Interested in owning a camel?
Owning a camel
Camels are amazing and friendly creatures who are highly intelligent and who all have a personality of their own.
They make fantastic pets, weed eaters, guards for livestock and are beneficial to co-graze with cattle and other ruminants.
Before taking the leap and buying a camel, there are a few things you need to know to decide whether owning a camel is right for you. If you have any other questions then please get in touch!
Camels are herd animals and relax better with a mate so we recommend buying pairs or groups of camels. Camels are highly sensitive and intelligent so it’s important that you learn how to understand and interact with your camel – this is why we provide you with 2 hours familiarisation training with your camel purchase (with a minimum purchase of 2 camels). The camels that we have for sale have basic on-ground training, meaning that they have been domesticated to a level similar to that of cattle stock. Additional training for both camels and humans is also available.
Every camel has a different personality, so if for some reason you don’t feel like your camel is a good match for you, we will replace it free of charge. You’ll just have to cover the transport costs.
Camels prefer a drier climate but can adapt to almost any conditions.Access to sand can help camels deal with various skin issues. Camels kept in a coastal environment without access to trees and shrubs will require worm treatment on a regular basis. Camels like eating weeds particularly those with thorns.
Camels go well with other livestock. They can be used for wild dog control, mixed in with other animals they will chase any dogs away.When grazed with other livestock and watered together on a trough, camels can pass on beneficial gut bacteria that will help other ruminants better break down dry feed.Introduce your camels to other animals over a week by feeding them close by in the yards until they become acquainted.
At Summer Land Camels, we offer an option to bring your camel back after year 4 and swap for a younger one.
Normal four strand barbed-wire cattle fencing works for camels. Fencing is 80% mental and 20% effect so it’s important that fencing is maintained so that you don’t have loose damaged fences that camels can walk or crawl through or this creates a problem. A camel is more likely to go under a fence than over. Electric fencing works very well with camels, anything from multiple wires to single white tape.Camels can be handled in most cattle yards. The main issue is the height of the caps across gateways and race. It’s important to have access to a crush to help restrain the camel for drenching and other vet procedures. A standard cattle crush will do for camels up to about 5-year-old. It’s preferable to have a crush with not much on top as anything that bumps the hump will make things harder.You’ll also need access to a loading ramp to load and unload your camels from a truck. Best designs for camels include a race that is flat where the area for the truck is dug out lower. Hollow portable ramps tend to be too steep and very hard to load camels on.
Camels eat good quality straw or grass hay. They are a 3- stomach ruminant so will chew their cud like a cow but require different food.
Lucerne hay is a good source of protein and a copra, lupins, soaked chickpea or soya meal is a good form of bypass protein. Horse feeds or Alpaca feeds based on the above protein meals will all work.
Be careful of feeds designed for cattle as they normally have rumensin in them which can be detrimental to camel’s long term health. Camels should also have less grain than cows in their diet.
Maintenance consumption levels for camels is 1.5% of body weight. A camel will eat about 2/3 of what an equivalent sized cow would eat per day.Camels love weeds, especially those with thorns. Camels can eat Lantana but at certain times of the year when flowering it can be toxic. If camels have access to lots of other trees and shrubs, then the risk is minimised. However young camels are very susceptible and our recommendation is to avoid lantana.
All our camels have been vaccinated with 5 in 1 for males and 7 in 1 for females. An annual booster can be given but not essential. There is no additional work needed on feet.
Supplementary lick blocks can be given to camels as long as they are below 4% urea and targeted more toward horses than cows. Having loose salt in the paddock can also be beneficial and you can add other protein meals at various times as well.
Our camels are being used at the moment to eat prickly pear, boxthorn, wattle and other invasive woody weeds on properties around the Toowoomba area.
Various (e)books and documentaries have been published in the last decade and you can find these via a search on the internet or from your nearest library. However, you are always welcome to join one of our tours at Summer Land Camels where you’ll not only learn about Australian camels and our company but also get the chance to have your questions answered by our knowledgeable tour guides.
We also provide a range of training options for humans on our farm – get in touch for more details.
At The Australian Wild Camel Corporation, we recommend buying a least 2 of our beloved Dromedaries as they are herd animals.
Male camels -Young males are generally very good if you intend to ride, race, wagon pulling or for general weed control.
Female Camels -Generally better suited for either weed control, breeding and dairy.
Buying an entire Male & Female camel - This is an option if you want to breed in the future. However, keeping in mind the male will come into Rut (in season) from about 4 years of age and become quite aggressive. A better option is a castrated male and female as companion, but two castrated males get along fine. Uncastrated males together are also fine unless a female is close by.
Females will start to cycle depending on body condition above 350kg or 3 years of age.
Males can also be castrated any time after 2 years of age. Under this age is also possible but a little more of a challenge and if done incorrectly can be detrimental to future growth potential.
Other than the purchase cost, camels in a coastal environment may need regular worming. If supplement feed is needed, any dry grass, hay or Lucerne is suitable.
These camels have basic on-ground training, meaning that they are domesticated to a similar level to cattle stock, familiar with fencing and easily moved through yards and paddocks. Will come and eat out of a tub in the paddock as well. If you purchase at least 2 camels, then you’ll get 2 hours familiarisation training at our farm.
Please contact us using the form below for pricing.
Ready to take the next step?
To make your dream of owning a camel become reality, get in touch with Paul by filling out the form below. He’ll ask you some questions to assess your suitability for our camels and then he’ll be in touch to answer any additional questions and arrange the purchase and, if required, transport.
