starting creep too early?

[WFCC]

is there any way a guy could get in trouble by starting creep too early?  By starting creep will the calves eat more grain and less milk from the cow?

 

[cowcrazy]

We start putting feed and hay in the creep area at about 1 month old.  By the time the calves are about 3 months, they are eating pretty well.  I think it makes it easier to wean them, because they are already eating.  They still miss their momma and will baw for a day or two, but they never go off feed.  As far as the momma goes, it does not affect their milk production.  My experience shows that the calves still prefer milk to feed.

 

[Jill]

I don't think you can start too early, get them eating as soon as they will.

 

[Dyer Show cattle]

Only way it hurts is in your pocket.

 

[aj]

Lord forgive but I was thinking about creeping. Has anyone tried the non-grain cellulose based protein based pellets?

 

[lowann]

We never feed ours creep feed till they are three months old. They can have all the grass hay they want.
Ours just get too big if we start too soon. We have some heavy milking cows.
Our calves do just fine this way.

 

[AAOK]

is there any way a guy could get in trouble by starting creep too early?  By starting creep will the calves eat more grain and less milk from the cow?

If you plan to make Show Calves out of them, you can't start creep feeding too early!

 

[lowann]

is there any way a guy could get in trouble by starting creep too early?  By starting creep will the calves eat more grain and less milk from the cow?

If you plan to make Show Calves out of them, you can't start creep feeding too early!

That might be true, in most cases. We did very well last year selling one steer to Wade Rogers, and one to Matt Lautner doing what we do, starting creep at three months. If we would have started sooner, they just would have gotten too big.

 

[kanshow]

If you wait too long to start creep feeding, my experience has been that the calves aren't as apt to go into a creep feeder.