Camel

Introduction

  • Lack of awareness of existence of different breeds.
  • Demand for Somali bulls increased in both Rendille and Gabra communities
  • Information on the breeds can be used to improve camel productivity through targeted breeding
  • Use of the guidelines to manage camel breeding can improve herd productivity and increase milk yield
  • High mortality in camel calves
  • The technology(s) is easy to use, cheap and most importantly has capacity to reduce calf mortality

 

Breed

  • live weight 450-700 kg,
  • milk yield 5 l/d
  • heavy feeder,
  • brown-cream coat color
  • less hardy chest
  • least hardy

 

Rendille/Gabbra:

  • live weight, 300-450 kg, milk yield 3 l/d,
  • moderate feeder
  • brown cream in coat color
  • moderate hardiness

 

Rendille/Gabbra:

  • live weight, 300-450 kg, milk yield 3 l/d,
  • moderate feeder
  • brown cream in coat color
  • moderate hardiness

Pakistan:

  • live weight 400-600kg,
  • milk yield 10 l/d,
  • heavy feeder
  •  predominantly grayish coat color
  •  droopy lips wider

Turkana:

  • live weight 250-350 kg
  • milk yield 1.5 l/d,
  • lowest feeder,
  • predominantly grayish in coat color

Camel breeding guidelines

 

  • Breed young females and males by ensuring that age of breeding male does not exceed 13 years while a female should not exceed 6 parities/calving.
  •  Control inbreeding by ensuring that the bull does not mate closely related females and through timely replacement of breeding bulls. –
  • Propagate desired traits in a camel herd through a breeding bull and not female

 

Feed and feeding

 

Modified Chumvi Kuria for camels

The formulation ratio:

  • 1 dicalcium phosphate
  •  0 .992 Chalbi salt
  •  0.873 calcium carbonate
  •  0.001 Magnesium sulphate.

 

 

Refer to the Camel manual for more information on camel feeds

 

Health Management

Diarrhoea management

1 Rehydration of the calf using a mixture of water, table salt, and honey

  • Take five tablespoonsful of honey or sugar and one tablespoonful of table salt. Mix well with two litres of clean water.

1 Rehydration of the calf using a mixture of water, table salt, and honey

  • Take five tablespoonsful of honey or sugar and one tablespoonful of table salt. Mix well with two litres of clean water.
  • Give 500ml of the solution through the mouth every 4 hours until diarrhea stops.

 

2 Treating diarrhea using eggs from chickens that live near the camels

  • Give one egg by mouth daily to a calf with diarrhea until diarrhea stops.

 

3. Use of conventional drugs

  • Give sulphonamide tablets according to the manufacturer’s instructions
  • Separate sick and healthy calves
  • Try to put new-born calves in a clean, separate boma

Integrated Control Strategy for Camel Surra

 

  • Integrated technologies and approaches that optimize efficiency in camel production, minimize production losses and geographical spread of the disease

Post–Harvest

The donkey milk carrier

  • The tool is made of canvas which withstands tensile stress.

The donkey milk carrier

  • The tool is made of canvas which withstands tensile stress.
  • It comprises 4 chambers for carrying 4 metal cans.
  • The bottom of each compartment is flat and semi-circular to allow for standing before placement on the donkey or camel.
  • It has six straps for tying around the animal, and soft padding to enhance comfort.

 

Improved hemp cooling technology for milk marketing

 

  • This is a fabric made from sisal fiber.
  •  Clean sisal hemp is wrapped around a metal milk can.
  • The hemp container is soaked in clean water for at least 30 minutes before the milk is introduced.
  • Soaking 25 of the container after wrapping assists in cooling the milk through evaporation.

 

 Camel Ghee

 

  • Camel ghee is a light golden brown clarified butter.
  •  It is made from cream centrifuged from camel milk using a manual cream separator.
  • The cream is boiled and then cooled to room temperature before packaging into sterile containers preferably bottles.
  • About 15 L of camel milk yield 350 g of ghee.

 

Camel Milk business
  • The Co-Management Model (CMM) for livestock markets is defined as a system of management “in which livestock farmers and other actors in the livestock value chain negotiate, define, and guarantee amongst themselves a fair sharing of the marketing functions, entitlements and responsibilities in the management of markets”.

Camel Milk business

 

  • The Co-Management Model (CMM) for livestock markets is defined as a system of management “in which livestock farmers and other actors in the livestock value chain negotiate, define, and guarantee amongst themselves a fair sharing of the marketing functions, entitlements and responsibilities in the management of markets”.
  • This model of managing livestock markets represents a departure from the extant system in which key livestock markets are owned and managed by County Governments with little or no involvement of the local community and no arrangements for sharing revenue derived from the livestock market.
  • The model is a partnership between communities and County Governments to jointly manage livestock markets, share responsibilities and the revenue generated from them according to a pre-agreed schedule through an Act of County Assembly for the benefit of the communities and all other actors.
  •  31 Other agencies involved in the intervention play supportive roles to the optimal functioning of the markets.

 

 

 

 

 

Basic costs

A good breeding camel would cost between KES. 30,000 to 60,000

(USD 333 – 666)

Controlling diarrhoea in one calf < KES 200 (USD 2.2).

Estimated returns

With one year of lactation and at an average daily sale of 4 litres

of milk valued KES 60 or USD 0.7 gross return =KES 87600

6 calvings = gross of KES. 525000 (USD 5840

Equivalent to the market value of the calves saved from death through the use of this technology

Marketing
  • Local market
  • Export market

Further reading

1.            Camel Manual for service providers (2009).

2.            Camel Breeds of Kenya (Brochure)

Contacts

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization

P.O. Box 57811-00200, Nairobi, Kenya

Call: 0111010100

 

 

This Portal of Knowledge was created and maintained by KALRO. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the organization.

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation,
Post Office: P.O.Box 57811,
Email : info@kalro.org
City Square, NAIROBI, 00200, Kenya
Kaptagat Rd, Loresho, Nairobi, Kenya
Direct Line : +254 722 206986, +254 722 206988, +254 730 707000
Kenya Agro-Advisory Call Centre: 0800721741

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