Camel Gestation Period: How Long Is a Camel Pregnant?

How long is a camel pregnant?

A camel carries her calf for an average of 395 days, or about 12 months and 4 weeks. Counting from the breeding date, calving is normal anywhere from day 390 to day 410.

Key checkpoints across the 395-day camel gestation, measured in days from breeding:

Estimate your camel's calving date

Enter the breeding date for an estimated calving date at 395 days.

Open the full Camel gestation calculator

Camel gestation stages, month by month

Signs a camel is pregnant

• She refuses the male and does not come back into season during the breeding period
• Ultrasound or rectal palpation confirms pregnancy from about day 30
• Enlargement of the left side of the abdomen from the middle of pregnancy
• Udder development and swelling of the vulva in the final weeks

Signs of approaching calving

• She separates from the herd, becomes restless and repeatedly lies down and rises
• Tail raising and visible straining in the final hour before calving
• Contact your vet if labour stalls, if the animal strains without progress, or if there is abnormal discharge before calving begins.

What affects camel gestation length

• Camels have one of the longest gestations of any domestic animal at about 395 days — well over a year — and a range of roughly 390 to 410 days.
• Dromedary (one-humped) camels are seasonal breeders, mating in the cooler months, so calving is naturally concentrated in a short season each year.
• A camel's reproductive rate is low: with a 13-month pregnancy plus a long recovery, a she-camel typically produces a calf every two years rather than annually.
• Ovulation is induced by mating and the pregnancy is almost always carried in the left uterine horn, so the service date is usually recorded accurately.
• Calves weigh around 35 to 40 kg at birth, are born with the mother usually lying down, and should be standing and nursing within a few hours.

Camel gestation chart

Every fifth breeding date across the year with the matching calving date, calculated at 395 days. Find the row closest to the date the camel was served; because normal gestation spans 390 to 410 days, plan for a window of a few days either side. Filter by month, or print the chart for the barn wall or breeding record: navigation, buttons and adverts are hidden on paper.

Sources for camel gestation figures

Figures on this page are drawn from camel production and veterinary reference works, dromedary reproduction studies and regional herd records, and checked against the references below. Averages describe healthy animals under normal management; individual animals vary, and nothing here replaces advice from your vet.

• Merck Veterinary Manual — reproduction and pregnancy chapters by species
• Penn State Extension — livestock reproduction and breeding management fact sheets
• Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock