Chemical Composition, In vitro Digestibility and Gas Production of Selected Forages Preferred by Dromedary Camels in Peri Urban Area of Isiolo Town, Kenya

Inadequate feed resources in quantity and quality during dry season is the major factor affecting milk production in lactating dromedary camels under the peri-urban production system. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritive contribution of selected shrubs and fodder species to lactating camels in peri urban area of Isiolo town, Kenya during dry season. Nineteen samples of different browse species were collected based on palatability and analyzed for proximate composition, detergent fiber fractions, In vitro digestibility and gas production. Average dry matter (DM) percentage on all dried sampled shrubs was 90%. The crude protein (CP) content ranged between 4.98 - 26.66%. The neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) values ranged from 24.90 - 72.85% and 19.02 - 55.85% respectively. Organic matter digestibility (OMD) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) mean were 47.32% and 41.25% respectively. Acacia nilotica had highest OMD (75.29%) and DMD (62.80%) while Prosopis cineraria recorded the lowest at 24.21% and 22.10% respectively. Cumulative gas production was high in Haloxylon salicornicum (0.00-70.43ml/200mg) and low in Zizyphus mucronata (23.31ml/200mg) with increasing incubation time from 2 to 15 hours. The results indicate that the nutritive values of the forages were not adequate hence supplementation is required for dromedary camels during dry season in peri urban production system. Proper management and conservation of the rangelands through reseeding will also improve the forages nutritional composition.