Protozoa population and types in the forestomach of the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) associated with diet changes

Enumeration of protozoa of the dromedary camel forestomach and the effect of grain supplement on protozoa counts were investigated. Protozoa were enumerated from four forestomach fistulated Arabian camels (Camelus dromedarius) fed either roughage or roughage supplemented with steam flaked barley. The count was performed using a Hawksley counting chamber under light microscopy. The supplementary feeding of roughage diet with steam flaked barley resulted in a decrease in the forestomach protozoal population by 4.9-fold at 0 h, 2.3-fold at 8 h and 5.2-fold at 16 h. Entodinium spp. were the predominant species when the camels were fed a roughage diet. Changing the dietary regimen from roughage to roughage plus grains altered the protozoal population in favour of higher Epidinium spp., while the Entodinium spp. suffered a dramatic decrease. The pH also dropped from 6.4 to 5.4 following the introduction of grain. The addition of grain to the roughage diet of the camel resulted in significant changes in some protozoa species, which could disrupt the balance and lead to the development of acidosis. The number of protozoa was affected by changing the camel’s diet from a roughage diet to roughage plus grain.