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Effect of different management systems on rutting behavior and behavioral repertoire of housed Maghrebi male camels (Camelus dromedarius)

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Abstract

Camel management has been changing in recent years from an extensive to a semi-intensive or intensive system, particularly for breeding bulls and dairy dromedary camels. Captivity may affect animal welfare, and low libido is the major complaint for housed breeding bulls. Since welfare status could also affect reproductive performance, the aim of this study was to evaluate different management practices on behavior, particularly on sexual behavior, and to identify some behavioral needs of male dromedary camels reared for semen collection. The effects of the following management systems on their behavior were compared: (i) traditional: housing in a single stall for 24 h (H24), (ii) housing in a single stall for 23 h with 1 h free in the paddock (H23), and (iii) housing in a single stall for 22 h and 30 min with 1 h paddock time and 30 min exposure to a female camel herd (ExF). During the trial, blood cortisol concentrations were assessed and camels were filmed daily for 30 min in the mornings and during a female passage in the evenings. Videos were analyzed in order to fill out a focal sampling ethogram and to score sexual behavior. As a result, there were no differences between the H24 and H23 systems, whereas ExF had a significant positive impact on their sexual behavior score and behavioral repertoire, further reducing cortisol levels. Overall, it seems that male dromedary camel welfare status improves when their behavioral needs for social interaction and movement are satisfied.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Tunisian authorities and thank all the technicians at the Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory for their valuable help during this study. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Anthony Green for kindly suggesting stylistic improvements to the text. This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union through the “PROCAMED” Project: Promotion des systèmes camelins innovants et des filières locales pour une gestion durable des territoires saharienne: reference number: I.B/1.1/493. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, IRA Médenine, Tunisia and Veterinary Clinics and Animal Productions Unit D.E.T.O. Bari, Italy and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, 4100, Medenine, Tunisia

    Meriem Fatnassi, Touhami Khorchani & Mohamed Hammadi

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Str. prov. Per Casamassima, km 3, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy

    Barbara Padalino

  3. Veterinary Clinics and Animal Production Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari (D.E.T.O.), Str. prov. Per Casamassima, km 3, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy

    Davide Monaco & Giovanni Michele Lacalandra

  4. Laboratoires d’Ethologie Animale et Humaine EthoS, University of Rennes, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes, France

    Lydiane Aubé

Authors
  1. Meriem Fatnassi
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  2. Barbara Padalino
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  3. Davide Monaco
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  4. Lydiane Aubé
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  5. Touhami Khorchani
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  6. Giovanni Michele Lacalandra
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  7. Mohamed Hammadi
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Correspondence to Barbara Padalino.

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Fatnassi, M., Padalino, B., Monaco, D. et al. Effect of different management systems on rutting behavior and behavioral repertoire of housed Maghrebi male camels (Camelus dromedarius). Trop Anim Health Prod 46, 861–867 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0577-6

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