Assessment of status of minerals in forages preferred by camels (Camelus dromedarius) in the Arid North Eastern Kenya

摘要

The study was carried out in three locations of north eastern Kenya i.e. Saka in Garissa, Kutulo in Wajir east and Bute in Wajir north to evaluate the level of mineral elements in forage species preferred by camels at the wet and dry seasons and also to establish whether an existing mineral supplement in upper eastern Kenya could as well be effective in north eastern Kenya. The study was implemented using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with a factorial arrangement of treatments. The total concentration of minerals in the preferred forage species were measured after focus group discussions, field observation of grazing camels, sampling and laboratory analysis of forage species. The concentration of calcium (Ca) in the forages species was lower than standard recommended value in wet season while the rest of the mineral elements were within the recommended levels. While the concentration of copper (Cu) was marginal compared to the recommended level in the dry season, that of zinc (Zn) and cobalt (Co) was lower than the recommended level. Selenium (Se) and molybdenum (Mo) could not be detected in the forages during the dry season. Furthermore, the results showed that the upper eastern Kenya had higher (P<0.05) levels of potassium (K), sodium (Na), Ca, magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), Cu and Co than north eastern in the dry season while in the wet season, the concentration of phosphorus (P), K, Ca, Mg and Fe was higher (P<0.05) in upper eastern than in the north eastern Kenya forages. Regarding Cu, Zn and Co during the wet season, the north eastern Kenya forages had higher levels (P<0.05) than those in the upper eastern Kenya. The study concluded that depending on the management there was potential for the grazing camels in north eastern Kenya to meet their daily mineral requirements from the natural forages in respect of P, K, Mg, Na, Fe and chromium (Cr) during the wet season. Such camels may be suffering deficiencies with regard to the elements Ca in the wet season and Cu, Zn, Co, Se and Mo in the dry season. The study also concluded that the existing mineral formulation needs to be revised in order to make it effective in north eastern Kenya.