The inventory of camel feed resource and the evaluation of its chemical composition in south-east rangelands of Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Evaluations of available camel feed nutritive value are relevant to generate evidence on further camel feed improvements and find out the components to be supplemented. Objective: This study aim to evaluate seasonal variations on chemical composition of selected camel feed in semi-arid regions of south-east Ethiopia. Methods: Samples of edible portions from 15 browse species were collected during the dry and wet seasons, and their chemical compositions were analysed. Results: The crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and relative feed value (RFV) of evaluated browse species were higher (p