• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

can some explain creep feeding to me ?

Do you mean the process or the reason for it?

The process is quite simple. You get a bunk of some sort that calves can reach into, then you fix up a fence that calves can go through, but cows can't. Then you pour the grain to the calves so that you have heavier calves at weaning time. There are manufactured creep feeders that are a big bin on wheels with a little panel setup that flips down once you get into the pasture.

Does it pay? Probably not in the current production environment. It is pretty much a wash even when grain is cheap. You might be able to pencil it out, we never have been able to.
 
What you feed them is very important. If you have British breeds, you might make more fat than muscle with high energy creep feed containing a lot of corn or barley. Just like us, high carbs/energy equals fat. When I had Simmentals, I used corn and protein supplement and weaned some smashing big calves come fall.

Higher protein (16-20 % depending on age of calves) helps muscle development and results in a solid calf without causing them to become lardy looking.

Some around here just feed 3-5 lbs./hd/day of rolled oats or mixed grain as soon as the calves will eat it.

I prefer and use a prepared, pelleted feed with a rumen bypass type protein. My calves are hard and thick at sale time. Because of their good condition, I think they should go ahead more quickly for the buyer and have a better reserve to draw on to get them through the transition to the feedlot.

However, I cannot say how much gain or benefit I get, because I have never done a side by side trial which is the only way one can determine the benefit. I do know that, comparatively, they have sold very, very well since I started on this creep feed and the same buyers are bidding on them as other years.

However, enough of the testimonial. I believe that there are some bona fide feed people or nutritionists on here who could advise you from a more qualified perspective.
 
Thanks everyone for the answers :) i guess i will have to play it by ear , when is a good time to start calfs on grain ? most of them are two weeks now and are eating hay now and still waiting on the other ones to drop.
 
There are some good reasons to creep feed too...

1. Calves wean a heck of a lot easier, with less sickness...they know what "feed" is rather than just grass and Mom, and with the decreased stress and increased nutrition, your vaccinations work better too.

2. There is lots and lots of research, most of which was done at the University of Illnois, that shows creep fed calves marble significantly better than their non creep fed herd mates. It seems there is a "trigger" that occurs about creep feeding time that "encourages" marbling to occur or not occur. It is not known (for certain) whether this trigger is metabolic/nutritional in cause, or occurs for other reasons. This is likely one of the reasons early weaned calves tend marble so much better than normal weaned calves (University of Nebraska has done a lot of this work).

You do have to be careful not to get the calves too fleshy. I guarantee, the cost of one sick calf (short term and long term) will more than pay for the cost of creep feeding. Plus if your calves stay healthy in the feedyard and do well on the carcass side, you'll likely have lots of demand for your calves.

And no, I'm not a feed dealer :D

Hope this helps. Keep asking questions Circle M...that's the only way one learns.

Cheers---

TTB :wink:
 
We use creep in the spring. It's got nothing to do with weaning bigger calves, but in order to prevent coccidiosis in our calves. It's a problem on our farm in the spring when it's cold and muddy. With creep feed, we can get some Decoxx into them as a preventative. When they're little they don't eat that much, so it's not that expensive. I think we used a ton and a half last year for 180 calves. In the fall when we wean them they remember it, and step right up to the feeder.

Another thing that really helps these little calves is to give them their own hay bale. We close off the front of our cow sheds so only the calves can get in, and give them a bale of their own. We've found, especially if there is a big group of cows, that the calves tend to just get leftovers from the hay feeders.
 
Circle M said:
what is coccidiosis in calves ?
Click to expand...

Something you don't want your calves getting! Bloody scours is the besy way to describe it. It's a hard disease to fight once you get it in your calves. We used to do the same as Kato for quite a few years because we had it, feeding medicated feed in a creep feeder.
 
I mirror Turkey Tracks comments, we feed creep starting in August when the grass starts to run short. We have noticed fewer sick calves when we wean and they wean alot easier. We back ground our calves so the sooner they go to the bunk the more gain per day we get and the buyers notice the heath and performance of your cattle in the feed yard.

Good luck
 
Hi Circle M,
Here is a link to Virgina Cooperative Extension http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/beef/400-003/400-003.html
I found this with a quick search of the web but looks imformative on creep feeding. Below is a disadvantage to creep feeding that I've heard before.

Effect of Creep Feeding on Replacement Heifers
The effect of creep feeding on lifetime productivity of heifers is usually related to the degree of fatness achieved at weaning time. If fat is deposited in the heifer's udder, it will inhibit formation of milk-secreting tissue. Thus, daughters of heavy milking cows frequently are poor milkers because of the inadequate development of secretory cells in the udders of heifers reared on creep feed. When milk production and forage conditions are adequate for heifers to wean at acceptable weights, a good recommendation is to avoid creep feeding heifers that may be retained as potential breeding replacements.

Hope this helps.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top