Stocker Steve
Well-known member
I have herd of very good creep feed conversion when calves are on short pasture.
What is the value of additional gain in your market?
What is the value of additional gain in your market?
Anyone Creep Feeding Calves?
- Thread starter Lucky
- Start date
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Double R Ranch
Well-known member
Stocker Steve said:
For me the additional gain means sell "earlier" since our target market is 700-750#'s. Means less draw on my cows which in turn means they recoup faster. Less forage usage by selling sooner. I can calve at a better time for us weather wise and get those calves off the pasture quicker which is allowing me to keep a few more cows.
5S Cattle
Well-known member
What's the nutritional analysis on your creep you're having made Double R?
Double R Ranch
Well-known member
5S Cattle said:
Crude Protein Crude Fat Crude Fiber Ash
Calcium Phosphorus
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS Minimum 14.0%
Minimum 3.0% Maximum 18.0% Maximum 9.0% Maximum 0.9% Minimum 0.4%
Zinpro 4 Plex C -.35g per lb. Zinpro 120 - .09g per lb
*Not necessary to add additional vitamins/minerals to this feed
INGREDIENTS:
Alfalfa Hay, Distillers Dried Grains, Almond Hulls, Soybean Meal, Rice Bran, Mix Grain Hay, Cane Molasses, Salt, Ground Limestone, Dicalcium Phosphate, Mono- calcium Phosphate, Zinc Methionine Complex, Magnesium Oxide, Manganese Methionine Complex, Glycerin, Manganous Sulfate, Copper Lysine Complex, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Soybean Oil, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Ethylene Diamine Dihydriodide, Sodium Selenite.
Ruminant Meat & Bone Meal Free
Certified Weed Free
5S Cattle
Well-known member
Thank you
WarEagle73
Well-known member
Tried creep feeding this year for the first time. We had some health issues at weaning last year, and I felt like some of it might have been due to the stress of weaning. This year we provided creep for the calves starting 5 weeks prior to weaning and then they stayed on the self feeder 8 days after weaning. At that point we pulled the heifers and bigger steers off and started hand feeding, but left the smaller steers on the feeder. Trying to limit stress due to the nutritional change. We retain ownership on everything that isn't a replacement, so we think this might get the steers ready to head west at a bit heavier weight and maybe improve our quality grade 1/2 to a full marbling score.
In the 5 weeks prior to weaning, we were running a rough feed conversion of 3.21# Feed per # of gain for a CoG of $0.42, but that doesn't take into account milk or grazing, or the fact that even without the creep they still would gained. From a purely gain perspective, it didn't pay in my mind. We will lower our cost CoG to at least $0.35 after we get our feed bin out up and start buying feed in bulk, but still that won't make it profitable if we only think about gain. For us, I think the value is getting the calves transitioned at weaning faster. Don't know how to quantify that, but it seemed to be effective and worth it for us.
In the 5 weeks prior to weaning, we were running a rough feed conversion of 3.21# Feed per # of gain for a CoG of $0.42, but that doesn't take into account milk or grazing, or the fact that even without the creep they still would gained. From a purely gain perspective, it didn't pay in my mind. We will lower our cost CoG to at least $0.35 after we get our feed bin out up and start buying feed in bulk, but still that won't make it profitable if we only think about gain. For us, I think the value is getting the calves transitioned at weaning faster. Don't know how to quantify that, but it seemed to be effective and worth it for us.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Good points. Not having to treat sick calves saves a lot of MONEY & TIME. And sick calves, generally have poorer performance on the feedlot.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
I generally creep feed and start at 300lbs and will do it for a month then sell
We have creep fed for the past 3 years and our weaning weights the first year went up 50 pounds the first year. That year we started in September and weaned end of October and sold late November .
Second year we started in July and we were 100 pounds on avg higher than non creep feed.
This year it's been out since May . Really trying to see if it's worth the extra money to feed them.
Been feeding accuration 80/20 and we do let the feeder go empty in between filling it. But right now with alittle over a month before weaning grass is getting short and have been dry they have been hitting the feeder alittle harder.
We let our heifers eat as much as they want soon as they weaned we choose our replacements and they go to a cracked corn protein pellet ration with free choice hay. Never had a problem with them breeding after we slow them down over the winter. Goal is to have them 900 plus at AI then out to pasture with the bull.
If I could find a readily available creep feed that cheaper than accuration I would switch but at the moment it's to easy to have delivered.
Second year we started in July and we were 100 pounds on avg higher than non creep feed.
This year it's been out since May . Really trying to see if it's worth the extra money to feed them.
Been feeding accuration 80/20 and we do let the feeder go empty in between filling it. But right now with alittle over a month before weaning grass is getting short and have been dry they have been hitting the feeder alittle harder.
We let our heifers eat as much as they want soon as they weaned we choose our replacements and they go to a cracked corn protein pellet ration with free choice hay. Never had a problem with them breeding after we slow them down over the winter. Goal is to have them 900 plus at AI then out to pasture with the bull.
If I could find a readily available creep feed that cheaper than accuration I would switch but at the moment it's to easy to have delivered.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Have you calculated what the pound gain is costing?
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Creep feed conversion is complicated.
6 to 1 is almost best case for me
10 to 1 is a safer estimate for me
6 to 1 is almost best case for me
10 to 1 is a safer estimate for me
WarEagle73
Well-known member
Just looking back at some post weaning gain data to update my above post.
Steers that stayed on the creep feeder after weaning gained 3.93#/day for 42 days.
Steers and heifers that stayed on creep for 8 days then transitioned to 1% BW Corn gluten feed and crabgrass grazing gained 2.04#/day for 42 days.
The steers that stayed on the self feeder gained way too fast and got kind of fat. We have pulled those off and will hand feed them 1% BW Corn gluten for another 45 days or so before they hitch a ride to the feedyard. Good news is that it caught them up with the heavy steers, so we can send them all in one group. Conversion on this feed was really good, so our cost of gains will be sub $0.50. More importantly for me, the calves didn't go backwards at weaning. Best we can tell, they really never checked up at all. We may cheapen up the ration some next year, but I think we will be creep feeding again next year.
Steers that stayed on the creep feeder after weaning gained 3.93#/day for 42 days.
Steers and heifers that stayed on creep for 8 days then transitioned to 1% BW Corn gluten feed and crabgrass grazing gained 2.04#/day for 42 days.
The steers that stayed on the self feeder gained way too fast and got kind of fat. We have pulled those off and will hand feed them 1% BW Corn gluten for another 45 days or so before they hitch a ride to the feedyard. Good news is that it caught them up with the heavy steers, so we can send them all in one group. Conversion on this feed was really good, so our cost of gains will be sub $0.50. More importantly for me, the calves didn't go backwards at weaning. Best we can tell, they really never checked up at all. We may cheapen up the ration some next year, but I think we will be creep feeding again next year.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Sounds like it worked out well for you. That's good gain. What average weight were the lighter group that you kept on the creep? (at weaning time)
WarEagle73
Well-known member
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
They average 590#. Big steers were 687# and the heifers were 548#. After 42 days, the little steers were 750#, big steers were 784#, and the heifers were 630#. The steers will head to Kansas in about 30 more days, and I think they will be averaging 825-850.
We got a little concerned with the amount of feed they ate and the cost, but when we look at it from a Cost of Gain standpoint, I think we are being pretty profitable. Plus they transitioned really well at weaning.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Yes, if you can keep them gaining thru the weaning process, I think you are money ahead. Good job. Those are great weights.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Stocker Steve said:
6 to 1 is excellent
