Ilnar Girfanov: “Camel breeding is more than a business project. Ilnar Girfanov, LaiDeya: Camel breeding is a promising occupation, but for us it is more than a business project

When breeding camels, purebred breeding, interbreeding and hybridization are used. The largest number of breeding stock of camels in our republic is represented by the Kazakh Bactrian breed - more than 7 thousand or 86.8%.

Probably, each of us at least once asked ourselves this question, and in search of an answer came across many conflicting versions. Some argue that saliva accumulates in a camel's hump, others talk about huge reserves of water, because how else to explain their ability to survive in a hot desert? Unfortunately for many, both versions are wrong. But if so, then what do camels hide in the most prominent part of their body?

Why does a camel need a hump and what is inside?

In fact fat accumulates in the hump of a camel, the same fat that I have, and you, and many other people and animals. Normally, mammals store adipose tissue in the muscles or under the skin, but camels are special animals, they store fat in their hump, which feeds them during long hikes in the desert. The hump of a camel can weigh up to 35 kg, thanks to which they are quite capable of doing without food for up to 2 weeks. If a camel spends a long time without food, the hump begins to decrease significantly in size and fall to one side. To put it in order, the camel needs rest and enhanced nutrition for several days.
Despite all of the above, the fat in the camel's hump serves only as a substitute for food and is not able to excrete water.

Where do camels get their water from and where do they store it?

If the camel's hump plays almost no role in the conservation and production of water, a completely logical question arises: "Where did camels get their water from and where do they store it?". This question can be answered very easily - camels just drink and drink a lot, an animal can drink up to 75 liters of water at a time. Despite this, camels drink only to quench their thirst and restore the normal level of water in the body, while they are unable to store water for the future.

How do camels survive without water?

The secret of camels lies in their unique organism.
Firstly, camels are able to minimize the loss of moisture from the body, they rarely defecate, while their excrement is very dry, and their urine is super concentrated. Moreover, camel breathing is built in such a way that moisture does not leave the body with exhaled air, but condenses on the walls of the nasal concha and flows back. Not less than important feature The body of these mammals is the ability to tolerate large changes in body temperature. During the day, a camel's body temperature can vary from 32.2°C to 40.6°C, and only after reaching the highest tolerable temperature, the camel begins to sweat. By comparison, a normal human body temperature is 36.6°C and a rise of just 1°C could already mean that you are sick.
Secondly, camels are very resistant to dehydration: they can normally tolerate a loss of 30-40% of body water. For comparison, the loss of 20% of water for a person is fatal, while with a loss of 10%, painful disorders begin.

Why does a camel have a hump on its back?

After reading this article, few people will have this question, because we have already understood that the hump serves as a source of food for camels. But if you think about it, many animals have fat, being distributed throughout the body, and only camels store it in the hump. Why? As you know, nature never does anything for nothing, and the camel hump really has several more useful properties. Since the sun predominantly shines from above, the camel's hump serves as a shield for him, protecting the animal from solar radiation. In addition, since fat betrays heat much worse than water, the hump prevents the body from heating up in direct sunlight. The blood is also protected from heat: due to the fact that fat cells do not need oxygen, blood vessels pass below the hump, in a zone of relative coolness. Among other things, some types of camels have thicker hair on the back, while on all other parts of the body the hair is much thinner. This body structure helps to repel heat from direct sunlight from above and cool the camel from below.

In areas where Bactrians are bred, they are of great economic importance as pack and draft animals, as well as a source of milk, meat and skin. In a nomadic or semi-nomadic economy, camels are kept all year round on free grazing, with settled grazing in places with harsh winters - without a leash in sheds with a walking yard, in southern regions- often under awnings. The camel shed must be dry, with regularly changing bedding (from the remnants of hay, weeds, reeds). In winter, in case of severe frost, camels are sometimes covered with felt blankets.

In a working Bactrian, qualities such as endurance and resistance to extreme conditions are valued primarily. During long-distance crossings, it travels 30-40 km a day and carries packs of 250-300 kg, that is, almost half of its own weight. Under a rider, a camel can travel over 100 km a day, reaching speeds of up to 10-12 km/h. A camel under a pack walks at a speed of about 5 km / h, that is, noticeably slower than an average horse, but far exceeds any horse or donkey in endurance and undemanding. N. M. Przhevalsky noted that where a camel finds enough food for itself and does not experience hunger, the horses would die from starvation. The same applies to the resistance of Bactrian to low temperatures. It is significant that Bactrian camels were used in the past even in the extremely harsh and cold conditions of Yakutia for the winter transportation of goods in the mines. The camel is much more often used as a pack animal than a draft animal, although harnessed to a cart, it can carry a load 3-4 times its own weight. The fact is that on a bad or damp road, a Bactrian can quickly knock down and damage plantar calluses. According to eyewitnesses, on a wet road, he, moreover, unlike a horse, slips a lot.

Driving a camel, according to some authors, is much more difficult than a horse, since the Bactrian is stubborn and can balk for no apparent reason. The content of the Bactrian is also very whimsical and requires, on average, more attentive and thorough care than a horse. Camels are harnessed for permanent work when they reach at least 4 years of age.

The presence of two humps greatly facilitates the loading of the Bactrian, as well as riding - a person is easily held between the humps. For this reason, a saddle is not necessary for riding a Bactrian camel, but the "correct" bridling of a Bactrian also includes the presence of a saddle. Among the peoples using the two-humped camel, there are different types saddles, among which there are richly decorated and beautiful. Packing a Bactrian requires a certain skill, because a badly fitted pack, if worn for a long time, can damage the humps and back so much that the camel becomes unsuitable for further use.

Domestic camel breeding areas

The domestic Bactrian camel is characteristic of the regions Central Asia. This is one of the main pets in Mongolia and Mongolia's neighboring regions of China (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia, Gansu Province). There are many Bactrians in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other states Central Asia, and in a number of places the two-humped camel intersects with the domestic one-humped.

The largest population of domestic camels reaches in China - it is estimated that in this country, as well as in Mongolia, a total of about 2 million domestic animals are kept. From time immemorial, the Bactrian camel has been of particular importance for the Mongols, where it has traditionally been ranked among one of the "five heads" - animals that are bred by the traditional way of nomads (along with the horse, yak, sheep and goat). Even today, despite technological advances, Bactrian camels provide about a third of all freight traffic in the Gobi Desert. As of 2008, there were about 266.4 thousand domestic camels in Mongolia; this number, however, is constantly decreasing due to the increase in the number of cars (in 1954 there were 895.3 thousand, in 1985 - 559 thousand).

In the Soviet Union, the breeding of two-humped camels (as well as camel breeding in general) was a fairly developed branch of animal husbandry, practiced mainly in the Kazakh and Kirghiz SSR and the steppe regions of the RSFSR - the Kalmyk ASSR, Tuva Autonomous Region, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Chita regions. At the end of the 1960s, two-humped camels accounted for 44% of the total number of domestic camels in the USSR, numbering 264 thousand heads (single-humped 34% and nary hybrids - 22%). At present, in Russia, camel breeding is of the greatest importance in Buryatia, where it is practiced to the north up to 55 ° N. sh. - the animals bred there are the northernmost members of the family.

In the USSR, mainly three breeds of Bactrians were bred - Kalmyk, Kazakh and Mongolian, among which the Kalmyk was considered especially remarkable. Camels of this breed are significantly superior to animals of other breeds in their size, live weight, wool and milk productivity. The history of the emergence of the Kalmyk breed goes back to the first quarter of the 17th century, when the Kalmyk tribes roamed from Dzungaria to the lower reaches of the Volga and stole cattle and camels with them. Nomadic farming with year-round grazing and severe climatic conditions (frequent snowstorms and ice) often led to mass death camels. Only the strongest, most enduring and healthy individuals survived. As a result of natural selection, Kalmyk camels acquired properties and characteristics that distinguish them from other domestic breeds. Nevertheless, Kalmyk camels are relatively uncommon - about 90% of the population of domestic camels in the post-Soviet space is the Kazakh breed. In the Russian Transbaikalia, there is mainly a variety of the Mongolian breed.

In modern Kazakhstan, there are about 200 thousand bactrian camels. The production of camel milk and sour-milk drinks from it is considered by the country's authorities as a very promising direction animal husbandry and is supported by special state programs.

In addition to countries with traditional breeding of Bactrians, domestic bactrian camels can also be found in New Zealand and a number of areas of the United States, where domestic camels have been kept in places for a long time - for example, in 1860, 15 bactrian camels were brought to the United States for use in transporting salt in desert areas. There are Bactrians in Iran and Pakistan.

Types and breeds of camels

The genus of camels (Camelus) is subdivided into two independent species: two-humped camels - Bactrians (Camelus bactrianus) - and single-humped camels - dromedaries (Camelus dromedaries).

Bactrians

The species features of the Bactrian, in addition to two humps, are a long massive body on relatively short legs and good overgrown hair, consisting of fine down and awn. It is a good overgrown with wool that allows the Bactrian to exist in areas with severe winters, without suffering from the cold.

The facial part of the Bactrian is wide in the eye sockets, with comparatively short facial bones. The neck is shorter than that of the dromedary, but more curved. Along the upper edge, the mane reaches 40-60 cm in males, along the entire lower edge - a beard, on the forearms - "riding breeches". The distance between the bases of the anterior and posterior hump is 20-40 cm. This gap is not filled with fat, even in well-fed camels. The base of the posterior hump ends at the line of the iliac bones. The shoulders and sacrum are poorly developed.

In Bactrians, such defects of the exterior in the setting of the limbs are often found, such as splaying, sunken wrist, proximity in the hocks, saber of the hind limbs. These animals are less adapted to pack caravan service than dromedaries.

Kazakh Bactrians

Kazakh Bactrians live in Caspian lowland, Aral Karakum, Muyunkum, on the right and left banks of the Syr-Darya River. The best camels of this breed are bred in the Ural region. The Kazakh Bactrian is a compact, proportionately built animal, with an elongated body, well-developed muscles of the front girdle. Animals are short-legged, relatively deeper chested.

Milk productivity for the first seven months of lactation 1200 l, fat content - 6.12%, protein - 3.82, milk sugar- 4.98 and ash - 0.95.

The shearing of wool from males - producers is 10.5-11.5 kg, from the queens - 5.4 - 5.7 kg, for some males the shearing reaches 20-21 kg. From young animals 1-2 years old they get 3-4.5 kg. The yield of washed wool is 80-90%.

Kalmyk Bactrians

Kalmyk Bactrians- the most valuable of the Bactrian breeds. This is the smallest breed, stands out for its size, body weight, tall and bony. For example, the champion in live weight camel Beke-Khar - the BCXB exhibit of 1939 had a mass of 1247 kg.

Camels of the Kalmyk breed were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 17th century, during the period of the Kalmyk migration from Dzungaria to the regions of the right bank of the Volga, in the territory of modern Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region. This zone includes year-round pastures of the so-called Black Lands with their relatively mild climate and abundant vegetation, which favorably affected not only the breeding, but also the improvement of animals of these breeds.

According to available information, in 1803 there were more than 60,000 Kalmyk Bactrians in Russia. In 1928 there were 5.5 thousand of them, in 1941 - 4.5 thousand heads. Currently, 685 Kalmyk camels are registered in the republic. The main livestock of camels, in the amount of 365 heads, is located in the breeding plant for breeding camels of the SPK "Polyny", 116 heads - in JSC "Kirovskiy", 84 heads in the SPK "Erdnievsky" and about 50 heads in the SPK "Kharba". A small number of camels are found in Lagansky, Ketchenerovsky and Iki-Burulsky districts.

Kalmyk camels are widespread in the Astrakhan region and Kazakhstan. According to scientists of the Kalmyk Research Institute of Agriculture, there are more than 5.5 thousand of them. The most valuable livestock of Kalmyk camels is concentrated in the Aksaraisky state stud farm of the Astrakhan region, the Suyunduksky state stud farm, and the breeding state farm named after. Kurman Gaza, on the breeding farm "Balkundinsky" in the Guryev region, on the breeding farms "Urdinsky" and them. Temira Masina, Ural region of Kazakhstan. Breeding animals bred in the Astrakhan region and Kazakhstan are larger than Kalmyk relatives. Therefore, it is desirable to purchase male sires and their further breeding use in order to increase the live weight and wool shearing of Bactrians bred in Kalmykia.

The Kalmyk Bactrian is the most massive, powerful and large camel among the breeds of Bactrian camels bred all over the world. The height (height) of this animal is 180 cm, the length of the body is 160 cm, the girth of the chest is 229 cm and the metacarpus is 20 cm. The average live weight of camels is 650-700 kg. In 1939, phenomenal Bactrians from the Chernozemelsky ulus of the Kalmyk ASSR were exhibited at an agricultural exhibition in Moscow, including Beke-Khar II, who weighed 1247 kg at the age of 9, and Tolga I, who weighed 1180 kg at the same age. the camel of Oner-Shargi weighed 985 kg. As a rule, Kalmyk Bactrians are calm, good-natured and well obey a person. In the process of phylogenetic development of the breed, three types were formed - characteristic, massive and lightweight. The suit of Bactrians in most cases represents various options: brown - 51.1%; dark brown - 11.4%; light brown - 9.3%; light yellow - 15.7% and rarely white - 14.5%. White markings on brown camels are found in the form of blazes and bald patches. With any suit, the color of coarse wool: beards, bangs, manes, edges of humps and "riding breeches" is somewhat darker than the color of wool on the entire surface of the animal's body.

The head is small, dry, broad at the forehead, with a pointed muzzle. The neck is large, beautifully curved. The sacrum is wide, somewhat drooping. Live weight, depending on the intrabreed type, ranges from 560 to 718 kg.

Animals are well fattening, the average daily gains in the spring-summer period reach 1145 g.

The live weight of a newborn camel is 51 kg, which is 7% of the mother's live weight.

The muscles of camels are well developed, the humps are large in height and length. The constitution is emphatically dense and dry, in some animals with a certain bias towards tenderness. Among the animals of this breed, individuals of white color are more common.

When moving, they surpass other breeds in speed, and in terms of carrying capacity they are not inferior to horses - heavy trucks. They are characterized by a clear and correct step and amble.

Kalmyk Bactrians also have good wool productivity and produce high quality wool. From the famous champion of the breed at the BCXB in 1939, sire Tolga received 21 kg of wool of excellent quality annually. The amount of coarse fibers in the fleece increases with age: in camels they make up from 9 to 16% of the weight of the fleece, in adults - 28-47%. The largest amount of soft wool in the fleece of young animals at the age of one year. There are more downy fibers in the rune of the uterus than in the manufacturers.

The average milk yield of Kalmyk camels for 18 months of lactation is 1200 liters (with fluctuations from 769 to 1717 liters) with a milk fat content of 6.9%. In autumn, milk contains more fat than in summer.

Mongolian Bactrians

Mongolian Bactrians- the smallest of the Bactrians, but at the same time they have a well-defined broad-bodied type. They were brought to Kazakhstan in 1936 from Mongolia. Part of the animals that came to the south of the republic for breeding, under the best growing conditions, noticeably changed their appearance. Already the first generation of Mongolian camels were much larger than their parents. The Shaulder camel breeding plant, where they were bred, presented the best opportunities for rearing camels. In particular, the queens were not used at work and were not milked, and their milk was used to feed suckling young. And the vegetation of the pastures of the south of the republic was much more diverse and richer than the deserts of Mongolia. This once again proves that by changing the conditions of detention for the better, it is possible to change the type of animals.

Animals of this breed are distinguished by a thick coat with a significant content of fluff. Sheared wool in males 8.1 kg, in females - 5.2 kg.

For 17 months of lactation, camels receive 319 liters of milk with a fat content of 5.65%.

Males are slightly larger than females in terms of measurements and shearing of wool.

Dromedary

Dromedars live in more southern and warmer regions, as they do not tolerate cold winters well. They are bred in the south of Kazakhstan, as well as in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries.

A specific feature of the dromedary is the presence of one compact hump, a short body with long legs, and, compared to Bactrians, a weaker development of the coat. They have light bones and thinner skin.

Dromedars are more precocious animals, the pregnancy of queens is three weeks shorter than that of Bactrians.

The head of the dromedary has elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, hook-nosed profile, thin and mobile lips, do not compress like in horses and large cattle. The lower lip is often drooping, the cheeks are greatly enlarged and a large amount of food is placed between them and the molars. The soft palate is able to protrude from the mouth and hang down by 30-40 cm. This is observed in males during sexual arousal.

The neck of the dromedary has a well-developed musculature, long, mobile. Their bangs and mane are not developed, the beard grows only in the upper part of the neck, there is no “riding breeches”, but in the shoulder blade area there are “epaulettes”, consisting of long crimped hair, which are absent in the Bactrian.

Turkmen arvana

We breed one breed of dromedaries - the Turkmen arvana. These are large, well-built animals with a deep and broad chest, strong bones and well-developed muscles.

Arvana camels are precocious animals: puberty occurs by two years, females are allowed to mate with three years of age with a mass of 350-400 kg. Males are used in 8 matings from 4-5 to 15-16 years of age. Breeding of dromedaries, arvana is limited by the season of the year - from January to April. The average fruiting period is 385 days, the camel gives offspring in a year. In Turkmenistan, compact mating of camels is practiced, which makes it possible to get two camels in three years.

The mass of camels at birth is 38-40 kg. Intensive weight gain in camels persists during the first year of life; the average daily gain is 950-1,030 g. Weaning is carried out at the age of one.

In terms of milk productivity, Arvana dromedaries approach cows of factory breeds. The duration of the lactation period is 15-18 months, V.M. Popova (1948) for a group of queens of the Sakar-Chaga camel breeding plant for 13 months of lactation determined the average milk productivity equal to 4387 kg, in the first foal - 3117 kg of milk. The average daily milk yield of individual animals is 15 kg, the record average daily milk yield is 19 kg, S. M. Terentiev (1975) notes that in addition to sucking camels, for 12 months of lactation, 1718 kg of marketable milk with a fat content of 4.13 can be milked from each camel, depending from milkiness, camels are milked by hand 2-6 times a day. Machine milking is also practiced.

The qualitative composition of dromedary milk, according to P. V. Kugenev (1982), has the following ratios (%): dry matter 13.6, total protein 3.5, milk sugar 4.9, ash 0.7. The acidity of freshly milked milk is 20-25°T. The increased bactericidal properties of camel milk slow down the increase in acidity and allow it to be stored (at 30°C) for up to 24 hours and transported fresh. High nutritional, dietary and medicinal properties camel milk and products of its processing have long been known to the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Arvana dromedaries fatten up well on pastures and, when slaughtered, give good and tasty meat, a slaughter yield in animals of average fatness. at the age of 2-3 years is 54.2%.

The average wool clip is 3.23 kg for males and 2.10 kg for females. The rune wool of adult arvan is 91.2% sheared, the fiber yield is 78.6%. The fineness of the wool is 12-27 microns, the length of the fibers is 4-12 cm. The wool of the dromedaries has valuable technological properties: low thermal conductivity, softness, and strength. Various technical and warm fabrics are made from it. Camel wool is used by the local population for the production of natural yarn and knitwear.

The main method of breeding the Arvana breed is purebred breeding, which provides for the improvement of the pedigree and productive qualities of animals through targeted selection. In recent years, work to improve the breeding and productive qualities of Arvan dromedaries has been carried out on the basis of a selection and breeding plan developed by the Turkmen Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine. Animals with a strong constitution, a large mass, high productivity rates and a known linear origin are selected for the core of the reproductive composition in breeding farms. Much attention in the selection of animals is paid to the adaptive qualities of arvaia - the ability to maintain good fatness and productivity in extreme conditions of year-round grazing.

The program of selection and breeding work with the Arvana breed is developed taking into account the existing breed types. In each of the types, new lines, families and their crosses are created on the basis of outstanding animals. These breeding methods make it possible to maintain the genetic diversity of the breed, independent breeding individual within breeds of puff types and improvement of pedigree and productive qualities of the entire population of Arvan dromedaries.

Arvana has good working qualities when used under a pack. Average weight a pack for transportation over a distance of up to 30-35 km is 240-260 kg, and for long-distance crossings 180-200 kg.

Arvan queens have high milk production. For the first 12 months of lactation, they milk an average of 2000 liters, and from the best up to 3000 liters or more, with a fat content of 4.3%.

Wool productivity of dromedaries is much lower. Co adult male camels are sheared about 4 kg (from the best - up to 5.5), from queens - 2 kg (from the best - up to 3.5), from young animals 1-2 years old - 1.5-2 kg.

The color of dromedaries is from light to dark brown.

Among the sandy "mountains" of the desert, a majestic ship "floats" ... What do you think - who are we talking about? Well, of course, about the camel. Since ancient times, this animal has been called just that - “ship of the desert”. And there is no longer an animal in the world that can endure the scorching sun, while carrying a heavy load. Bactrian and single humped camels are truly unique animals of their kind.

Appearance of a camel

At present, two species of these animals have survived on our planet: camels with one hump (dromedaries) and two-humped camels (bactrians). Outwardly, they differ not only in the number of humps.

Dromedaries have a more slender build. They have long legs, thanks to which they are able to run very fast. The growth of an average one-humped camel reaches 2.5 meters, and the weight at the same time ranges from 300 to 700 kilograms. The coat color of dromedaries is predominantly ash-yellow.

Distinctive features Bactrians are considered, in addition to having two humps: thick wool, higher height (up to 2.7 meters) and weight (up to 800 kilograms), as well as a color that has a gray-yellow tint.

What are camel humps? Contrary to popular belief that the animal has a large supply of water in the hump, it is worth saying that this part of the camel's body consists of 100% adipose tissue. And the appearance of the humps speaks directly about the physical condition of the animal. If a camel is in excellent shape, full and healthy, then its humps stick up when the animal is emaciated or sick, then the hump may sag or completely disappear.

Where do dromedaries and bactrians live?

The habitat of one-humped camels is considered mainly Africa. But they can also be found in the central part of Asia. More than 100 years ago, dromedaries were even brought to the Australian continent.

Bactrians are inhabitants of the Asian part of the Eurasian continent. They live in Mongolia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kalmykia.

It is worth noting that in the wild, camels are becoming less and less common, since they are massively domesticated by humans (especially Bactrians).

Camel behavior and lifestyle

Deserts and semi-deserts with their low trees and thorny bushes are ideal for camels to live and inhabit. Camels are sedentary animals, although it is common for them to make long journeys within their territories. In the daytime, they prefer to lie down, chewing gum, and when night falls, they go to bed.

Listen to the voice of a humped camel

Camels are very good swimmers, despite their height and weight.

A feature of Bactrians is their frost resistance. Due to their thick coat, they perfectly tolerate low temperatures (up to minus 40 degrees), but heat and drought are very destructive for them. What can not be said about dromedaries: they prefer the hot sun more than the cold.

What do camels eat, two-humped and one-humped camels

Camels are ruminant herbivores. They are unpretentious in food and can feed on the most meager plants, such as bitter herbs, thorny branches, etc. Thanks to its fat reserves in the hump, the animal can do without food for about a month!

camel breeding

The mating season for these animals begins in the winter months (December - February).

Bearing offspring lasts a year, and sometimes several months more. After birth, baby camels feed on mother's milk. A few hours after birth, the cubs are already on their feet and follow their mother. Full maturation of the offspring occurs in the fifth year of life. The life expectancy of these animals is about 40 - 50 years.

Natural enemies of the camel

Usually, none of the animals attacks adults. But the same cannot be said about small camels: they are a favorite object

Most major representative suborder of corns.

Systematics

Russian name - two-humped camel
Latin name - Camelus bactrianus
English name - Domestic bactrian camel
Order - artiodactyls (Artiodactyla)
Suborder - corn-footed (Tylopoda)
Family - camelids (Camelidae)
Genus - camels (Camelus)

There are wild and domestic Bactrian camels. A wild camel in Mongolia, in its homeland, is called a haptagai, in contrast to a domestic one - a Bactrian (the word comes from the name of an ancient region in Central Asia, Bactria).

Conservation status of the species

The domestic bactrian camel is a common animal in the states of Central Asia, Mongolia and China. In Russia, the largest number of camels is kept in Buryatia and Kalmykia. The world livestock exceeds 2 million heads.

The wild Bactrian camel is a very rare animal, listed in the IUCN Red List, in the CR category - a species that is in critical danger of extinction. The population of these animals has only a few hundred individuals. According to some reports, the wild camel in terms of threat is in eighth place among mammals that are on the verge of extinction.

View and person

The domestic Bactrian camel has long been an important domestic animal in many parts of Asia. First of all, it is a reliable vehicle in the desert. People use milk, and meat, and the skin, and wool of a camel, from which they make a wide variety of knitted and felted products. Even the dung of this animal is very valuable: it serves as an excellent fuel.

The domestication of camels is rooted in antiquity. The earliest archaeological information about the breeding of Bactrians dates back to the 7th-6th millennium BC. e. A number of sources indicate that domestic camels appeared about 4500 years ago. The discovery of a vessel with the dung of a two-humped camel and the remains of the wool of the camel itself, made during excavations of ancient settlements in eastern Iran, dates back to 2500 BC. e. One of the oldest images of a domestic camel being led by a man by the bridle dates back to the 9th century BC. e. It is carved on the famous Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III and is now in the British Museum. Another image was found on the ruins of the Apadana hall of the palace of the Persian kings in Persepolis, dating back to the 5th century BC. BC e.

The Bactrian camel survived in the wild and was first described as a species in 1878 by the famous Russian explorer N. M. Przhevalsky in Mongolia. Currently, the population of the "savage" continues to decline, mainly due to poaching and competition with livestock.

A domestic camel is somewhat different from a wild one, which gives some scientists reason to distinguish them as certain types, or at least subspecies. The question of the direct origin of the Bactrian from the modern wild camel also remains open.

The largest representative of the order of corns

The largest representative of the order of corns

The largest representative of the order of corns

The largest representative of the order of corns

The largest representative of the order of corns

The largest representative of the order of corns

Distribution and habitats

The wild camel was apparently found in the past in the vast territory of a significant part of Central Asia. Now the range of the haptagai (as the locals call it) is small and is represented by four broken sections on the territory of Mongolia and China.

The domestic Bactrian camel is bred mainly in the steppe and semi-desert regions of the eastern part of Central and Central Asia, Mongolia and neighboring territories of Russia and China; the world population of Bactrians exceeds 2 million. Breeds of domestic camels have been bred: Kazakh, Kalmyk and Mongolian, which differ in size, quality of coat, shape and size of humps.
As for the modern life of wild Bactrian camels, they constantly migrate from one area to another, but mostly their habitats are rocky, desert plains and foothills with sparse and coarse vegetation and rare water sources. However, camels need water to live; groups of camels in their habitats are strongly attached to water bodies and springs. After rains, groups of camels accumulate on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form. In winter, camels make do with snow to quench their thirst. Wild camels are also found in mountainous areas, and they move so well along steep slopes that they are not inferior to mountain sheep in this.

In the hot season, haptagai rise quite high - it was noted that they are found at an altitude of 3300 m above sea level. In winter, animals migrate 300–600 km to the south and stay more often in mountain valleys that protect them from the wind, or along dry watercourses. If the oases with poplar groves are not occupied by people, the khaptagai spend the winter, and especially autumn, near them. Wild camels are characterized by wide migrations during the day, even with an abundance of food, which is sometimes associated with watering places. Thus, observations have shown that camels can travel 80–90 km or even more per day.

Appearance and morphology

The appearance of the two-humped camel is so peculiar and characteristic that it cannot be confused with any other animal. Bactrians are very large animals - the height at the withers often exceeds 2 meters and can reach 2.3 meters, the body height with humps is up to 2.7 m. An adult male camel weighs an average of about 500 kg, but often much more - up to 800 and even 1000 kg. Females are smaller: 320–450 kg, in rare cases up to 800 kg.

A barrel-shaped body on long knotty legs, and the hind legs seem to be attached to the general contour of the body, a long curved neck, a rather large head with expressive eyes, pubescent with double rows of eyelashes and, of course, humps - this is a camel. In a well-fed camel, the humps stand evenly, while their shape is individual for each animal; in a emaciated camel, the humps completely or partially fall to one side, but rise again when the animal eats off. The name of the suborder - corn-footed - is due to the structure of the leg, ending in a forked foot, resting on a corn cushion, which in Bactrian is very wide, allowing the animal to walk on loose soil. In front of the foot - a kind of claw, or a small hoof. The tail is rather short, with a tassel of long hair at the end. The lips of camels are unusual - they are very mobile, at the same time fleshy, tough, adapted to plucking the most rough and prickly vegetation. The upper lip of all camelids is bifurcated. The ears are rounded and very small, almost indistinguishable from a distance. On the back of the head there are paired glands, especially developed in the male, the black, viscous and odorous secretion of which is used to mark the territory.

Camel color - brown-sandy various shades, from almost white to dark chestnut. The coat is very thick and long (about 7 cm on the body, and up to 30 cm or more on the bottom of the neck and on the tops of the humps). The structure of the Bactrian coat is similar to that of the inhabitants of the North - the polar bear and reindeer: outer hairs, like tubules, hollow inside. Together with a thick undercoat, this contributes to the low thermal conductivity of the camel's coat. The molting of camels is also peculiar - it begins with the onset of warm days and proceeds very quickly. The old wool falls out, coming off the body in large tufts, or even layers, and the new one does not have time to grow during this time, therefore, in late May - June, the camel in the zoo is practically “naked”. However, 2-3 weeks pass, and the two-humped handsome man is covered with even thick velvety hair, which will become especially long by winter.

Camels have several morphological and physiological features that allow them to survive in extremely harsh conditions. The camel endures such dehydration that is fatal to all other animals. This animal can survive losing up to 40% of its body water (other animals die at 20% water loss). Camel kidneys can absorb a significant amount of water from urine and return it to the body, so the excreted urine is extremely concentrated. The erythrocytes (red blood cells) of camels are oval in shape (in all other mammals they are round), so the blood retains normal fluidity even with strong thickening, since the narrow oval erythrocytes pass unhindered through the capillaries. In addition, camel erythrocytes have the ability to accumulate fluid, while increasing in volume up to 2.5 times. Bactrian manure is much more concentrated than cattle manure - it contains 6–7 times less water and consists of a mixture of coarse, almost dry plant fibers (Bactrian manure is well formed in the form of oblong pellets 4 × 2 × 2 cm in size). With severe dehydration, the camel noticeably loses weight, but, gaining access to water, it restores its normal appearance literally before our eyes.

A number of features of the external structure also allows you to save water in the body as much as possible. Evaporation of water is minimized because the camel keeps its nostrils tightly closed, opening them only during inhalation and exhalation. The camel's ability to thermoregulate is also known. Unlike other mammals, the camel begins to sweat only if its body temperature reaches +41 °C, and its further increase becomes life-threatening. At night, the body temperature of a camel can drop to +34 °C.

The fat contained in the humps does not break down into water, as was believed for a long time, but plays the role of a food reserve for the body. It also serves to insulate the camel's body, accumulating primarily on the back, which is most exposed to sunlight. If fat were evenly distributed throughout the body, it would interfere with the release of heat from the body. Both humps can contain up to 150 kg of fat.

Lifestyle and social organization

The Bactrian camel is an animal that is active during daylight hours. At night, he either sleeps or is inactive and busy chewing gum. During hurricanes, camels can lie still for several days. In inclement weather, they try to hide in bushes or ravines, in extreme heat they willingly walk, fanning themselves with their tails, against the wind with their mouths open, lowering their body temperature.

Concerning social organization, then the maintenance of domestic bactrian camels is under the control of a person who comprehensively determines their life. If it happens to camels to run wild, then they restore social structure characteristic of its wild ancestor. Wild bactrian camels keep in small herds of 5–20 heads (sometimes up to 30), mainly consisting of females and young animals; the leader is the dominant male. Adult males are often found alone. The herd of camels can also include young sexually mature males, but only outside the rutting period.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The Bactrian camel is a herbivore animal, while it can feed on the most coarse and low-nutrient food. He is able to eat plants with such thorns that no other animal is able to eat. The diet of a camel is quite varied. Of course, they love cereals, they eat camel thorn with pleasure, but they also quite willingly eat shrubby and semi-shrub saltwort, onion, blackberry, double-leaf with its juicy large leaves, eat ephedra and young shoots of saxaul, and in autumn in oases - poplar leaves and reeds. When they are hungry, camels can eat animal bones and skins, and even objects made from them. The Bactrian camel is able to endure very long periods of starvation. It is so adapted to poor food that for the health of a domestic camel, constant underfeeding may be better than abundant food.

Camels show the same high endurance in relation to water. For example, wild camels they come to the springs no more than once every few days. If they are disturbed there, then two or even three weeks can do without water - especially in summer, when there is a lot of moisture in the plants after rains. The Bactrian camel is remarkable in that it is able to drink the brackish water of desert reservoirs without harm to health. This, however, apparently applies only to a wild camel - domestic animals avoid drinking. salt water. In general, the need for salt in an animal is very high - for this reason, domestic camels need to ensure the constant availability of salt bars. Camels in general, and Bactrians in particular, are known for their ability to drink at a time. great amount water. With severe dehydration, the Bactrian is able to drink up to 100 liters at a time.

In the presence of a good food base, both wild and domestic camels become very fat by autumn. But camels suffer more than, for example, horses, in winter from deep snow and especially ice, because due to the lack of real hooves, they cannot, like horses, dig up the snow and feed on the vegetation under it.

Vocalization

Camels are not particularly talkative creatures. However, during the rut, males are characterized by a loud roar, which is heard very often. Excited animals make sounds similar to muttering and loud whistling. The cubs calling mothers roar in higher voices, mothers respond with the same sounds, but with lower frequencies.

Reproduction and education of offspring

Camel females become adults at the age of 2–3 years, males somewhat later, sometimes at 5–6 years. Bactrian camels rut ​​occurs in autumn. At this time, males behave very aggressively. They attack other males and even try to mate with them, constantly roar loudly, run and rush about; they are foaming at the mouth. Animals make sounds similar to muttering, and a sharp drawn-out whistle. Dominant males during the rut drive the females into groups and do not allow them to disperse. In this state, the male camel can be dangerous for both humans and animals. Male domestic camels are often tethered or isolated for safety reasons when rutting occurs. In Mongolia, racing camels kept on free grazing wear warning red bandages around their necks.

Chasing males often engage in fierce fights with each other, during which they crush the enemy with their necks, trying to bend them to the ground and knock them down. Usually calm and submissive male camels at the moment of sexual arousal become dangerous, vicious, can attack using fangs, beat with front and hind legs. If teeth are used (usually they grab the enemy with their teeth by the head) or legs, then serious injuries are possible, up to the death of one of the fighters. In herds of domestic camels, sometimes only the intervention of shepherds saves a weaker camel from serious injury. It happens that wild camels attack the herds of domestic camels, kill the males and take away the females - therefore, the Mongolian shepherds in the Trans-Altai Gobi steal the herds of domestic camels for the duration of the rut away from the desert, into the mountains, in order to protect them from the raids of the Khaptagai.

During the rut, males actively use the occipital glands to mark the territory, arching their neck and touching the ground and stones with their heads. They also pour their own urine on their hind legs and smear the urine over the back of their bodies with their tails. The female does the same. Mating in camels occurs lying down. At the moment of mating, the male Bactrian produces foam from his mouth, grinds his teeth loudly, and throws his head back. After 13 months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one camel. It weighs between 35 and 45 kg, which is approximately 5–7% of the mother's weight. Interestingly, a two-humped camel at birth weighs much less (both absolutely and relative to its mother) than a one-humped camel, which weighs about 100 kg.

A newborn camel almost immediately (in two hours) is able to follow its mother. It has small rudiments of humps without internal fat, but already at the age of one or two months, the humps take a vertical position and become rounded at the base. The cub feeds exclusively on milk up to 3-4 months, at which time he begins to try plant foods, but sucks for a long time. Lactation in a female lasts 1.5 years, and there are cases when grown-up cubs sucked their mothers at the same time as their younger newborn brothers. Camels grow quickly, after reaching maturity, growth slows down, but stops only at the age of 7 years.

At the age of 3–4 years, males leave the maternal herd, form bachelor groups, and later acquire their own harem. A camel brings offspring, as a rule, 1 time in 2 years.

Lifespan

Camels live for quite a long time, up to 40–50 years.

Keeping animals in the Moscow Zoo

Camels are not only one of the most common animals in zoos, but also one of the most loved ones. What child will leave the zoo without seeing a camel! It seems that there was no period in the history of the Moscow Zoo when we lived without camels, and both two-humped and one-humped camels were kept. Each had its own character, its own habits. The one-humped camel Pan was a snarky one and all the time strove to grab a passing person by the head. And the two-humped giant Senya, who came to us from VDNKh, was, on the contrary, an amazing good-natured man.

When the zoo was being reconstructed, the animals were transferred from one area to another. The camel Manka, Senya's friend, was completely tame and simply went to the call of a familiar person who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. And with Senya there was a funny thing. The staff did not know that he had been bridle-trained before and expected the camel to pull away from the bridle. Senya, joyfully, but quite abruptly, moved his huge forehead to the man with the bridle, which caused quite a strong fright. It turned out that he was simply delighted with an object familiar from childhood and, with pleasure putting on a bridle, calmly crossed Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street.

Now the camel can be seen on new territory zoo, its enclosure is located opposite the entrance to the Exotarium. This is a female, more than 20 years ago she came from the Astrakhan region and now lives with the Przealsky horses, and this company is quite suitable for everyone. The animals do not show the slightest hostility towards each other, however, if the horse presses his ears (and this is a sign of discontent), the camel departs. The camel often approaches visitors, who scatter with an exclamation: “Oh, now she will spit!” There is no need to be afraid, this peaceful beast rarely spits, only at veterinarians when he is vaccinated. You don’t need to feed him either, all animals in the zoo receive the food they need and are healthy for them. The camel is given hay, twigs (which he prefers to hay), a mixture of chopped vegetables, and oats. Be sure to have a salt lick with a special set of salts in the feeder. The beast comes to talk to you. Smile at him!

- Ilnar Israfilovich, how did the idea of ​​breeding camels come about?

The inspirer of the project is Svetlana Kirichenko, who runs a large Russian research center. In 2011-2012, this center, where I also worked, was implementing a project to form a reserve of managerial personnel for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan. At the same time, not only the competencies of managers and talented specialists were analyzed, but also the structure of the work of the agricultural enterprises themselves was studied. Of course, a huge amount of research material has accumulated, studying which we involuntarily became imbued with agriculture. There was a desire to test theoretical knowledge in practice, to organize a farm. Svetlana Vladimirovna, in turn, being an amazing person, such a “house of advice”, who has the talent to generate ideas and attract people, fully supported us and directed our further actions in the right direction.

You say "we", what do you mean by that?

A group of young and courageous like-minded people who, while working on the project I have already mentioned, really fell in love with agriculture and decided to bring their good ideas to life. At first we did not know what to give preference. Agriculture in Tatarstan is well developed, and we were not very interested in traditional activities.

- You won't surprise anyone with sheep in the republic.

You won't be surprised. It was necessary to find something that would not be afraid of Russia's entry into the WTO. Initially, the camel theme was not on the agenda. Breeding options for peacocks, llamas, bellied pigs were considered, someone even suggested breeding domestic moles. There was a need for a scarce product that everyone needs and that no one has. We were looking for a niche with low competition and high returns. As a result, we settled on camels, whose milk, wool and meat have unique healing and healing properties. Camels are found in Buryatia, Kalmykia, Astrakhan region. They are nowhere closer, the niche is free. Moreover, it is farms of this kind that in principle do not exist in our strip.

“Have you even seen camels before that?”

In zoo. I am a lawyer by profession, I am engaged in public organizations. If I had been told a few years ago that I would have to change my role and solve “camel” issues, I would have considered it a joke ... My colleagues and I studied camels meticulously. I was asked to think about the legal justification for the future project: any useful idea needs documentary and legal registration, otherwise the idea turns into projecting. However, without noticing it myself, I plunged headlong into this project and received an offer to lead it.

How did your friends react? The idea, it must be admitted, is quite unusual for our places ...

Everyone had a lot of fun. It seemed to friends that we decided just to attract attention. No one believed that here, in Tatarstan, camels could be bred. Although we, having become acquainted with these animals closer, came to the opposite conclusion. We went to get acquainted with the work of camel farms in Kazakhstan, also flew to the Egyptian Camel Park and Abu Dhabi, studied everything: the features of keeping, feeding, breeding, etc. The original idea was to get 10 - 15 animals and see what happens, but after the trips we realized that we need to create a full-fledged camel farm.

- What gave you confidence?

Good primary marketing research, which showed a high market capacity in this direction, and orders for products even before buying land for a future farm, as well as familiarity with experience and a comprehensive study of the issue. Our people are accustomed to seeing camels in a circus or a zoo, they are perceived as exotic animals. But it's not. Camels historically lived on the territory of Tatarstan. During the time of the Volga Bulgaria, the Kazan Khanate, these were ordinary animals familiar to the local landscape.

"SHIP OF THE DESERT" FEEDS ITSELF, WATER

- Camel farms - promising occupation?

Promising, and it can get in Tatarstan great development. These animals are unpretentious and hardy. In places of traditional breeding, they are simply released into the steppe, usually in late February-early March, and collected only in November-December. The "ship of the desert" independently finds food, water. This is probably the only animal in the world in which everything is valued, from meat to calloused hooves. Many people ask: how to keep camels in winter? Most do not know that these animals tolerate both heat and cold normally. Closer to winter, they are covered with thick wool, and they are not afraid of 30 - 40-degree frosts. And in Tatarstan, the conditions for camels are simply “resort”. In the desert, steppes, these animals are interrupted by rare sources of water, dry grass with thorns. Our latitudes are full of greenery, there are no problems with water.

- How many camels do you currently have and how does the project look in terms of infrastructure?

We purchased 50 animals and purchased two large plots for them - 10 hectares in the Laishevsky district in the village of Travkino and 100 hectares in Kamsky Ustye. Camels are walking animals, they need a lot of space. A full-fledged farm has been created in the Laishevsky district. The territory is fenced with a decorative fence. It has its own administration with a leader, cattlemen, watchmen, managers. Only 16 people. Here we brought 15 breeding Bactrian colts. They all have names, passports, where relatives up to the third generation are indicated. On the territory of the farm, 7 spacious paddocks have been created, between them a walking route for tourists has been laid. By the way, we approached the latter with particular interest and invited specialists who develop routes inside large shopping centers - this is how our own unusual route was born. Each paddock will accommodate batches of camels: females with babies, males. In the same pens for camels, “roofs” are equipped - sheds for wintering and from rain.

Another 35 of our animals are in the Astrakhan region - certain problems arose with the supplier: our veterinarian sounded the alarm, he even rejected two camels, prescribed a "sanatorium" regimen for the rest. In general, our pets are still resting in Astrakhan.

You can look at the Bactrians today, for only 200 rubles for adults and 100 rubles for children. Camel tourists are delighted. They rent tents, which are included in the ticket price, admire the animals for a long time. Full house - Saturday-Sunday. Cars passing by stop, drivers waving affably. Exactly the same infrastructure is planned to be built in Kamskoye Ustye on the site of an old cowshed, which will become a camel hutch. The personnel in Kamskoe Ustye will number about 20 people.

But that's not all. At the moment, another herd of 100 Kalmyk Bactrians has been purchased, among which there are both adult males and females with camels. At the moment they are in Kalmykia and are undergoing veterinary training before being sent. They can be seen within our walls in October.

- Where did you buy camels and at what price?

On our farm, the Bactrians of the Kalmyk breed, which are considered the largest, the rest of our pets, located in the Astrakhan region in the summer camp, are of the Mongolian breed. On average, a purebred breeding Bactrian costs from 150 to 300 thousand rubles, some individuals are estimated at 400 thousand rubles. The price depends on the breed of the animal, age, and the cost of searching, transportation, mandatory veterinary work is also included in the price. Finding a good camel is very difficult these days. We were looking for our Bactrians for a very long time, sometimes out of 10 animals offered by breeders, we chose only one or two.

- How much have you already invested in the project? From what sources of funds? Did you take out loans?

The launch of such a project required considerable investments, private investments and funds from our friends were used. At this stage, investments in the project amounted to about 23 million rubles. So far, no credit lines have been opened.

- There were no problems during transportation: after all, a camel is a rather big animal?

We carried the camels on special trucks. They drove for a long time - two days, looked after them like babies. On the way, our pets made a splash. Drivers honked at them all the time. Passers-by slowed down and began to wave their hands. Skeptical friends, when they saw live camels, experienced indescribable delight. The attitude towards the idea of ​​their breeding has changed from minus to plus. People who yesterday did not believe in the reality of the project began to say: “Guys, go for it. And may you succeed."

IN THE EAST, CONTEMPLATION OF A CAMEL IS EQUALIZED TO THERAPY

- It is customary to say: stubborn as a camel. Is it fair?

There is another saying: one camel is worth seven donkeys. In its veracity, we were convinced by our own example. When our pets were brought in, we had to unload them. They drove the transport to the corral, naively believing that the camels would come out on their own and rush into the open. It wasn't there. Some have done so. But the majority just sat down and began to wait for something incomprehensible. We spoke affectionate words to them, stroked them, called them food - everything was useless. For 10 hours the camels just sat, obeying some of their camel logic. And only when they apparently got tired of it, they deigned to go down from the truck to the paddock and “bite off” the herbs.

- With character though...

The camel is an amazing animal that combines contradictory qualities. He is proud and ambitious. If a camel is offended, it can injure a person. We were warned about this more than once during study trips to camel farms. At the same time, if you treat him with affection and love, he becomes submissive, becomes attached to a person and does not show aggression. The attendants at the farm refer to camels exclusively by their first names: Aydin, Burkhan, Delgan. This animal does not recognize pressure - only love and affection.

In the East, the simple contemplation of a camel is equated with therapy - another amazing property these animals. Camel calms, relieves stress, which is noted by many tourists. He is exceptionally smart, curious, noble handsome. He has amazing, lively eyes. It was amazing for me to see how a camel sleeps - not putting its legs under it, but spreading it out. Approximately the way dogs and cats stretch their paws. When I saw this picture for the first time, it was a sinful thing to think that the camel was bad. But when I realized what was the matter, for a long time I could not take my eyes off this amazing sight - a sleeping camel.

Talking to you, I keep replaying in my head a scene from the film “Gentlemen of Fortune”, where a camel, as they say, “rewarded” Kramarov-Kosoy with a spit in the face. Have you experienced something similar?

Once, while unloading, one of the camels spat at a worker. The animals were unhappy, nervous - apparently, fatigue from long road. They sympathized with the worker, he washed himself for a long time afterwards. The camel spits not with a foamy mass, as was shown in the famous film, but with a greenish substance that spews from the bowels of the stomach. Terribly unpleasant mass. Contrary to popular belief, such breakdowns in an animal occur extremely rarely. As they say, a camel needs to be upset to the core so that he spit.

BURA IS A BIG HAREM FAN

- Obviously, you have high hopes for your breeding stallions - Bactrians?

They are still young. But in general, the male camel has great potential. Such adult, ready for family life stallions are called bura. The male camel is a notorious polygamist. He needs a harem of 20 - 25 camels and he does an excellent job with them. By the way, a camel bears offspring for 13 months. At a time, the female produces only one stallion and never two. The cub stays with its mother for up to 8 months.

- Will you work on increasing the number of livestock?

Undoubtedly. As I said, we have 100 Kalmyk Bactrians on the way, including 20 females with cubs and 20 young camels who have not yet given birth. The farm plans to increase the herd to 500 heads. However, this number may be revised upwards as we are already experiencing an ever-increasing wave of hype for our camels. We are already well known not only in Tatarstan and Russia, but also outside the country. Yes, I was invited to international festival rural tourism in Karelia, where we have established partnerships with representatives from Finland, the USA and Germany, whom we expect to visit closer to winter. And just a few days ago we participated in the annual conference "Agroholdings of Russia in the Volga region". We went there for experience in the field of agribusiness, and returned with unprecedented orders for our products. It even turned out to be a paradox – the demand today exceeds the volume of our supply. Therefore, the number of livestock is an open question.

- What do you feed the animals?

This issue was treated in a modern way. We have outsourced the supply of feed, its preparation and transportation, and we have drawn up appropriate agreements with both local suppliers and farms from Chuvashia and Mari El. As I said, camels are unpretentious animals. Drink about once every three days. They love salt, which we specially bring. Here, on the Laish land, they liked the nettle very much, they ate it clean. With pleasure, camels absorb the foliage of trees. They have an interesting way of eating. They leave nothing within reach - age-old experience of living in extreme conditions affects. So you could say they trimmed the trees, which now look like a skilled gardener worked on them. However, animals do not touch the bark, so the trees were not particularly affected. With a bang there is a local burdock, which tourists love to feed camels with interest.

- What is your business plan? What areas related to camels do you intend to develop?

We see the following points of business development: camel milk production, agritourism, wool and meat. De facto agro-tourism direction already exists. The challenge is to make the process sustainable by improving the infrastructure, turning our farms into exemplary territories.

The most promising and profitable direction is the production of camel milk. The idea came up while wandering in search of experience. In the Chechen Republic in one of the districts there is a small camel farm, which appeared due to the healing properties of camel milk. The owner's mother suffered from oncological disease. None of the doctors undertook to treat her, considering the case hopeless. But the son heard somewhere that camel milk helps cancer patients, and in an incredible way he managed to get a camel, and then he started a whole household - to save his mother. The most amazing thing is that after six months he put his mother on her feet. She is still alive. And camel milk, although it is expensive, is taken apart without a trace on the farm.

- How much does a liter of product cost?

Until recently, the cost of a liter of milk in Russia was 1,000 rubles. Now the situation has changed, and the price ranges from 1300 to 1700 rubles. I will immediately explain why. The fact is that this milk acquires its unique healing properties only with the correct maintenance of the animals themselves, especially in nutrition. Any attempts to use low-quality hay or compound feed, additives and even low-quality water turn this drink from healing into just healthy milk. In our farm, camels drink only water from an artesian well, and feed on specially selected herbs. Yes, and milking itself is a rather laborious and difficult process. It is necessary to think over the process technologically, comply with sanitary standards and requirements. They are lured into special fences, tied, only after that you can get down to business. A camel gives milk within a year and a half after the birth of offspring. To study the experience of milking, we sent several of our employees to Kazakhstan for training.

- Is there a demand for meat?

Yes, and it's huge. Meat is always asked. This is not surprising, because it is a dietary product, used in the treatment of cancer and promotes male longevity. Orders are being accepted for the approaching Eid al-Adha. However, I would like to point out one aspect. The plans of the economy do not include the creation of a slaughterhouse, as well as the sale of meat by small retailers - only live weight. Moreover, we will not touch any of the camels that live with us in Laishevo. For these purposes, including for the mentioned Eid al-Adha, we ordered special meat breeds of Bactrians. And once again I repeat, we will give only live weight.

- What can be done from camel wool?

From it magnificent scarves, sweaters turn out. But wool is also valued in itself. In Eastern countries, it is customary to carry a bag of camel hair with you, especially when traveling and on long trips. Such a bag brings good luck, and in every sense.

- Is it difficult to find a specialist in camels?

In the Volga region, this is almost a fantastic task - it's like finding a diamond. A miracle happened only once - in the Laishevsky district, where fate brought us together with our veterinarian. He comes from Kazakhstan and, as it turned out, has been involved in camels for 10 years.

THE PROJECT WENT BEYOND THE FORMULA: "IDEA - BUSINESS - MONEY"

- How long do you plan to make the business pay off?

This should happen in two or two and a half years. But I would like to say that our team thinks not only about the financial side of things. We are not crude pragmatists. Nobody canceled the business component, but for us camels have become something more than just a business. The project has different dimensions: social, personal, ideological, scientific. There is a desire to reflect the experience of dealing with camels. We have topics of future dissertations “walking” here. We discussed the issue at the level of friendly contacts with representatives of agricultural universities and found a certain interest on their part. Perhaps in the future in Tatarstan there will even be a department of camel breeding.

Unexpected for us were the appeals of a number of leading Moscow cosmetology studios, which are happy to purchase our milk for the manufacture of anti-aging products.

In terms of culturological breeding of camels in the Volga region - in their historically native environment - we consider it as a kind of mission, because we are to a certain extent restoring the industry of camel breeding that was lost and almost destroyed in Soviet times. It may seem like a fantasy, but we dream that someday the camel will become a familiar addition to the local landscape.

In addition, our plans are to create a kind of agrotourism cluster in the Laishevsky district, and we are also preparing our proposals for the law “On agrotourism”, which should soon appear.

- What did you mean by mentioning the personal dimension?

I am a supporter of the project approach. Basically a project manager. Before joining the farm, he managed to polish this style by working with public organizations and businessmen. In the framework of LaiDay, at the beginning, this approach also dominated: put the project on! Make, organize. There was a lot of scope for activities: this was work with government agencies, and registration of land plots, and escort of livestock, and so on. Great practice. But when you work on the ground, there is a shift in emphasis. Involuntarily, you begin to look at things differently. You stop thinking exclusively in terms of the project. Me and my colleagues became attached to animals. We can't imagine ourselves without them now.

- Has the world become kinder with camels?

They are admired by everyone: children, officials, the poor and the rich. Wherever we turn, we are greeted with a friendly handshake: in the Laishev administration, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Veterinary Department. They tell us what to do in this or that situation, they rejoice, worry about us. The atmosphere is absolutely benevolent.

- Are you from Kazan?

No. I am from the village of Cheremshan, Cheremshansky district of the republic. The family moved to the capital when I was still small. In Kazan, I graduated from the Faculty of Law of KFU, now I am a postgraduate student.

- What do you like to do in your free time?

They say the best job is a well-paid hobby. This can be fully attributed to me, because camels have become for me not only work, but also a mental occupation. But that's not all. My credo is legal education of the population. I head the Council of Young Lawyers of the Russian Bar Association in Tatarstan. We have developed a practice of free legal consultations. The Ministry of Justice of the republic allocates a bus for these purposes, we go to the regions, communicate with people, and do educational work. Once a quarter we organize free legal consultations in Kazan. I also play football. For a while, he even did it professionally. Now I meet friends on the football field on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

- A traditional question from BUSINESS Online: three tips for a successful business?

First. You have to do what you love to enjoy it. Secondly, it is necessary to work out the project in detail. Attention to trifles is important, superficial attitude ruins business. A business project is like building a house where it should be full set materials, including the last screw. You miss one little thing - the house will collapse. The third component is the environment, the people with whom you work. Not only purely professional qualities are important, but also how people's eyes burn. Working with a spark always gives a greater effect.

Among the sandy "mountains" of the desert, a majestic ship "floats" ... What do you think - who are we talking about? Well, of course, about the camel. Since ancient times, this animal has been called just that - “ship of the desert”. And there is no longer an animal in the world that can endure the scorching sun, while carrying a heavy load. Bactrian and single humped camels are truly unique animals of their kind.

Appearance of a camel

At present, two species of these animals have survived on our planet: camels with one hump (dromedaries) and two-humped camels (bactrians). Outwardly, they differ not only in the number of humps.

Dromedaries have a more slender build. They have long legs, thanks to which they are able to run very fast. The growth of an average one-humped camel reaches 2.5 meters, and the weight at the same time ranges from 300 to 700 kilograms. The coat color of dromedaries is predominantly ash-yellow.

In addition to the presence of two humps, Bactrians are considered to be distinctive features: thick wool, higher height (up to 2.7 meters) and weight (up to 800 kilograms), as well as a color that has a gray-yellow tint.

What are camel humps? Contrary to popular belief that the animal has a large supply of water in the hump, it is worth saying that this part of the camel's body consists of 100% adipose tissue. And the appearance of the humps speaks directly about the physical condition of the animal. If a camel is in excellent shape, full and healthy, then its humps stick up when the animal is emaciated or sick, then the hump may sag or completely disappear.

Where do dromedaries and bactrians live?

The habitat of one-humped camels is considered mainly Africa. But they can also be found in the central part of Asia. More than 100 years ago, dromedaries were even brought to the Australian continent.

Bactrians are inhabitants of the Asian part of the Eurasian continent. They live in Mongolia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kalmykia.

It is worth noting that in the wild, camels are becoming less and less common, since they are massively domesticated by humans (especially Bactrians).

Camel behavior and lifestyle

Deserts and semi-deserts with their low trees and thorny bushes are ideal for camels to live and inhabit. Camels are sedentary animals, although it is common for them to make long journeys within their territories. In the daytime, they prefer to lie down, chewing gum, and when night falls, they go to bed.

Listen to the voice of a humped camel

Camels are very good swimmers, despite their height and weight.

A feature of Bactrians is their frost resistance. Due to their thick coat, they perfectly tolerate low temperatures (up to minus 40 degrees), but heat and drought are very destructive for them. What can not be said about dromedaries: they prefer the hot sun more than the cold.

What do camels eat, two-humped and one-humped camels

Camels are ruminant herbivores. They are unpretentious in food and can feed on the most meager plants, such as bitter herbs, thorny branches, etc. Thanks to its fat reserves in the hump, the animal can do without food for about a month!

camel breeding

The mating season for these animals begins in the winter months (December - February).

Bearing offspring lasts a year, and sometimes several months more. After birth, baby camels feed on mother's milk. A few hours after birth, the cubs are already on their feet and follow their mother. Full maturation of the offspring occurs in the fifth year of life. The life expectancy of these animals is about 40 - 50 years.

Natural enemies of the camel

Usually, none of the animals attacks adults. But the same cannot be said about small camels: they are a favorite object

Quite an exotic branch of animal husbandry for Russia. Nevertheless, we simply do not have serious reasons not to engage in camel breeding. These animals are quite unpretentious to the conditions of detention, therefore they equally well tolerate the climate of the southern Volga region and the Far Eastern Arctic, not to mention the western regions with a temperate climate.

Camel industry

Modern camels are represented by two types - one-humped and two-humped. One-humped camels were tamed and domesticated about 6 thousand years ago, that is, simultaneously with horses. Two-humped - two thousand years later.

In those parts of the world where camels are bred, they are important either as pack animals or as a source of valuable milk, meat, wool and skin. In hot countries, these animals are kept in a semi-nomadic way, mainly on free grazing. In regions where winters are characterized by a significant (below zero) decrease in temperature, animals are kept in sheds and covered pens in a loose way.

Working camels are valued for their unparalleled endurance and ability to easily endure the most extreme conditions. weather doing hard physical work. As a pack animal, a camel is able to travel 30-40 km per day, carrying 250-300 kg of cargo. And although it is inferior to a horse in terms of speed of movement, the duration of transitions and the amount of cargo carried, on the contrary, are greater.

As a source of meat, milk and wool, camels are in many ways comparable to cows. With an average weight of animals of 500-700 kg and a meat yield of 55-60%, 250-350 kg of meat can be obtained from them. Milk yields are not impressive - 1500-2000 liters per year from a dairy camel, but the fat content of camel milk is almost twice as high as that of cow milk. Camel milk also contains three times more vitamin C and 10 times more iron.

Bactrian camels are larger, stronger and more productive, especially the Kalmyk breed. However, some hybrids of two-humped and one-humped camels are characterized by large sizes and endurance.

Camel breeding in Russia and in the world

Initially, camels adapted to living in hot arid regions of the planet, where other large herbivores could not survive. Several thousand years have passed since the domestication of these animals, but camels are still bred almost exclusively in desert and semi-desert areas.

Today, camel breeding plays an important role in animal husbandry only in some Arab-Muslim countries with a significant area of ​​​​deserts and semi-deserts. These are mainly countries of the Near and Middle East, as well as North Africa. Almost exclusively one-humped camels are bred here, more adapted specifically to the heat. The importance of camel breeding in these countries stems not so much from the usefulness of the animals as from the need for traction for transport and agriculture. Simply put, due to the total poverty of the population, people are forced to use camels instead of cars and tractors.

The situation is different with the countries of Central Asia, formerly part of the USSR. Although, with the exception of richer Kazakhstan, their standard of living is comparable to that of the Arab world, camels (mostly two-humped ones) are bred here mainly for meat, milk and wool. But their use as pack animals also takes place.

Australia stands apart, where camels were brought in the century before last to transport goods in the desert parts of the country, and today they are used exclusively for racing.

In general, the world population of camels is about 14 million animals, of which about half is concentrated in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. For this reason, 90% of the world's livestock are one-humped camels. Adapted not only to heat, but also to frost, Bactrian camels are in demand mainly in Central Asia, Mongolia and China.

As for Russia, we have camels bred only in some regions adjacent to the zones where these animals were once found in wild nature. The most significant livestock to date has been recorded in the Astrakhan region (more than 4100 heads), Kalmykia (about 1000 heads), Altai (about 500 heads) and Transbaikalia (300 heads).

Is camel business possible in Russia?

Speaking about the fact that camel breeding is not traditional for Russia, we are somewhat sinning against the truth. Camels have never really been seriously bred in the regions that today belong to the Central, Central Black Earth, Northern and Northwestern economic regions. However, in the above southern regions(Volga region and South Siberia) camels have been bred since time immemorial. And for these places camel breeding is very typical.

The only reason why camels are bred only in the south is the fact that in other regions it is more profitable to breed other types of livestock - cows, sheep, goats, deer. Camel breeding makes sense only if there are no suitable conditions for more productive animals in the area.

As already mentioned, in the world camels are bred mainly by residents of poor countries who need draft cattle. Since we do not have this problem, camel breeding in Russia is mainly focused on the production of meat, milk, wool and skins.

The main issue that worries entrepreneurs considering camel breeding as a possible direction for business is the prospects for marketing products. Since the vast majority of Russians have never tasted either camel meat or camel milk, there seems to be no demand for these products. However, the volumes of production of these products on a national scale are so negligible that de facto competition is also absent. Thus, you can find distribution channels if you correctly build a marketing strategy and present your products as a rare exotic that is worth trying.

To understand what market is potentially available, one statistic should be given: the city of Moscow alone eats more than 2.5 thousand tons of meat PER DAY! With such a scale of consumption, finding a niche for selling 100-200 kg of camel meat per day is not at all a problem. The main thing is to be able to correctly position your products.

How to start breeding camels?

Of course, before you start investing in creating a business, you first need to carefully calculate everything. Moreover, in the case of camels, providing conditions for keeping and purchasing young animals is by no means the main problem that needs to be dealt with. Since there is no tradition of eating camel meat and camel milk in Russia, you will first have to work out distribution channels, having at least preliminary agreements with several wholesale buyers (restaurants, shops, sausage shops).

It is quite possible that you will be able to find a market for your products only in another region, several hundred or even thousands of kilometers from the farm itself. Thus, it is necessary to study the issues of logistics and calculate whether it would be generally expedient to transport meat and milk over such a distance, and, if so, how transport costs can be minimized.

Registration of a camel farm

The creation of a camel farm in general differs little from the construction of an ordinary cattle farm with cows. After making sure that the enterprise will be profitable, you need to register with the local tax office as a peasant farm (KFH). You can also limit yourself to the status of an individual entrepreneur, but this will not give any significant advantages, since taxation on simplified system available for KFH.

The KFH format also has clear advantages over LLCs, since the state is more actively helping small farms through benefits and subsidies. In principle, if you plan to start very small, for example, half a dozen animals, then you can go along the path of registering a personal subsidiary plot that does not pay taxes at all.

In addition to registering with the tax office, you must also coordinate your activities with the veterinary service. Obtaining a veterinary certificate can be quite a challenge, as there are many different standards and requirements for the quality of milk and meat. Moreover, the requirements are not only federal, but also local, which only complicates the task of the entrepreneur. You will spend much less money, time and effort if you seek help in this matter from a competent specialized lawyer from the very beginning.

In the best case, all bureaucratic issues will take you two or three months and 20-30 thousand rubles. But this is in the most optimistic version.

Farm site

The advantage of camels is that they can eat the worst and coarsest grass that other animals would never eat. To create a camel farm, neither rich water meadows nor steppe herbs are needed. In view of this, it is possible to rent or buy land rejected by other farmers for relatively little money - poor sandy plots, salt marshes, etc.

By the way, a good idea would be to open a small camel farm with a large livestock or crop farm. In this case, camels can be fed almost free food - rejected feed or even crop waste, which is not suitable for cows and sheep.

If you plan to open a farm in a sparsely populated region with huge no man's land of steppes and semi-deserts, then you can completely limit yourself to buying / renting one or two hectares to build the necessary outbuildings on them. In this case, for most of the year, when the land is not covered with snow, animals can be kept free range, that is, free food.

It is quite difficult to calculate even approximately the amount of funds needed for the construction of pens, sheds, a cutting and cutting shop and other outbuildings. Too much depends on the scale and format of the enterprise. But in any case, you need to proceed from the fact that at the very beginning you will have to invest several million rubles.

Where to take animals?

If young cattle can be bought in any region of the country, then for camels you will have to go to one of the few camel breeding farms located in the Volga region or Southern Siberia. There, for one camel they will take about 70 thousand rubles, for an adult it is even more expensive. However, it makes no sense to buy adult animals, since they will not pay for themselves. If desired, you can buy livestock abroad - in Kazakhstan or other countries of Central Asia.

You should buy young animals only after consulting with a specialist who will tell you the optimal age and the quantitative ratio of purchased males and females. However, if the farm works in relative proximity (not more than fifty kilometers) from another farm where there are males, then it is possible to get by with camels alone. In this case, the male can be brought to them for insemination once every few months. And while insemination services will have to be paid for, this approach may be more beneficial in terms of cost balance.

Personnel search and other organizational issues.

Camels are considered more capricious (in terms of character) than cows. But this is true only if they are used as beasts of burden. Caring for an ordinary meat and dairy herd is much easier. In fact, one or two cattle breeders will be enough to manage several dozen animals. Since not a single educational institution trains camel care specialists in Russia, these positions will have to be hired simply by experienced cattle breeders who know how to deal with cattle.