Dietary and seasonal effects on body weight, ovarian development and blood reproductive hormone levels in peri-pubertal female camels (Camelus dromedarius)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of nutrition on body weight gain, ovarian development, blood components (total protein, albumen, globulin, cholesterol, glucose) and hormone (estradiol, progesterone, FSH, LH, GnRH and Leptin) levels in peri-pubertal female camels. Fourteen dromedary females (Camelus dromedarius) were divided into two groups (A and B) with respective average body weight and age of 381 kg, 24 months and 458 kg, 24 months at the start of the experiment. Group A received a diet with 13% Crude Protein (CP) and 2.9 Mcal Metabolizable Energy (ME). Group B received the traditional diet of the farm with 12.43 CP and 2.7 ME. Both diets contained 1:3 forage:concentrate ratio. Individual feed intake was calculated after a 14 days adaptation period. Feed offered and orts were recorded daily during the entire experimental period of 24 months. Blood samples were taken from the same 5 animals in each group at 15 day intervals throughout the experimental period. Hormone concentrations were measured using specific ELISA kits. Initial body weight, final body weight and average daily gain for the two treatment groups were not significantly different. Group B had greater ovarian size than group A but the difference was also non-significant. The size of the right ovary was less than the left ovary. Season had no significant effect on ovary's size. Group A camels tended to have higher blood estradiol, leptin, GnRh and LH levels than group B. However, the differences were not significant except in the case of estradiol. Progesterone and FSH levels were also comparable in the two groups. It was concluded that the feeding regimen used in this study did not significantly affect body weight, daily weight gain and blood progesterone level while a relative, though statistically non-significant, increase was recorded in blood estrogen, Leptin, GnRH and LH levels in group A. (Resume d'auteur)