction of animallosses