Creep Feeding

[jaimiediamond]

Creep feeding or lack there of has often been used as a reason an animal has more merit or less depending on was it creeped or not?  In our herd we believe that the creep would mask if the cow was milking well or not and scew the numbers for weaning weight.  

What is the general opinion of creep feeding when is it necessary?

Below is a picture of our creep feeder... It has seen better days

 

[rarebirdz]

We start creeping 2 wks b4 weaning makes the transiton to the feedlot smooth less time lost in finishing my product it isnt long so I no wat cow did a good job or not

 

[RyanChandler]

If youve already culled the non producers, I don't see a reason not to creep.  As long as your cost of gain is less than your gettin on a live weight basis, your money ahead.  Not many cows can milk enough mid august (in Texas) to maximize those gains.

 

[Shady Lane]

Creep feeding or lack there of has often been used as a reason an animal has more merit or less depending on was it creeped or not?  In our herd we believe that the creep would mask if the cow was milking well or not and scew the numbers for weaning weight.  

What is the general opinion of creep feeding when is it necessary?

Below is a picture of our creep feeder... It has seen better days

Oh My God Jaimie!

Your calves are so hungry they ate the plywood off your creep feeder!



(lol)

 

[vanridge]

We have our cows/calves on two seperate pastures. The one is ALOT better than the other. We creep feed a bit just before weaning depending on the year. This year the not-so-good pasture turned brown at the beginning of August so we have had to start a little earlier. We have it set up so the cows can't eat anything, only the calves. We started a few years ago because the calves came off that field looking a little rough, and had a harder time at weaning than the ones that came off the good pasture. We would prefer to not creep feed if we could get away with it. :-\

 

[Hilltop]

Creep feeding or lack there of has often been used as a reason an animal has more merit or less depending on was it creeped or not?  In our herd we believe that the creep would mask if the cow was milking well or not and scew the numbers for weaning weight.  

What is the general opinion of creep feeding when is it necessary?

Below is a picture of our creep feeder... It has seen better days

Oh My God Jaimie!

Your calves are so hungry they ate the plywood off your creep feeder!



(lol)

That was from the drought in 2009 in Alberta  ;D
We strarted to put whole oats out last year in the summer. Not sure if it does a whole lot but seems to get the calves off to a lot better start than the ones without the feeder in the summer

 

[RyanChandler]

Whole oats is what I've used in the past.  Watch em tho, they'll put on too much cover if not careful.

 

[jaimiediamond]

Oh My God Jaimie!

Your calves are so hungry they ate the plywood off your creep feeder!

(lol)

That was from the drought in 2009 in Alberta  ;D
We strarted to put whole oats out last year in the summer. Not sure if it does a whole lot but seems to get the calves off to a lot better start than the ones without the feeder in the summer

That is right it was the poor starving calves... Definitely not the horses!!!!

 

[husker1]

We have not been big on creep feeding for years...the last two years, we started in late July on our two poorer pastures.  Takes our calves forever to get interested in the feed though. 

Back when we used to creep most of them, the transition during weaning was smoother.

 

[rarebirdz]

I hav found in r area folks generaly only creep when grass is poor or the way I do. If a bull I m interested in is creeped i wil ask y 4 sure but it isnt a deal breaker