creep feeding calves
- Thread starter blueridge
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Dusty Britches
Well-known member
as soon as they figure out there is feed in there.
I've seen them eat the small creep pellets at 2 weeks. Mostly just taste testing, but it doesn't take long for them to figure out creep is the next best thing to milk.
I've seen them eat the small creep pellets at 2 weeks. Mostly just taste testing, but it doesn't take long for them to figure out creep is the next best thing to milk.
Re:
If you want to get them started eating dry feed, just sprinkle a little milk replacer on the feed.
Are you going to build your own creep feeder or buy one?
SL
I've seen them in my creep feeders as young as a week or two and some do actually eat.
If you want to get them started eating dry feed, just sprinkle a little milk replacer on the feed.
We use palletized feed and they have their own hay ring.
Are you going to build your own creep feeder or buy one?
SL
TheBullLady
Well-known member
If you have some older calves that are already using a creep feeder, you'll find the younger ones will start very early. I've seen week old calves in ours.. watching what the older calves do.
Use whatever is convenient. I've used a 10 - 12% mill mix, or a bagged sweet feed. Once they get started they'll eat pretty much anything.
Use whatever is convenient. I've used a 10 - 12% mill mix, or a bagged sweet feed. Once they get started they'll eat pretty much anything.
I have already purchased a feeder. The calves range from 4 to 8 weeks old and I have tried pelletized feed as well as ground feed and they wont touch either one. They will go into the feeder but don't eat anything. They actually eat the grass inside the feeder that the cows can't get to.
MoGal
Well-known member
If you have a MFA dealer close by (we've got a feed store every 10 miles so its easy to get coop, nutrena, purina, mfa, etcc.... in about any direction you want to travel)
Cattle Charge with AS700 runs about $13.00 per hundred or $246.00 ton)
Unless you've got first calving heifers or are keeping replacements I wouldn't feed them from a feeder (provided you had enough grass).
Cattle Charge with AS700 runs about $13.00 per hundred or $246.00 ton)
Unless you've got first calving heifers or are keeping replacements I wouldn't feed them from a feeder (provided you had enough grass).
houstoncutter
Well-known member
MoGal":e3ghidxe said:
Careful on creeping heifers that might be retained for replacement heifers. The research that I have read is that too much conditon on these heifers as they are growing will cause them to be poor milkers. Something about having too many fat cells around the mammery glands.
MoGal
Well-known member
Yes, thank you for that caution.
We have first calf heifers that hubby wants to keep replacement heifers from and the problem we go through right now (from mid march or first of April to end of June) is that we have to run too many head on the pasture they have available as the guy wants to close out as many pastures as he can to cut fescue seed off of. Once it is combined then we'll have adequate pasture for all.
For us, it seems at this time that we need to supplement those calves because of the lack of good lush grass.
We have first calf heifers that hubby wants to keep replacement heifers from and the problem we go through right now (from mid march or first of April to end of June) is that we have to run too many head on the pasture they have available as the guy wants to close out as many pastures as he can to cut fescue seed off of. Once it is combined then we'll have adequate pasture for all.
For us, it seems at this time that we need to supplement those calves because of the lack of good lush grass.
blueridge":3ld761x4 said:
If you're dead set on creep feeding, you might think about getting a bag or two of Hubbard's AS70 Range N Gro. It smells and tastes like licorice and, for some reason, calves love licorice! It is medicated, though. I don't know if that makes a difference to you or not, but just thought I'd let you know that upfront. We use it to transition weaning calves, and I use it to get my bottle calves started on solid feed. I would caution you to heed Houstoncutters advice, though, because he is dead on.
MoGal
Well-known member
Msscamp how expensive is that? Calf Manna has the anise extract in it as well, but Lordy its $20.76 for 50 lbs.
I never knew that creep feeding replacement heifers did anything to reduce the milk when they are older. Is that a fact? I have held back many replacements over the years.. and fed them creep... and when they calved.. always seemed to have plenty of milk for the calves. could it be that different breeds are just poorer milk producers ??
Limomike":3bsbuiuc said:
Again it has to do with the extreme. Overdoing the creep feeding to the extent that a lot of fat accumulates in their virgin udders, and yes, it might reduce future milk production.
On the other hand stunting the heifers for a lack of nutrition isn't going to do their future poductivity any good either.
Helping them through a difficult time is going to do more good than harm. Just weigh them before you start creep feeding to get a better indication who's dam isn't doing a good job.
racekannon
Well-known member
My calves from 1st calve hiefers will be at the trough with mom at a few weeks old.
TheBullLady
Well-known member
We creep feed all our calves, and I've never had a problem with the heifers not milking well. On a 10 -12% ration you're not talking about putting a lot of fat on them.
novatech
Well-known member
TheBullLady":2e0jxrf3 said:
I,m with you on this.
I feed mine when I wean them. If I have plenty of grass it is a waste of money but I still do it to gentle them down. I sit on the feeder and make them eat around me. I use a 12% sweet feed with all the vitiamens and minerals mixed in, about 5lbs. ea. They seem to have a little better growth and finsh and make a healther cow. I have never seen anything detramental to their milking ability with this program.
Right now I am more worried about my cows getting overly fat. They are getting into that 9 BCS which bothers me for calveing.
Cows can,t keep the grass down and getting "butterball fat"
