Defining Economic Values of Important Traits in One Hump Camel in Desert Areas Rearing System

In this study production, reproduction, population, management and economic parameters resulted from recording of 7 flocks with size 57 to 400 and 721 heads of camels in a cycle of reproduction, during three years from 2011 to 2013 were used to find out of the economic values of important traits in one hump camel in desert areas rearing system. The economic traits that appeared in profit equation were durability, reproduction and production traits. The economic values, economic weights and the relative importance of traits estimated by increasing one unit and one genetic standard deviation of each trait, using maximizing profit, maximizing efficiency and minimizing cost situations. The results showed that from total annual revenue in each camel (294.10 US$), 66% accounted for sale of calf and 34% resulted from the sale of culling camels. The total annual cost in each camel (72.95 US$), feed, labour and management, facilities, drug and treatment and interest of investment accounted by 40.23%, 34.49%, 7.18%, 1.42% and 16.67%, respectively. The average annual profit and profit to cost ratio in each camel were equal to 221.15 US$ and 3.03, respectively. Relative importance of different group of traits for average of the herds were 58.44% for durability traits (survival rate in camel 14.31%, survival rate in calf to weaning age 34.74% and longevity of camel 9.39%), 24.33% for reproduction traits (conception rate 14.31%, calving interval -8.99%, and age at first calving -1.03%) and 17.23% for production traits (calf weaning weight 13.60%, weight of female replacement -1.09% and weight of camel 2.53%). Relative importance of durability traits resulted from maximizing efficiency and minimizing cost decrease steadily and added to the relative importance of reproduction and production traits. The estimated relative importance of different traits got in this study, could be used to form multiple trait selection indices to one hump camel breeding programs in desert areas rearing system.