EFFECT OF INTENSIVE AND SEMI-INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMICS OF MARECHA (Camelus dromedarius) CALVES REARED UNDER DESERT CONDITIONS

Abstract

Camels are very well adapted to their native environment and can sustain life in hot and harsh deserts. The dromedary camel is a best source of meat and milk especially for those areas where production performance of other animals is adversely affected by the harsh environmental conditions. This mainly is due to its unique physiological characteristics that enable him to face higher temperatures, solar radiations, water scarcity, poor vegetation and rough terrains. It has less competition with any domestic specie regarding feed and performance. It can thrive on horny plants, thorny bushes, salty leaves and can browse variety of forages. In the absence of quality forages, camel can utilize poor quality forages with much more efficiency as it can retain fiber in its fore stomach for as long as 70 hours. According to Schwartz et al. (1992) in contrast with other ruminants, when it is fed with low protein forage it has the capacity and efficiency of reutilizing the urea for microbial protein synthesis. Due to these attributes camel is considered as the animal with unfathomed potential to meet the future dietary and medical needs of human beings (Faye and Esenov, 2005). However, in spite of all these attributes, the camel has for long remained a neglected animal. In arid areas, camels constitute the most important source of meat. Mostly they are raised under traditional management systems as pastoralists are always moving in search of food and water over large areas for their camels (Omer et al., 2008). Camel is an indigenous genetic resource, it needs to be managed and preserved properly. It plays an indispensible role in the pastoral ecology. Different studies highlight its unique characteristics especially under stress environment. To meet the rapidly growing demands of exploding population, the strategic idea is to minimize the dependence on external food supply. There is need to recognize the place of camel in farm animals and to get increased output from indigenous natural resources that have not been exploited yet. Camel husbandry system is in a state of flux as pastoralists are deviating from their traditional management system to semi-intensive and intensive management system. This rapidly changing scenario needs overall evaluation and there is an urgent need to undertake multi-disciplinary studies. Camel plays an indispensible role in the social life and economy of the people of arid and semi-arid areas in various regions of the world. Despite of its significant contribution to the livelihood of pastoral society who does not have any alternate mode of production system, the camel is one of the Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vol. 55(3), 621-628; 2018 ISSN (Print) 0552-9034, ISSN (Online) 2076-0906 DOI: 10.21162/PAKJAS/18.4631 http://www.pakjas.com.pk

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Identifiers

DOI

10.21162/PAKJAS/18.4631

Journal

Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Year

2018