Fifteen growing male Maghraby camels of 276 ± 4 kg body weight and about
18 months old were used in a 16-week growth trial. Camels were divided into 3 similar
groups (5 in each) according to weight and age, which were randomly allotted into 3
dietary treatments. Treatments were offering camels ad libitum amounts of either
berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) hay (BH, control), groundnut residues hay (GRH) or
a mixture of equal parts of the two hays (BH + GRH) in addition to barley grains
offered as a common concentrate for all treatments at 1.5% (on dry basis) of camel
body weight. The growth trial was followed by a digestion and N balance trial on 3
camels of each group, chosen randomly. The results indicated that camels fed on GRH or BH+ GRH diets were superior
in total weight gain by 17.2 and 14.7%, respectively over the control. The AOG
showed similar trend. The 0 M intake from barley did not differ significantly among
groups while hay OM intake was similar for GRH and BH+ GRH groups being higher
than those of BH group by 11.4 and 8.1 %, respectively. Camels on BH+ GRH diet
tended to convert feed OM, TON and OCP into gain more efficiently than those on
GRH diet (by 2.37, 4.77 and 3.67%, respectively) or the control (by ~1.76, 10.65 and
11.95%, respectively). Digestibility of OM, OM, CP, EE and NFE were almost similar for all diets but
digestibility coefficients of CF, NOF and all cell wall fractions of GRH diet were the
highest followed by those of BH diet (P<0.05 for AOL and cellulose) while those of the
mixture of BH+ GRH were the least (P<0.05). The TON value of GRH diet was higher
(P<0.05) than those of BH or BH+ GRH diets being similar, while OCP content did not
differ significantly among diets. Nitrogen balance was the highest when GRH diet was
fed followed by the BH+ GRH diet while it was the least with BH diet. Nitrogen balance
as % of intake was similar for GRH and BH+ GRH groups being higher by 2.4 and
3.1 %, respectively than the control. Urinary N as % of intake was the least for BH+
GRH diet followed by GRH diet while the highest value was that of BH diet. It is concluded that growing male Maghraby camels fed on the diet with GRH
as a sole roughage performed better than those offered diets with BH or a mixture of
equal parts of the two hays. Moreover, feeding camels on GRH diet is more economic
in terms of lower feed cost / unit gain or as a net income than feeding diets with BH or
the mixture of the two hays.