Creep Feed Ration

[4sistersshowingwhatwegot]

We have just started calving and were just wondering what kind of feed you all feed for creep? We want to get more condition on them than they have had before. What age do you guys start creeping?

 

[showsteerdlux]

I've been told to start them at 2 weeks. I've seen calves start eating grain as early as about 10 days. Also make sure they have plenty of minerals available and I like to give them some higher quality hay if possible usually some alfalfa or orchard grass.

 

[klintdog]

We don't creep anything until about a month before weaning. This all depends on how our grass situation is, etc. I'd be careful putting a 2 week old calf on creep...

 

[red]

we put a small handfull out almost at once. It's in a little pen that only the calf can get into. They seem to like to sniff at feed & get away from cows sometimes.
Get one w/ decox in it. I use a 15% sweet feed.

Red

 

[Jill]

Like Red, we have a calf gate with an area up in the barn they can come in with plenty of straw and put starter out as soon as we have calves on the ground, I'll check the bag when I feed for the %

 

[kanshow]

I think ours is a 16% sweet feed but you made me wonder so I'm going tag checking too.. we put that out & some really super choice alfalfa.   They don't eat all that much but what they do is learn to eat... and that is really important, IMO. 

 

[C-CROSS]

We use a sweet feed with bovatec with it and it just gets them to eating and they remember when you put a creep feeder out later on.

 

[AAOK]

We fed our Show ration to everything.  The cows were fed in tubs on the ground after calving.  The baby calves would start sticking their heads in with momma at about 10 days to 2 weeks.  By 3 months the calves would be eating about 12 pounds/day.

 

[dhs]

We start feeding creep about the 15th of June (Calving 90% mid to late march). What we usually do is buy 100lbs of 18% feed to get them started and them go to a 16% until about a month before wean, after that we feed a 12% ration. Most other people around me feed what I call a day-one creep, which is the calves are on creep the day they decide to start eating creep. I don't feel this is cost effective for me. The general commercial consensus is to start feeding about a month before wean, but this doesn't usually work for clubby producer, cause the calves don't get that cover to them that is needed to make them appear more saleable.

 

[showsteerdlux]

The commercial standpoint in many areas is to put it out as soon as they hit the ground now, as it has been proven to benefit both calf and the cow. For the ones who calve in the fall I personally know that it is much more cost effective to be feeding them a soyhull/gluten mix that is around 180/ton than it is for them to be eating hay which is close to 200/ton now. It also seems to take a little pressure off the momma's to which is an even greater benefit.

 

[stumpy]

I guess that a calfs gut can start to process feed at about 8 weeks but they will start to like it sooner. For what my non-scientific guess is I put out feed at about 6 weeks of age to get them to like it and used to the feeder. My prferance is to start with Omolene and the transition to a creep feed that is 12-14% Protien and 2.3-4% fat. This is the best system I have found and if I try to make the creep feed to cheap it always seems to bite me in the rear. The bottom line is to find what works for you and stick with it. Good Luck!

 

[4sistersshowingwhatwegot]

Thanks for all the suggestions! We've had several calves  in the past few days. All bull calves, can't seem to get a heifer to save my life! I'll get pics of them on here as soon as I can!