Abstract

Eighteen dromedary males (Camelus dromedarius) were used to investigate the effect of nutrition on body weight, size of the testes, and blood testosterone concentrations in pre-pubertal male camels. Animals were divided into two groups of 9 animals each. Group A received a diet with 13% crude protein (CP) and 2.9 MCal (ME), whereas Group B received the traditional diet of the farm, and each animals’ feed intake was calculated after allowing a 14 day adaptation period. Diets contain 25:75 (roughage: concentrate, respectively). Blood samples were taken from the same five animals from each group, every 15 days during the whole experimental period and plasma testosterone concentrations were measured. There was no significant difference in total body weight gain over the whole experimental period between Group A and B, although Group A showed a significant increase in body weight over the last 6 months compared with Group B. Group A consumed less feed and were more efficient at converting feed to body weight than Group (B), as shown by the (FCR) over the whole period which was 9.25 for Group A and 13.03 for Group B. There was no significant difference in testicle size between Groups A and B at the start of the experimental period, blood testosterone levels were significantly higher in Group A compared with Group B, but although there was an increase in testicle size over the experimental period, there was no significant increase in blood testosterone levels.   

Key words: Camelus dromedarius, puberty, body weight gain, testicular size, testosterone.