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creep feed

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Think its a great way to ease calfs onto feed before weaning. I creep feed whole oats and the day after weaning I bunk feed oats mixed with corn silage. Sure helps them get started on a silage ration :!:
 
Fill my creep feeders in mid summer but the calfs don't usually go to them till later in the fall. Once the grass starts to get short and the calfs get over 400 lbs they start spending more time at the feeders. Consumtion would work out to about 3-4 lbs a day just before weaning. Compared to one pasture with no feeder it could work out to a 25-50 lb dif.
 
Faster horses said:
You free choice oats in those creep feeders without a limiter of some sort?

I know people who tried that and lost calves due to overeating. It can be a dangerous practice.

I know a lot of guys that creep feed (free choice) whole corn to calves with no problems. Is there something in oats that is more detriminal than corn?
 
Mike, whole corn with no limiter would scare me to death. Founder is the biggest concern.

Oats are used in many creep feeding applications because they used to have lots of chaff and hulls that were a good source of fibre and acted as a natural limiter. However guys that heard oats were good and used some of the newer varieties found calves would founder on the heavy "pony oats" that dominate the markets now.

Foreman, the cost of creep depends of feed costs, delivery costs, and price of calves. It can make sence one year and not the next.
 
I try to figure it on a current basis - - - this year it made sense to creep feed - - - -I can get ADM "Rough & Ready" for under $0.10 per # and with calves 3 # of this should put on 1 # over thier normal gain. With good feeders bringing $1.20 per # I see it as a win.

I have thought of blending it with 50% corn as cheap as corn is but worry about over eating.

When the calves are weaned they know how to eat and I slowly add corn until they are on a 50% ration and still have unlimited access to good alfalfa hay.

If feed cost stay low I might feed out the 34 calves I have this year - - - but if someone offers me the $1.48 # for 700 # calves like a few brought at the local sale barn they will go so fast they will forget they were even here.
 
Faster Horses; I have never had a problem with calfs overeating . Oat quality has ranged between 32 lb to 40+ and usually fairly clean product. I would not grind the oats as this would increase the speed of obsorbtion and cause gas problems.
 
Foreman; I figure the cost of gain at about 45 cents Some cattlemen think its the Cows job to feed that calf till weaning, and thats OK. I see it as an oppertunity to put some cheap gain on those calfs and the journey from the pasture to the feed bunk goes quite smoothly :)
 
what about barley? what if you ground or rolled all 3 grains together (corn,barley,oats) creep feed that you can get from your local elevator does it have vitamins, bovatec or rumnsin, guarnteed protein level and what is it made from, corn gluten wheat mids soybeans canola sunflowers dried or wet distillers grain
 
Barley is 'hotter' than oats. More energy.

I would feel safer with a ration with more of ddg or gluten. Those feeds have had the energy taken down with processing, and the protien is higher.

Calves getting access to grain from day 1 get used to it and nibble to start. Calves that are 3-500 pounds and are started are the ones that might pig out and founder.

Pelleted oat hulls are available and would act as a limiter or a safe form of roughage that wouldn't impeed the flow through a self feeder. The cost would have to be calculated again as the oat hulls are roughage only, not much protien or energy to speak of.
 
This brings up a question I have been pondering for some time now. I am considering developing bulls without feeding every day at a remote location.
I would like to move my yearling bulls, which are 11 to 12 months old, to a remote location. Feed and develop them to sell, as 2 year olds, but I don't want to feed them but once a week. I was considering putting out a feeder and refilling a few times a month and putting out hay once a week.
The question now becomes what to put in the feeder?
Any suggestions?
I can get corn, soy hulls, and cottonseed in bulk locally.
 
Jason said:
Calves getting access to grain from day 1 get used to it and nibble to start. Calves that are 3-500 pounds and are started are the ones that might pig out and founder.

You pretty much nailed it right there. I've been free-choice creep feeding oats for years, and the only time I've ever had an issue is when a calf from outside the herd comes in and hasn't been creep fed before.

I would not recommend creep feeding any kind of rolled barley or wheat, or even a mix with oats. I think it would be much too hot.

Rod
 
Foreman; Grinding Oats,Barleyand Corn together is a finnishing ration, Not a creep feed ration for sucking calfs,too Hot :!: You would need a buffer 50% straw or something or you could have trouble.
 
Alabama-what kind of gain are you looking for until they are sold?
I would be worried about them overeating and foundering.
When do you plan to sell these bulls?
Do they really need the grain as yearlings?
As two's what do you want them to weigh?

I'm curious and interested is all,
 
RRoss: Yes, I am worried about them overeating. That is why I posed the question.
I plan to sell the bulls at 22 months old. They are now 12 months old the first week in January. I would like them in a body condition of seven plus when sold in November. In order for this to come about, they will need to gain 2.5 to 3 pounds a day. I don't think hay alone this winter will get it done. I could put out some protein blocks but I am not very confident in them. Free chouse cottonseed is an option but the fat content in cottonseed should limit them to 5 pounds of consumption a day.
In the past, I have feed cottonseed and soy hulls once a day but I don't want to put it out free chouse.
 
Yes, the grazing will be good in the spring. Clover and rye grass. Then Bahia pastures in the summer. But until late March or April, all they will get is Bahia grass hay.
I have always raised my bulls at home but it would sure make life easer if I raise them at a remote location and only check them once or twice a week. An old man lives at this remote location, sees the cattle several times a day, and will call if they need something or something is wrong. But he in able to get around very well and can't take on a feeding operation.
 

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