GENETIC ASSESSMENT OF THE REPRODUCTIVE ASPECTS OF MAGHREBI CAMELS IN THE WESTERN DESERT OF EGYPT

Despite camels' significance and their standing with harsh environmental conditions, information about their genetics and the impact of their surroundings was limited. This hindered the creation of a practical plan to optimize camel profits in Egypt. This study was to monitor the genetics and non-genetics affecting some reproductive performance of camels, including age at first calving (AFC), days open (DO), calving interval (CI), and the number of services/conceptions (NSC) in the western desert of Egypt. A total of 311 records of 33 Maghrebi she-camels at the Centre of Studies and Development of Camel Production, Marsa Matrouh governorate, Egypt, from 2012 to 2021 were included. The mean results of AFC, DO, CI, and NSC were 63.6 months, 193.4 days, 555.9 days, and 2.52 services, respectively. All of CI, NSC, and DO were significantly influenced by the calving year, while NSC was affected only by the calving season. The phenotypic trend for DO was in the desired negative direction (-0.316 days/year). Desired negative genetic trends (GT) were about -.051, - 0.25 days, and -0.013 services per year for DO, CI, and NSC, respectively. Heritability estimates were 0.15, 0.07, 0.08, and 0.10 for AFC, DO, CI, and NSC, respectively. The repeatability ranged from 0.22 to 0.29. She-Camels with negative breeding values represented about 50.7%, having favorable reproductive traits. Finally, the early selection for desirable reproductive traits combined with consistent care practices provides a promising strategy for enhancing camel breeding success in Egypt, leading to shorter reproductive periods and improved fertility.