Indian Journal 0/ Animal Sciences 71 (10): 992-994, October 2001

Effect of certain factors on hair quality attributes in Indian dromedary managed in an organised farm

CHAMPAK BHAKATI, BANAMALI YADAV2 and M S SAHANP

National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334 OOJ Jndia

Received: 20 July 2000; Accepted: 3 April 2001

ABSTRACT

Hair samples (188) collected from 4 important body sites of 47 Indian dromedary belonging to 3 age groups (1,4 and 8 year) and from 3 breeds (Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri and Kachchhi) were analysed for quality attributes of hair. The hair samples taken from shoulder, mid, hump, and neck region of individual camel were compared for staple length, hair diameter and hair types, viz. pure, hetro, hairy and kemp. The data were analysed using mixed mode least square and maximum likely hood programme to study the factors like breed, sex, site and age influencing hair quality attributes. The mean staple-length varied from 4.65± 0.42 cm to 6.68±0.2 I cm. The body sites and age significantly (P

Key words: Camel hair, Dromedary camel, Hair quality attributes

The camel hair is used in village cottage industry for becoming popular for carpets, dumese clothing. The camel preparation of common utility items, viz. blankets, bags, hair is stronger and warmer as compared to (Khanna mattress, ropes and floor rugs. It is widely used in rural cottage and Rai 1990). The handicraft articles made up of camel hair, industry of Rajasthan and Gujarat for preparation on various provide work to women in the field of grading of hair, tops items (Sahani and Khanna 1993). The preliminary results of preparation, spinning of wool, , embroidery with camel hair blends with wool, waste and have 100% speciality hair and blending with sheep wool, goat hair, shown encouraging results (Gupta et al. 1997, 1989). Blended and other products. The camel hair and its products products may also be prepared with sheep wool, goat hair can be an important source of additional income for camel and cotton. Patni and Dhillon (1988) reported that it is worth keeper. The main body sites ofhair coverage in the dromedary while to blend camel hair with polyester, wool or silk waste. camels are shoulder, mid portion of body, neek and hump The camel hair is,being utilized in India since ancient times. regions. The hair of dromedary camels are durable, strong It has been estimated that a camel hair fabric of 620 g weight and have low conductivity (Muksa 1981). Therefore analysis will be as warm as a pure wool fabric of900 g weight (Khanna of hair quality characteristics of various breeds, body-sites and Rai 1991). of camel etc. is of great importance in exploiting the hair The hair is spun by camel keepers by using traditional production potential and quality of hair for its future utility simple techniques. The coarse variety is spun by hand dheyria. as pure camel hair as well as blends with other animal fibres, The other method of spinning fine quality camel hair is by synthetic waste fibres and its uses in the rural cottage industry. hand charkas. In the recent times machine spinning is Thus the present investigation was undertaken as an attempt to explore the different factors influencing hair quality attributes in Indian dromedary camel managed in an organised farm and there can be help full in effective utilization of camel Present address: IScientist, lResearch Associate, 3Director. hair in the form of blends. October 200 I] FACTORS AFFECTING HARI QUALITY ATTRIBUTES IN INDIAN DROMEDARY CM1EL 993

Table I. Least square mean ± SE values for hair quality attributes of Indian dromeda,ry camels

Breed Sex Site Age (years) Bikaneri laisalmeri Kachchhi Male Female Shoulder Mid Hump Neck 4 8 Overall

Staple 6.68'± 6.16b± 4.65 C± 5.60"± 6.00"± 4.87e± 4.4F± 10.148-..i:: 3.90~ 5.47i± 6.49'± 5.54"± 5 83± length 0.21 0.24 42 0.24 0.21 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 ±0.28 0.27 0.26 0.17 (cm) (93) (71 ) (24) (88) (100) (47) (47) (47) (47) (68) (60) (60) ( 188) Hair 32.76'± 35.52b± 38.19c± 34.05"± 36.93e± 34.49f± 32.98g,c 39.02h± 35.48i± 26.05'± 31. 72"± 48.701± 35.49± diameter 0.52 0.59 1.07 0.59 0.55 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.77 0.72 0.68 0.66 0.44 (Il) (93) (71) (24) (88) (100) (47) (47) (47) (47) (68) (60) (60) (188) Pure 24.0I'± 27.30b± 33.4lc± 24.41"± 30.06<± 27.08f± 26.37g,c 30.92h± 27.78i± 22.12j± 25.16"± 37.431± 28.24± diameter 0.47 0.54 0.97 0.54 0.50 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 0365 0.62 0.60 0.39 (Il) (93) (71 ) (24) (88) (100) (47) (47) (47) (47) (68) (60) (60) (188) f 1 Hetro 31.13'± 33.20b± 38.76c± 32.47"± 36.25c± 33.37 ± 31.50g,c 37.84~ 34.75'± 26.28i± 3 1. 15"± 45.66 ± 34.36± diameter 0.54 0.61 1.10 0.61 0.56 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.74 0.70 0.68 0.44 \ (Il) (93) (71) (24) (88) (100) (47) (47) (47) (47) (68) (60) (60) (188) Hairy 42.50'± 48.00b± 50.24c± 46.03"± 47.80"± 46.34c± 44.8Y± 48.27g,c 48.20~ 35.74'± 45.48i± 59.52"± 46.91± diameter 0.74 83 ·1.50 0.83 0.77 1.07 1.07 1.08 1.07 1.01 0.96 0.93 0.61 (Il) (93) (71) (24) (88) (100) (47) (47) (47) (47) (68) (60) (60) (188) Kemp 72.33'± 39.08b± 44. 89c± 51.25"± 52.95d± 52.73e± 48.20c± 56.36c± 51.12c± 39.19f± 33.53g,c 83.57h± 52.10± diameter 2.40 2.71 4.87 2.71 2.50 3.49 3.49 3.49 3.49 3.28 3.12 3.01 1.98 (Il) (93) (71 ) (24) (88) (100) (47) (47) (47) (47) (68) (60) (60) (188)

Similar superscripts of a quality parameter do not differ significantly from each other.

MATERIALS AND METHODS of Indian dromedary camels are presented in Table 1. The highest staple length was found in Bikaneri breed followecj The hair samples collected from 47 camels (Camelus by Jaisalmeri and Kachchhi breed. Yadav et at. (2000) dromedarius) Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri and Kachchhi breeds reported that young Bikaneri camels indicated higher staple belonging to the NRC on Camel, Bikaner, were micro­ length as compared to young Jaisalmeri and Kachchhi camel. analysed. All the camels were managed under semi-intensive The hump region of all camel breeds possessed the hair with system of management and were daily sent for grazing/ the longest staple length followed by shoulder, mid-side browsing for about 6 hr and offered dry fotlder in the evening. whereas neck region had the sm-allest hair staple length. The camel belonged to different age groups, viz. I-year (17 Similar trend of observatin in young camel was reported by camel calves), 4-year (15 camels), and adults 8-year aged Sahani et al. (1998). The 4-year aged group had maximum (15 camels). The hair samples of annual clip were collected staple length as compared to longer and adult (8 years) aged from shoulder, mid-side, hump and neck region during the group of camel. The overall staple length ofIndian dromedary last week of March. The samples were analysed for hair camel was found to be 5.83 ± 0.17 cm. The factors like breed, diameter, staple ,length and types of hair, viz. pure, hetro, body sites and age significantly (P

Table 2. Least square me~ ± SE values for different composition of hair

Hair types (%) Breed Pure Hetro Hairy Kemp

Bikan.eri 36.60'±0.63(93) 39.68'±0.53(93) 20.49'±0.57(93) 3.19'±0.16(93) laisalmeri 36.3Ib±0.71(71) 38.4lb±0.60(71) 23.85b±0.64(71) 1.25b±0.18(71) Kachchhi 40.68c± 1.28 (24) 42. I 9c±1.08 (24) 14.99c±1.I5(24) 2.08'±0.34(24 ) Sex Male 36.76'±0.71(88) 40.6711±0.68(88) 20.36<1±O.64(88) 2.1O'±0.18(88) Female 38.97b±0.65(100) 39.5211±0.56( 100) 19. I 911±0.59(1 00) 2.25'±0.17( I 00) Site Shoulder 37.7Ic±0.91(47) 40.03'±0. 78(47) 20.55f±0.82(47) 1.72'±0.24(47) Mid 39.09c±0.91(47) 38.57c±0. 78(47) 20.41 f±0.82( 4 7) 1.88b±0.24(47) Hump 36.89c±0.91(47) 40.89c±0.78(47) 19.46f±0.83( 4 7) 2.44c±0.24(47) Neck 37.76'±0.91(47) 40.89'±0.78(47) 18.68f±0.82( 4 7) 2.6511±0.24( 4 7) Age 1 year 45.70~0.86(68) 35.20f±0.73(68) 16.46"±0.77(68) 2.60'±0.22( 68) 4 year 38.98c±0.82(60) 41.22"±0.69(60) 18.18"±0.74(60) 1.40"±0.21 (60) 8 year 28.90f±0.79(60) 43.86"±0.67(60) 24.68i±0.71(60) 2.51 "±0.21 (60) Overall 37.86±0.52 (188) 40.09±0.44 (188) 19.77±0.47(188) 2.17±0.13(188)

Similar superscripts of a quality parameter do not differ significantly from each other.

and age group of camel. The result revealed that the pure had ACKNOWLEDGEMENT minimum hair diameter followed by hetro, hairy and kemp in all the 3 breeds. The similar trend was observed in both We thank Shri Dinesh Munjal (T4) for assisting in sexes in all age groups and at 4 sites of body region of camel. computer data analysis. The Bikaneri breed showed minimum diameter of all types of hair followed by laisalmeri and Kachchhi camel. The male REFERENCES had lesser hair diameter than that offemale camel for all types Gupta, N p, Pokharna A K, Arura R K and Sugumar S. 1987. of hair. The ascending order of mean diameter in all types of Mechanical processing of wool, specialty hair and their blends. hair were mid-site, shoulder, neck and hump region. As the Annual Report 1987, CSWRI, Avikanagar. age of camel increased the diameter of all the types of hair Gupta N P, Patni P C and Sugumar S. 1989. Properties and processing increased. The overall hair diameter (Il) were 28.24 ± 0.39, of camel hair in India. Indian Journal 99( 4): 180. 34.36 ± 0.44, 46.91 ± 0.61,52.10 ± 1.98 for pure, hetro, hairy Harvey W. 1987. Mixed Model Least-squares and Maximum and kemp hair respectively. The factors iike breed and age Liklyhood Computer Programme. United States, Department of had significant (P