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The North Ronaldsay sheep[0] survive on a wholly seaweed diet and they are ruminants, so it is definitely possible (albeit with copper metabolism enzyme issues)
by tankenmate 6y ago
The North Ronaldsay sheep[0] survive on a wholly seaweed diet and they are ruminants, so it is definitely possible (albeit with copper metabolism enzyme issues) for a ruminant to live on just seaweed. Also, CSIRO have been doing ag research since it's inception (over 100 years ago), so I'm sure they have tested this particular seaweed's impact on bovine digestion.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ronaldsay_sheep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ronaldsay_sheep
- pvaldes 6y agoVery interesting. I see that is smaller than the other races, is more vulnerable to predators, have health issues if moved to pastures, and produces less wool (being smaller) and meat with a high iodine content. This supports my former idea that there are serious obstacles to scale this solution to continental areas with the purpose of feeding people. > I'm sure they have tested it Would be interesting to see their results and publications about that, then.
- pvaldes 6y agoThe fact that there is a displaced goal here, is not a good signal. When I hear about methane problem caused by cattle I see always people blaming cows. I'm just wondering... If cows are the problem, why they are doing research in sheep? Is a different animal, with a different gut arrangement, producing a totally different dry faeces that are much less troublesome as cow faeces are. I'm not expert in methane releasing, but if the results are than 'sheep release less methane than cows', or that 'small sheep release less methane than big sheep'... well; suddenly I does not feel so much revolutionary as before. How many years were they trying unsuccessfully to sell this concept?
- tankenmate 6y agoNorth Ronaldsay sheep aren't an experiment, they've been kept that way since sometime between the 9th and 15th century.