Should I Creep Feed My Calves?
Creep Feeding Is Best Used When Cows Are Poor Milking, When Pasture Quality and Quantity Will Not Support Optimal Gains, and When Ownership of Calves Will Be...
Creep feeding is best used when cows are poor milking, when pasture quality and quantity will not support optimal gains, and when ownership of calves will be retained through slaughter. A variety of options (unlimited grain, salt-limited grains and forage) are available to improve the growth rates of nursing calves.
When should you creep feed calves?
Benefits to calves
You can introduce creep feed to calves at an early age. However, a calf's rumen isn't capable of breaking down feed until it's 2 months old. Assuming a 30-day weaning period, creep feeding calves at 3-4 months old gives them about 80-120 days on feed prior to weaning.
Does it pay to creep feed calves?
“Depending on the type of ration being used, creep feed can cost from 13 cents per pound [some custom rations] to 22 cents per pound. If it's taking an average of 4 pounds of feed to get 1 pound of gain [on smaller calves], the breakeven cost would be between 52 to 88 cents,” Watson says.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
