Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Camel Research Department, Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Egypt.
2
Animal production department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Egypt.
Abstract
Fourty male Maghrabian camel aged 5-6 years days and weighted 350- 435 kgb± 2.20 on average were equally and randomly divided into four groups (10 in each were conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding on prickly pear fruits on the productive performance of Maghrabian dromedary camel. This study was conducted in a private camel, as Egyptian clover hay during the feeding period, on camel growth and blood constituent. The experimental diets contained different levels of prickly pear fruits (PPF). control (C), 10, 20 30 and 40%), respectively.The result showed significant effects on camel live body weight and feed intake during 24 weeks , The final live body weight, total weight gain and performance index were significantly (P<0.05) affected by PPf groups , The highest (P<0.05) values of live body weight, total weight gain and performance index were recorded by camels fed 30% PPf followed by received inclusion level of 20% PPf respectively, compared with the 10% PPf or control , respectively. Feed intake (g/ day), protein intake, were significantly (P≤0.05) increased with increasing PPf levels. The PPF are rich sources vitamins E (26, 27μg/100g), vitamin A (12,15μg/100g).and in vitamins C (3.1, 3.4μg/100g), There were significant increases detected for plasma total protein, albumin and globulin while blood plasma of total lipids was significantly decreased by increasing PPf inclusion level compared to control groups. Liver function as AST and ALT activity were not affected by dietary treatments with supplementing PPf. The best economic efficiency and relative economic efficiency values had been recorded with camels fed 30% PPf inclusion followed by camels received 20% and 10% treatment of PPf, respectively. It is concluded that prickly pear fruits (PPf) at the rate of 30 or 20 % of the diet improved growth performance and health status of Maghrabian camel
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
View on SCiNiTO