Eighteen (18) lactating she-camels and two mature male for mating were used to determine the effect of Management System on camel calving interval, The camels were maintained under semi-intensive (N = 9) and Traditional management system (N = 9) in North Kordofan State, western Sudan. The experimental females in each group kept together with the bull during 18 months. Blood samples were collected from jugular vein since 4-months post-partum and continue 14 successive months at monthly interval. The serum samples were separated and stored at -20°C and were analysed for progesterone concentration using progesterone specific radio immuno assay (RIA) kits. The results indicated that under semi-intensive system 77.8% of females had been pregnant in 5th-8thmonth post-partum and the calving interval varying between 17 to 20 months. Under traditional system and during the experimental period 44.5% of females were pregnant in the 11th-16thmonth and the calving interval varying between 23 to 28 months. The ratiosof pregnant vs non-pregnant during experimental period in semi-intensive and traditional were 88.9% vs11.1% and 44.5% vs55.5%, respectively. Beside the behavioural signs progesterone level consider a good indicator for pregnancy in camels. In pregnant females Progesterone concentration increased significantly during early months. The range of Progesterone concentration varied between 1.10 -5.76 ng/ml and 0.67 -2.53 ng/ml in semi-intensive and traditional system, respectively. Our results allow quantifying this impact. With a supplemented diet including 2 Kg of concentrates and 5 kg of roughages per day, the fertility rate will be improved of 67%. It would be possible to expect more than two fold young camels in a year by supplemented 5 kg of concentrates. We conclude that under semi-intensive management dietary supplement during post-partum and early lactation period improves reproductive parameters for instance shortened calving interval.
___
Alhassan SA. 2015. Study of Some Productive and Reproductive Characteristics of Camels (Camelus dromedaries) in North Kordofan State. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Natural Resources & Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Agarwal SP, Khanna, ND, Agarwal VK, Dwaraknathb PK. 1987. Circulating Levels of Estrogens and Progesterone in Female Camel Theriogenology, Vol. 28 No. 6 849-859 During Pregnancy,
Agarwal SP, Rai AK, Khanna ND. 1991. Serum Progesterone levels in female camels during oestrus cycle, Indian J. Anim. Sciences. 61: 37 - 39.
Agarwal SP, Khanna ND. 1990. Endocrine profiles of the Indian camel under Different Phase of Reproduction. Proceeding of the workshop "Is it Possible to improve the reproductive Performance of camel?" Paris: 77 - 104.
Al Eknah MM. 2000. Reproduction in Old World camels, Anim. Reprod. Sci. 60-61, 583-592.
Amin AS, Abdoun KA, Abdelatif AM. 2007. Seasonal variation in blood dromedarius), Pak. J. Biol. Sci. 10, 1250-1256. Barlund, C.S., Carruthers, T. one-humped camel (Camelus
Bakheit SA. 2008. A Comparative Study of Productive and Reproductive Performance of Camels (Camelus dromedaries) under Semi-Intensive and Traditional Systems in Western Sudan. P.hD. thesis, Faculty of Animal Production, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
Elias E, Bedrak E, yagil R. 1984. Peripheral Blood Levels of Progesterone in Female Camels during Various Reproductive Stages. General and comparative Endocrinology. 53: 235 - 240.
Faye B, Abdelhadi OMA, Ahmed AI, Bakheit SA.2011. Camel in Sudan: future prospects. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 23, Article #219. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd23/10/faye23219.htm.
Hegazy AA, Ali A, Al-Eknah M, Ismail S. 2004 Studies on pituitary- Ovarian Axis in the Female Camel with special Reference to Cystic and Inactive Ovaries, Journal of Camel Science (CARDN/ACSAD). Vol. (1): pp. 16 -24.
Karimi SK, Kimenye DM. 1993. Some Observations on the reproductive performance of camels kept in marsabit, Northern Kenya. Etudes et Synthéses de l'IEMVT: 117 -130.
Kaufmann BA. 2005. Reproductive performance of camels (Camelus dromedarius) under pastoral management and its influence on herd development, Livestock Prod. Sci. 92, 17-29
Khanna ND, Rai AK, Tandon SN. 1990. Population trends and distribution of camel population in India, Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 60: 331-337.
Musa BE. 1979. Reproductive patterns in the female Camel (Camelus dromedarius). Paper presented at the workshop on camels, Khartoum 18-20 December 1979. IFS (International Foundation for Science), Provisional Report 6: pp. 279 - 284.
Sahal KE. 2015. Socio-economic Situation of Camel herders in North Kordofan State. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Natural Resources & Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan.
Snedecor GW, CochranWE. 1967. Statistical Methods. Sixth edition. The Iowa State, University of Iowa, USA.
Sghiri A, Driancourt MA. 1999. Second effects on fertility and ovarian follicular growth and maturation in camels (Camelus dromedarius) Animal Repord. Sci., 55: 223-237.
Skidmore JA, Billa M, Allen, WR.1996. Patterns of hormone secretion throughout pregnancy in the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedaries). Reproduction fertility and Development. 8: 863 -869.
Sumar J. 1988. Removal of the ovaries or ablation of the Corpus luteum and its Effect on the Maintenance of Gestation in the Alpica and Llama. ACTA Vet. Scand. 83(Suppl.): 133 -141.
Technoserve H.1987. Credit Component Base line Survey and U.S Agency for Agricultural Development, El Obeid, Sudan, PP. 204.
TibaryA, Abdelhaq A, Abdelmalek S. 2005. Factors affecting reproductive performance of camels at the herd and individual level. In: Desertification combat and food safety: the added value of camel producers, (Edt.): Faye, B. and Esenov, P.: Ashkabad, Turkmenistan.
Tibary A, Anouassi A. 2000. Reproductive disorders in the female camelids. In: Skidmore, L., Adams, G.P. (Eds.), Recent Advances in Camelid Reproduction. International Veterinary Information Service, Ithaca, NY (www.ivis.org), pp. 1-11, last updated: 27-November-2000
Vyas S, Agarwal SP, Rai AK, Khanna ND.1999. Monitoring Ovulation and Conception employing blood Progesterone estimation in female. Indian journal of Animal production and management, Vol.15 (1): pp. 33 -34. ISSN 0970 -1524.