Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of nutrition on body weight gain, ovaries development, blood components (total protein, albumen, globulin, cholesterol and glucose) and hormone level (estradiol and progesterone) in. pre-pubertal she-camels. Fourteen dromedary she-camels (Camelus dromedarius) were divided in. two groups (A and B) similar body weight and age at the start of the experiment (200 kg and 12 month, respectively). Group A received diet with 13% Crude Protein (CP) and 2.9 Mcal Metabolisable Energy (ME). Group B received the traditional diet of the farm. Both diets contained 25:75 forage: concentrate. Individual feed in. take was calculated after 14 days of adaptation period. Feed offered and orts was recorded daily during. the whole experimental period of 12 months. Blood samples were taken from each group every 15 days throughout the experimental period. Estradiol, progesterone concentrations were measured using ELISA kits. Body weight and average daily gain for the Ist 6 months did not show significant differences between treatments. On the contrary for the last 6 months, treatment A significantly in. creased body weight and daily weight gain when compared to B (70.07 +/- 8.17 kg and 0.389 +/- 0.05 kg day(-1) vs. 37.86 +/- 8.17 kg and 0.210 +/- 0.05 kg day(-1), respectively. Group A was more efficient converting feed to body weight comparing with group B. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) for the whole period was 11.25 and 13.74 for Group A and B, respectively. Group B had greater ovary size than Group A but the difference was not significant. Size of right ovary was smaller than the left one and season had positive effects on both right and left ovary sizes. Greater ovary sizes were observed in Winter and Spring comparing with Summer and Autumn Group A had higher blood estradiol level comparing with Group B while there was no difference between groups in progesterone levels. It was concluded that feeding regime did not affect body weight, daily body weight gain. and blood progesterone levels but improved feed conversion ratio and blood estrogen levels.