Maintenance energy requirements of the one-humped camel

Five female one-humped camels were fed at maintenance energy and twice maintenance energy in two different periods. Higher digestibility values (63•2 ± 3•06 vs. 50•2 ± 4•44%) were obtained at the higher intake levels. Heat production at the higher feed level was greater than at the lower but proportionately less than values reported for sheep on similar intake levels. The efficiency of conversion of metabolizable energy intake to body tissue was 68%, this figure being higher than previously reported data for the one-humped camel and also higher than most values reported for conventional ruminants.