EFFECT OF PLAN OF NUTRITION FOR DROMEDARY FEMALE CAMEL AND CAMEL CALVES ON MATERNAL BEHAVIOR AND PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Sixteen Maghrebi she –camels weighing 512.74 kg on the average, with parity (2-5) of parity were divided into three groups. The first group (G1) was fed 100% of their daily concentrates requirements. The second group (G2) was offered 75% of their daily concentrates requirement for one month after delivery, while the third group (G3) was fed on 75% of their daily of concentrate requirements for two months (one month pre and another one post-partum). New born calves were divided after one month of lactation to four groups as follows; calves born to G1 dams were divided randomly to two subgroups. The first one (G1-1) suckled their dams naturally, while the other (G1-2) was artificial reared on a milk mixture of (50% natural camel milk and 50% cattle milk replacer). Calves born to G2 and G3 dams were artificial reared on a mixture 50% natural camel milk and 50% cattle milk replacer like that of (G1-2). Two digestibility trails were conducted, the first one was carried out at the end of the first restricted feeding period, before parturition, while the second was conducted at the second part of feed restriction (after calving). Results obtained could be summarized as follows: Part 1: effect of restricted feeding on she – camels: 1. The digestion coefficients of DM, CF, CP did not differ significantly among groups. While, digestibility of OM and NFE were differ significantly among groups. The highest OM digestibility value was recorded by G1 group (the control), while the highest NFE digestibility value was record by G2 group ( 30 days restricted feeding after calving). 2. Change in live body weight before calving was not significantly differed among groups; while after calving there was significant effect of restricted feeding (P˂0.05) on live body weight changed from the beginning of the experiment to the end in G3. Sixty days after calving, highest loss in LBW of G3 dams than the other two