Creep feeding show calves

[Meadow Creek Farm]

What is your schedule for starting your suckling show calves on creep, hay etc ?  My mama cows milk good but I can see that I may need a little extra edge for fall sale and expo time.

 

[NHR]

We usually make sure creep is out by the time they are 2 months old.

 

[shortyjock89]

We put creep out before the calves are a month old, if we're trying to sell the calves in the pasture, which we usually do.  We like to have them eating a pretty good amount of feed by the time they are close to 4 months old.  We'll even tie calves up and feed the steers and heifers differently if we need to.  I would suggest using a very high proten feed..something like 14%.

 

[Dusty]

Whenever I go around to the pasure sales in late summer I always make it a point to look in the creep feeders.  All I will say is that there is no shortage of groceries in most the calves on those sales....  No calf should ever be "green" on 99% of the pasture sales.  I have found the most breeders use the term "green" instead of of the term "bad."  I bought a "green" one once.  He was still "green" when his head was cut off at 1300 lbs.

 

[showgirl2010]

We wait till ours reach a week old then we shove feed in their mouth and they take off from there.
I dont have no fancy creep feeder either.  Just some lightweight panels with a chain connected to keep the cows out and a low mineral feeder. 

Jamie

 

[shortyjock89]

Whenever I go around to the pasure sales in late summer I always make it a point to look in the creep feeders.  All I will say is that there is no shortage of groceries in most the calves on those sales....  No calf should ever be "green" on 99% of the pasture sales.  I have found the most breeders use the term "green" instead of of the term "bad."  I bought a "green" one once.  He was still "green" when his head was cut off at 1300 lbs.

We feed ours because it's a BUNCH easier to sell the calves, and the calves that we keep back look better for the early shows.  We really slow down on feeding the heifers during the winter so that we don't ruin them though.

We have a pretty decent little creep pen.  Calves go in, lay down, eat, and all that.  We start breaking them in there too.

 

[linnettejane]

all of our calves are born in the barn...after momma calves we start graining them....babies usually have figured out what grain is by the 1st week....mommas and calves stay in the barn until calves are one month old....that gives me time to do my "magic" (thats what my husband calls it).....i call it "desensitizing" ....anyway...after a month we kick them out of the barn and put the creep feeder out...."kick out" day is a joyous day for me....no more cleaning out every stall every day, etc, etc, etc......creep feeder goes out....it usually takes the babies a couple days to figure it out, but they do real quick cause they've already got the hunger....we just have one of those creep feeders with the attachment on the front, so when it comes time to wean....a couple weeks before, i take the front off the feeder and attach it to the barn, so they start coming in the barn to eat....we have fans running, nice comfy sawdust, etc....they pretty much end up weaning themselves....all we have to do is pull the creep feeder attachment off and shut the gate....calves are weaned....i toss a halter on and by the end of that first day they are leading and have had a showstick on them....by the second day they are in the grooming chute washing and blow drying.....for me....all the hard work i do the first month makes the weaning and breaking time sooooooo much easier....

think i got a little off topic, sorry...

 

[bradycreek]

I start at around 1 1/2 to 2 months of age.
By 3 months of age most of them are eating it good.
don

 

[Jill]

We start creep at 2 weeks old on an 18% ration and switch over to our grower ration when they are eating really good.

 

[rtnok]

I start out with a sweet feed of rolled grains and after they get to eating it real well i switch them to a creep pellet slowly. roni

 

[CAB]

Start early. You ever notice how curious a calf is almost @ birth they want to ck things out then as they get a bit older they become more stand offish or leary. You can always take the feed back away from them, but if they are started early, they'll never forget what the feed is. We have an old building that is about ready to fall in that we have an electric fence around that calves can go in and their momma's can't, we bed it and have feed salt & mineral blocks out. It take the calves no time to learn that after I feed the cows their are next and will follow me to their old shed for feed.

 

[bradycreek]

By creep feeding all a calf can eat how much extra weight can you add to the 205 adjusted WW?
What is your best estimate.
From my experience I just creep feed one can per calf per day (seemed a good idea for less waste) and they seemed to do fine and I can tell a difference that paid off after the winter.
dh

 

[Jill]

I have a study KSU put out a couple of years ago on the extra value, I'll see if I can find it.

 

[chambero]

What nutrient % do you folks get with your creep feed?  Are you feeding "normal" creep pellets, are you getting it mixed with higher protein or higher fat?  This is one area I think I'm missing something on.

 

[rtnok]

I just feed evergreen special creep it's a 14% pellet. I have tried others and this seems to work the best. I just hand feed that way the calves get to know me better than with a self feeder. I only feed what they clean up in 15min. that way they come a running when I show up. To me the self feeders are a waste because the feed can get stale. I own a self feeder but don't use it any more. roni

 

[red]

ours is a sweet feed @ 15% protien. it also has decox in it.

Red

 

[racekannon]

I feed a pellet with decox and start when the first calf is about a week old.  The best thing I did is build 24 x 36 calf barns with one side closed where the weather comes from,  inside it I use panels with the back wall being one side and a 12 ft creep panel and pass through other one with two 16 ft panels as sides.  The caves figure the pen out almost immediately,  I also keep my best grass hay inside and the pen well  bedded.  I add more 16ft  panels when they get older and put in the creep feeder with a roll of good hay.  I start with a trough that's what they see mom do.