Camel Calf Care in the First Year: From Birth to Weaning

Caring for a camel calf in its first year comes down to three things: make sure it drinks colostrum in the first hours after birth, keep the navel clean until it dries, and monitor weight and health regularly until weaning. Most calf losses happen in the first weeks, usually from poor suckling, diarrhoea or extreme cold and heat, and most of these causes can be prevented.

The mother carried this calf for about 13 months. Losing it means roughly two years of her productive cycle gone with nothing to show for it. A camel calf is not "a youngster that will grow up on its own"; it is the most valuable investment on the farm this year. This guide sets out what to do, stage by stage.

The first hours: colostrum, navel and shelter

The first hours shape much of the calf's future. Check the following:

• Standing and suckling. A healthy calf tries to stand fairly soon after birth. Make sure it has actually suckled, not just stood beside its mother. If it has not suckled within the first hours, help it or call the vet.
• Colostrum. The first milk carries the immunity the calf needs for its first weeks. The newborn gut absorbs these antibodies well only in the first hours, and that ability falls quickly afterwards.
• The navel. Disinfect it with the product your vet recommends and watch it until it dries. A wet or swollen navel is an entry point for infection.
• The place. Clean and dry, sheltered from cold wind in winter and from direct sun in summer.
• The mother. Check that the afterbirth has come away and that she accepts the calf and lets it suckle.

Record on the same day: date of birth, sex, mother and sire, and birth weight if you can. You will need these details years later for sale or registration.

Week 1 to month 3

At this stage the calf depends almost entirely on its mother's milk. The main risks are:

1. Diarrhoea. One of the leading causes of death in young calves. Hygiene, low crowding and good colostrum intake are the first line of defence. A scouring calf loses fluids fast, so do not wait: isolate it and call the vet.
2. Not enough milk. If the mother is milked for sale, make sure the calf keeps a fair share. A hungry calf grows slowly and is more exposed to disease.
3. Heat and cold. Provide shade and water in summer and protection from cold nights in winter.
4. External parasites. Watch for ticks and mange and treat under veterinary supervision.

Towards the end of this period the calf starts nibbling feed and plants alongside its mother. That is normal and helps the rumen-like stomach develop.

Month 4 to weaning

As the calf grows it relies more on feed. Offer fine, good-quality hay, small amounts of concentrate increased gradually, and clean water at all times. For more on rations by stage, see the camel feeding guide.

Vaccination: the calf vaccination programme must follow your local vet or the national veterinary authority's schedule. There is no single programme that fits every region. What matters is that every dose is recorded with its date and product so the next one is not missed.

Weaning: when and how

Camel calves are commonly weaned at around 9 to 12 months, sometimes later in traditional systems and sometimes earlier on dairy farms that need the mother's milk. Base the decision on weight and condition rather than age alone: a small, weak calf should not be weaned just because it has reached a certain age.

For a lower-stress weaning:

• Make sure the calf is eating feed well for several weeks before separation.
• Wean calves together as a group rather than one at a time.
• Move them far enough from the mothers that they do not keep calling for days.
• Watch weights in the weeks after weaning. A short dip in growth is normal; a long one is not.

Timely weaning also helps the mother regain body condition before the next mating. For a comparison with small ruminants, read weaning lambs and kids.

Tracking calves in practice

Most farms have far fewer camel calves than lambs, but each one is worth a lot, so individual tracking is both possible and worthwhile:

1. A record for every calf from day one: number, sex, mother and sire, date of birth, photo.
2. A monthly weight if you have scales, or at least a body-condition score.
3. Every treatment and vaccination logged with its date.
4. Every death logged with the likely cause and the calf's age. This is the most useful data for improving next season.

In Throf, a calf's record is linked to its mother and sire, it is classified automatically by age, and weights, vaccinations and treatments are logged with reminders for upcoming dates. Weaning is recorded as a production stage. Over time a clear picture appears: which camels produce the strongest calves, and at what age most losses happen on your farm.

The bottom line

The first year decides whether a calf becomes a productive female, a good breeding bull or a loss. Focus on colostrum in the first hours, hygiene in the first weeks, gradual feeding after that, and weaning by weight and condition. Record everything: a calf you track with numbers today is an asset with documented value tomorrow.