When you hear Camel, you imagine desert and a group of Camel transporting people and loads
from one place to another. While that is still their popular streak, over the years people
have found many different uses for these domestic animals.
In countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kenya, and Somalia people have found a new way of
making a living off the animals. They don’t lend Camels as a tourist transport anymore,
instead, they farm them, for milk. Yes, you hear that right, you’ll be surprised
to know just how useful these animals can be.
But before we get started be sure to like and subscribe to our channel for more videos
like these. We have many facts and information sorted
on our friendly desert creature so stick around till the end so you don’t miss out on anything.
For today’s video, we are traveling in the scorching heat of Saudi Arabia to explore
one of their famous Camel farms. Camels are known as a desert animals that
can survive excess heat and live on bare minimum water and food. So what happens when they
are well taken care of on a farm, with a continuous supply of food and water?
They produce nearly 20 liters of milk per day and that’s coming from a single Camel.
In countries like Saudi Arabia where it is difficult to rear cows for their milk demands,
they have resorted to using Camels instead. There was even a time when Saudi Arabia used
to import milk powders to meet their domestic demands but that’s all in the past once
they found a way around their problem, Camel Farming.
Now the majority of their milk product market is surrounded by variations of Camel milk-based
products. In this video, we are talking about big commercial
farms that house around 5,000 – 10,000 Camels and works on making their own product.
We are going to start with the reproduction process, making our way down to the milk-producing
part. Camels are seasonal breeders and so the month
of November and December are best for breeding if the process of breeding is done naturally.
Their gestation period is one of the longest counted in livestock animals. It lasts up
to 390 days, that’s 14 months of pregnancy; they give birth to one Calf at a time.
A female Camel goes through pregnancy every two years or so, with better care and feeding
this number can be altered but not by much. A female Camel has 40 years of lifespan and
births 8 calves during her lifetime, with better care the number can be moved up to
13 calves or more. They become restless and move away from their
herd as the calving times approach, it takes nearly two hours to birth a Calves.
The Calves stand on their feet within 20 minutes of their birth and so the process of first
feeding began. The feeding of the Calves depends solely on
what the mother has to offer. The newborns suckle and rely on their mother’s milk,
till they are old enough to feed anything else.
Thereafter begins the Lactation period which is very important for the milk production
farms, it is during this time when the female produces milk ranging anywhere between 10
liters to 20 liters a day. Camel’s lactation period lasts between 8-18
months, after the lactation period is over the milk dries up and is of no more use to
the farm until the breeding is done again. To commercially-run a farm, the farm carefully
divides its herd of camels into two. While one herd of Camels is pregnant, the other
herd is already lactating and providing milk. Through this method, they ensure a steady
supply of milk throughout the year. But it’s not just the factories that require
fresh milk, the Calves also need their share of food. The amount of milk drunk by the calves
is regulated by tying up one or more of the Camels teats.
The amount the calves get is also determined by their need and the milking capacity of
the mother. The Camels are milked two or three times a
day. During the daytime, the calves are allowed to run with their mother and are penned separately
at night. If a calf dies during the suckling period,
the milk dam dries up if the camel does not see her calf drinking from her.
In cases like these, a foster calf is provided or some other measures are taken place, in
this case seeing the skin of a calf should be enough for the mother to start producing
milk again. The commercial farms are constantly working
to make sure the quality of the milk produced is the best. For this, they have to make sure
their camels are disease-free and follow certain hygiene processes.
Common diseases that affect camels are foot and mouth, lumpy skin disease, camelpox, and
mantitis, all of which can be prevented by vaccination and controlled by treatment and
medicines provided by the vets. Camels are also bathed every day to maintain
proper hygiene on the farm. Furthermore, they are also bathed with pesticides and acaricides
to keep off pests and flies. They are marked on their furs or provided
with tags to keep track of them. Camels can eat different varieties of forages
and they also have the ability to digest poor quality forages given the circumstances. In
the farms, they are provided with top-quality forages to graze on.
Because the quality of the milk ultimately depends on the type of food they graze on,
they are provided with supplements through their foods to further ensure the quality
of the milk. Needless to say, they are provided with the
best of food and a clean drinking water supply so they can continue to provide more milk.
Another thing that determines their health and milk quality is salt. Camels like salt.
Camels lose all the minerals they have through their urine so to balance it out they need
regular salt licks to get the essential minerals they lost.
The Camels reach puberty at around one and a half to three years, but they are not fit
for breeding until they are at least six years old. The population of the farm depends on
the number of female calves birthed, who go on to breed more and so the circle continues.
Now that the female claves are lactating again, it’s time to collect their milk. While in
small farms this process is done by hand and is equally effective, big commercial farms
choose to rely on modern machines to get their job done.
A whole area of the farm is dedicated to the modern milking machine. The whole barn is
filled with single slot cages where the Camels are taken for milking.
Before the milking process begins, a small sample of the milk is taken from each animal
for a quality check. Milking the camel is a painless and quick
process, it also allows the camel to function more comfortably once the excess milk is extracted.
This is done three times a day, also depending on their demands.
When the milk is not consumed fresh it must be processed immediately in order to maintain
the quality of the milk, fresh milk is said to go poor very fast. The milk, when drinking
straight after extraction, is said to taste different.
So, it goes through a long processing step to give it the taste that many consumers are
familiar with. This process varies depending on the type of product that’s being made.
After processing the milk is ready to be packed and supplied to the nearest market. Big companies
like, Saudi Arabia’s Camelicious, are known to use the milk in every aspect possible.
They make a variety of flavored milk, ice creams, yogurts, chocolates, protein bars,
and milk powders. They have found great commercial success in the Arabic market and now supply
their products in over 17 countries. Camel milk has found a whole new market in
the Middle East where this has essentially become favorable daily choices for people.
Carmel milk is preferred by many, not just because it’s the only available option,
but because of the many benefits, it provides. Camel's milk is found to be very nutritious.
It is high in vitamin c, many minerals, and immunoglobin which boosts the immune system.
The milk also has a different lactose component which allows people with lactose intolerance
to consume this milk without any problems. Several studies have also revealed the wonders
it does to people's health. The milk has a positive impact on many diseases like diabetes,
liver disease, jaundice, and many viral diseases. While milk is the most marketable product
of the Camel, other than transport and tourism, it has also found a relatively small market
in the meat and skin hides sector. Camel meat is a valuable food source rich
in many essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids. Apart from the nutritional
value, it is also very cheap compared to beef and other meat sources. In Middle Eastern
countries, Camel meat is regarded as the main source of animal protein that equals and sometimes
surpasses other meats. The hides and wool that come from these desert
creatures may not be the most sought after in the market but they also provide some value
to the profit of their rearers. Nowadays everything comes second to milk in
the Camel Farming industry. Their main focus these days has shifted to producing as much
milk as possible. Anyone who wants to get into this business
has a shot of success if they live in the right region. It takes a hefty investment
to start but once everything is settled and you have enough animals to make a living off,
it’s smooth sailing from there. One thing to keep in mind is Camel Farming
is relatively time taking and requires more patience in order to see results, compared
to any other livestock farming. So, if you have a heft investment, everlasting
patience, and love for Camels then this is hands down the best business for you.
The good news is the industry is booming and reaching overseas. The growth shows no sign
of stopping anywhere near the future. Now that you have had an insider look at the
Camel Farming business, what are your thoughts about it?
Is this something that interests you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Thank you for watching, see you in our next video!