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Mating Behaviour of One Humped Camel in Relation to Body Condition Score

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Vol 5 No 2, p 235-237
Ruminant Science December 2016 /235
Camelus dromedarius is a seasonal breeder and the
breeding season in India extends from December to
March (Dholpuria et al, 2012). Camel is considered to
have poor reproductive efficiency (Vyas and Sahani,
2000). The mating behavior of camel is entirely different
from the other ruminants and it clearly indicates the
essential relationship between physical confirmation and
mating behavior (Singh and Parkash, 1964, Vyas et al,
2001). The male camel attend sexual maturity at about
6 years of age and female is ready to breed by about 3 to
4 years old (Khanna et al, 1990). During breeding season
male camel becomes aggressive, show rut behaviour and
difficult to handle. The signs of rut are grunting and
gurgling sound, froth from mouth, protrusion of soft
palate out of mouth like an elongated pouch, dark brown
secretion having distinct smell from poll glands, grinding
of teeth making a typical whistling sound, animal spread
out its hind legs, frequent micturition and splashing of
urine with up and down movement of tail and reduction
of body weight were observed (Vyas et al, 2001). One
male is usually being mated with 3 to 9 animals
although good male will mate with large number of
females in one season (Sahani et al, 2003; Shekhar et al,
2012). On a single day male can mate for at least two to
three times with three to five females. However,
conception failure leads to increase inter calving period
and costs on camel husbandry. Since copulating posture
is unique in this species therefore the present experiment
ABSTRACT
MATING BEHAVIOR OF ONE HUMPED CAMEL IN RELATION TO BODY CONDITION
SCORE
Sajjan Singh, Sumant Vyas, Kashi Nath and NV Patil
ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel, PB 07, Bikaner-334 501, Rajasthan, INDIA
*sajjansingh@doctor.com
A total of 11 breeding male camels having Body Condition Score (BCS) between 3.0 and 3.5 were selected for
breeding of female Camels (n=65) having BCS between 2.5 to 4.0. The period of mating was from December to March
2015. Each male camel was enabled to mate with minimum 3 to maximum 9 female camels. Physical changes and
reduction in body weight was observed in all breeding camels except few camels whose frequency of mating was restricted.
The females having exceptionally high body condition score were found to be inconvenient for mating and bulls were
reluctant to mount such females. Repeated mounting and demounting by males is common in high body BCS females.
The study found that females having BCS between 2.5 and 3.5 were comfortable due to prominence of coxial and Ischial
tuberocity leading to locking of chest pad between these and rear side of hump. The present findings indicated that high
BCS females were not convenient for mating and chest pad played role in mating behavior by providing a lock between
hump and ischial tuberocity.
Keywords: Body Condition Score (BCS), camel, copulation, hump, ischial tuberosity.
was undertaken to study the effect of body condition on
mounting behavior and conception in an organized farm
during breeding season.
Materials and Methods
The present study was conducted at National
Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner under the aegis of
Indian Council of Agricultural Research. A total of 11
breeding bulls having Body Condition Score between
3.0 and 3.5 were selected for breeding and mating of
cow (n=65) having BCS between 2.5 to 4.0. Body
condition scoring was done as per score developed by
the Centre scaled between 1-5 depending on fat
deposition on different locations of body like hump,
ischial tuberocity, ano-genital region and ribs as referred
in Table 1. The period of mating was from December to
March 2015. The studs and the females of reproductive
age as per breeding policy of Centre were included in
this study. The number of females used per bull ranged
from 3 to 9
Results and Discussion
The critical observations (visuals) on behavior
showed sniffing at genital region, urination, violent
ejection of soft-palate from side of mouth; wide apart
hind limb with high frequency of vigorous vibrating tail
wetted with urine splashing on body parts was common
in almost all males when females approach them. Highly
aggressive rutting males even attack their controlled
Ruminant Science December 2016 /236
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
B 575 B611 B627 B583
1 (3) (3) (4) (4)
P(1) P(1) NP(4) NP(3)
B 545 B 581 B623 B 515
2 (4) (4) (3) (3)
P(1) P(1) P(4) P(1)
B 439 B 613 B 629 B 569
3 (3) (4) (4) (4)
P(2) NP(4) NP(3) NP(3)
J389 J115 J 175 J 85 J 181 J 187 J 207
4 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (4)
P(2) P(3) P(1) P(1) P(4) P(2) NP(4)
J 393 J165 J227 J 185 J 189 J 163
5 (3) (4) (3) (3) (4) (3)
P(5) P(2) P(2) P(2) P(1) P(3)
J 159 J155 J229 J183 J197 J209 J 219
6 (3) (5) (4) (4) (3) (3) (3)
P(1) NP(4) P(1) P(1) P(4) P(2) P(2)
K119 K133 K107 K187 K193 K139
7 (4) (3) (4) (4) (3) (4)
NP(3) P(2) NP(3) NP(4) P(3) P(1)
K117 K185 K191 K161 K195 K201
8 (5) (4) (3) (4) (3) (3)
NP(4) P(4) P(2) P(1) P(3) P(1)
K157 K183 K147 K163
9 (3) (3) (3) (3)
P(1) P(2) P(3) P(3)
M27 M61 M21 M51 M73 M25 M37 M95 M05
10 (5) (3) (3) (3) (4) (4) (4) (3) (3)
NP(2) P(2) P(3) P(2) P(2) NP(4) NP(3) P(2) P(2)
M19 M67 M35 M71 M75 M79 M81 M77
11 (4) (5) (4) (3) (3) (4) (3) (4)
P(4) NP(4) P(2) P(3) P(3) P(2) P(3) P(1)
SN
M-02 1
M-04 3
K-136 4
K-204 3
J-244 3
K-166 3
J-218 3
J-242 3
B-592 3
B-480 2
Tag No. BCS Number of females chosen for mating
B-692 2
Table 2. Bull mating and pregnancies pattern.
The figures in parenthesis just below the number of female are body condition score of females (BCS). P(Pregnant),
NP(Non Pregnant) and figures in parenthesis just below them shows number of mating required for conception.
BCS
Characteristics
1
Little or no fat in the hump sac, hump hairy and may be leaning on one side
2
Hump with moderate dev
elopment rising 5% higher than chest depth, but may also be leaning to one side.
Hump with moderate to good development and rising 7.5% higher than chest depth, but may also be
leaning to one side.
3
Hump with good development and rising to 10 %
higher than chest depth. Hump is still sculptured
inwards on both sides and still fits over the chest and abdominal area.
Hump fully developed and rising to 15 % higher than chest depth. Hump runs from the shoulder to the
rump but not rounded.
4
Hump fully developed and rising to 15 % higher than chest depth. Hump rounded outwards on both sides
and runs from the shoulder to the rump.
5
Hump over
-
extended and rising more than 15 % higher than chest or the hump is so full that it is rounded
on the sides like a semi-circle.
Table 1. Body condition Score for male or female camels.
Ruminant Science December 2016/237
Table 3. Body condition score of females and conception percentage.
3 2.5 2 2 (100)
4 3 33 33 (100)
5 3.5 16 14 (87.5) 2 (12.5)
6 4 10 - 10 (100)
7 4.5 4 - 4 (100)
Total 65 49 (75.3) 16 (24.6)
S.N. Body Condition Score (BCS) No. of females Pregnant (%) Non-pregnant (%)
contemporary males. Before mating is initiated receptive
females comes in recumbent position and bull camel
squat dog like position. Completion of copulation act
takes place between 5 to 12 minutes. Mating takes place
in squatting position and takes 3 to 12 minutes duration.
It is advisable to help a young inexperienced male for
intromission and copulation. Mating behavior of camel
(Sahani et al, 2003) is seen to differ remarkably from
other ruminants and clearly indicated essential
relationship between physical confirmation and mating
behavior. The poll glands of camel seem to be more active
during rut and breeding season. Olfactory reproductive
pheromones are wholly under the control of gonads (Vyas
et al, 2012). Camel grows a huge soft palate which it
displays out of its mouth while in rut (Charnot, 1963;
Vyas et al, 2001). It was observed by authors that
copulation was not smooth in some cases wherein male
despite showing vigorous rut symptoms dismount
frequently during copulation, withdraw penis
intermittently during course of act.
It was observed that all females with BCS 2.5 and
3 became pregnant whereas 87.5% of those having BCS
3.5 became pregnant. And none of the females having
BCS 4 and 4.5 became pregnant (Table 2, 3). Females
having exceptionally high body condition score were
found to be inconvenient for mating and bulls were
reluctant to mount such females. The females having BCS
between 2.5 and 3.5 were comfortable due to prominence
of coxial and ischial tuberocity leading to locking of chest
pad and rear side of hump. High Fat deposits in hump
interfere with copulation since chest pad locking and
fore limb grip in squatting positions during action results
in difficult proximity between individuals. Repeated
mounting and demounting by males was found common
in high body scores females. These features indicated that
high BCS females were not convenient for mating and
chest pad played important role in mating behaviour by
acting as lock between hump and ischial tuberocity.
Figures in parenthesis show percentage.
References
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(2012). Sonographic monitoring of early follicle
growth induced by melatonin implants in camels
and the subsequent fertility. Journal of Ultrasound
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Khanna ND, Tandon SN and Rai AK (1990). Breeding
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Singh S, Poonia RK, Nath K and Patil NV (2015) Body
Condition Scoring system. In : Technical Bulletin,
ICAR- NRC on Camel, Bikaner
Singh V and Parkash A (1964). Mating behavior in camel.
Indian Veterinary Journal 41:475-477.
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Ruminant Science December 2016 /238
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Ruminant Science. Each author meets the criteria for authorship of above. Institutional
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... Characteristics of BCS 3.5 included fully developed hump which was 15% higher than chest depth and from the shoulder to the rump but not rounded. However, characteristics of BCS 4 were the same as of BCS 3.5 but the hump was rounded outwards on both the sides (Singh et al, 2016). Therefore, the affected female camel was fatty that might be a predisposing factor for development of lipomas. ...
... There could be many reasons for the reduced semen volume including age of the animals, agroclimatic conditions, semen collection frequency, and training of animals. Additionally, male camel can mate at least two to three times in a lone day with several females [20]. Rutting season has also been seen to influence the quality and quantity of semen in dromedary camels [21]. ...
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Body Condition Scoring system Mating behavior in camel
  • S Singh
  • Rk Poonia
  • K Nath
  • Nv Patil
Singh S, Poonia RK, Nath K and Patil NV (2015) Body Condition Scoring system. In : Technical Bulletin, ICAR-NRC on Camel, Bikaner Singh V and Parkash A (1964). Mating behavior in camel. Indian Veterinary Journal 41:475-477.