How to Care for a Dromedary Camel

Dromedary camels, which originated in Africa, are now completely domesticated except for feral population in Australia. Domesticated camels have been used for centuries for several different reasons, including transportation and providing hair, milk, and meat. When owning a camel or thinking of getting one, it is important to be able to know how to properly care for it.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Trough
  • Salt Block
  • Hay, Grain, Silage
  • Pasture
  • Brushes
  • Halter
  • Lead Rope
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide the dromedary camel with large amounts of water, as it may drink as much as 40 liters of water every day. Give the camel a deep trough and keep it full, since camels prefer drinking large quantities of water at once rather than small amounts frequently.

    • 2

      Give the camel a salt block to lick. Dromedary camels' natural diet consists of plants that are very high in salt, but food given to domestic camels often does not contain enough salt to keep them healthy.

    • 3

      Provide the camel with hay, grain, silage or another type of cattle feed. Camels enjoy grazing and browsing, but will eat almost any plant that is placed within their reach, including poisonous plants. Keep plants out of the camel's pasture and at least 6 feet outside the pasture fence. Dromedary camels will also strip trees of their bark if given the opportunity.

    • 4

      Examine the camel daily by touching it and studying its looks and moves. If it seems listless or feels hot, it may have surra, a common, sometimes, fatal, disease caused by parasites. If the camel is losing weight and has diarrhea, it may have tapeworms. Camels that have mange lose large amounts of hair, get thick, white skin, and lose weight. If the animal is limping, it is probably suffering from injured soles or overgrown toenails.

    • 5

      Groom the camel regularly to keep it healthy and increase its trust in you. Grooming will keep the camel fly- and dirt-free and remove mats and loose hair. If you groom the camel often enough, it will start to associate you with feeling comfortable and content.

    • 6

      Train the camel to accept a halter and lead rope, preferably starting the training at a very young age. Camels that have not learned to accept a halter and lead rope are very difficult to control and interact with.