Corn Gluten Feed as Creep Feed

[Chuckie]

A successful cowman that seems to run everything the right way, rotating his cattle, routinely giving shots, worming, etc. His cattle look great...and he lives close to an Ethenol plant where they sell by products to the farmers. He buys the the meal and the feed for his cattle and calves. In the winter time, he feeds the wet meal, and in the summertime, if he needs it, he feeds the dry feed. He does not feed a great deal of the feed, since his hay is really good. It was less than 7 cents a head a day to feed them.
He does make money with his cattle.

He does creep feed his calves. He uses the dry corn gluten feed alone, and free choice mineral.

I realize that many do not creep feed, and believe in grass only, but there are some here that do. Has anyone else tried the corn gluten feed in a creep feeder?
Chuckie

 

[Howdyjabo]

NC State/Matt Poore wrote a paper on it
Do a google search and I am sure you will find it

 

[TexasBred]

I hesitate to feed anything free choice that contains a high level of crude protein and nothing to limit the intake. Corn gluten can vary as much as 25% in protein depending on the processing. Lows near 20% and as high as 25-26% protein. But it is relatively low in starches and has a good level of fiber. I assume you would also make a good source of hay available.

 

[KMacGinley]

1. I would never creep feed. My cows need to be able to support their calves adequately and I do not want or need to subsidize them.

2. If you were to creep feed later on in the grazing year, DCGF would work well as pasture protein drops. but... You need to watch the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio as DCGF is extremely high in Phosphorus and the male calves especially could get water belly.

3. In that situation, I would place a Salt CA mixture in the creep feeder so that the calves had access to adequate Calcium without the P. Lime or Areganite would work good as the source.

 

[jscunn]

Be careful of the Sulfur content especially if you are on well water. Polio is a possible problem.
Another thought is to buy a mix of corn gluten and soyhull pellets, the local co-op has a mix down here with some minerals mixed in that they consider a full feed.

 

[MF135]

1. I would never creep feed. My cows need to be able to support their calves adequately and I do not want or need to subsidize them.
quote]


I don't know that "adequate support" maximizes efficiencies. A cost-benefit analysis needs to be implemented to gauge the efficiency of each alternative. While the explicit cost of creep feed are clear, many implicit values resulting from a decreased calf weaning age (cow condition, reduction in TDN, improved pregnancy rates) can be extremely difficult to quantify. The increased costs of feed may be justified when considering the differences in calf weights, values at marketing, cow culling rates, weaning percentage, and weights in the subsequent calf crop. The best way to assess potential profitability of creep feeding versus not is to compare the two practices in your specific cow-calf operation.

 

[jedstivers]

1. I would never creep feed. My cows need to be able to support their calves adequately and I do not want or need to subsidize them.
quote]


I don't know that "adequate support" maximizes efficiencies. A cost-benefit analysis needs to be implemented to gauge the efficiency of each alternative. While the explicit cost of creep feed are clear, many implicit values resulting from a decreased calf weaning age (cow condition, reduction in TDN, improved pregnancy rates) can be extremely difficult to quantify. The increased costs of feed may be justified when considering the differences in calf weights, values at marketing, cow culling rates, weaning percentage, and weights in the subsequent calf crop. The best way to assess potential profitability of creep feeding versus not is to compare the two practices in your specific cow-calf operation.

MF135 posted a answer that needs applied to lots of questions on this board. If it cost a dollar an returns a $1.25 then so what if someone thinks you shouldn't do it, if it cost a dollar an returns .90 cents then it's not a good business practice.

 

[Douglas]

I think creep grazing makes a lot of sense.