[Jacob-list] minimum fiber length for rumen health - Neal?

[Linda]

First off - I feed hay and I'm not looking to replace hay with concentrates. And when I mention "scratch factor", I'm not talking about wool. I asked this question on the "big" sheep list and got some rather odd answers privately. (ouch!)

Is there a minimum fiber (as in edible fiber) length necessary to maintain healthy rumen function for sheep?  I know that cattle require a long fiber length for rumen health.  I read something a while back - which, of course I can't find now - that said sheep didn't require a minimum fiber length.  They need fiber, but length is not crucial, according to this lost article.  What is necessary to satisfy the "scratch factor" which refers to roughage "scratching" the walls of the rumen?  UGA says that whole corn will supply the necessary roughage for a healthy rumen.  They don't mention scratch factor. 

I'm just curious as to if you could completely replace hay with a short fiber length substitute like alfalfa pellets. Or add some other high fiber/long length supplement to satisfy the minimum fiber length (if there is one). This is not what I'm doing, so don't jump on me!

Linda






 
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