creep feeding

[Anonymous]

I just have several general questions. When would you start creep feeding for beef calves, lambs, and pigs? What % protein would you feed? How much should each animal be fed daily? How long should they be on creep feeding? What is the best form to present it (pelleted, crimpled, ground, etc). Thank I would appreciate this information.

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[Anonymous]

I can answere the beef calf part,

If you have a creep feeder and check cattle daily, calves can start on feed at two weeks of age. I figure .5 lb per her per day, no more for the first 30-45 days, feeding a 14% creep pellet, small (tiny) pellets. If calves don't start eating mix feed with calf-mana, the smell draws them to it. Then increas the feed to 1-2 lb per head per day. If you can't check daily use a feed limiter, or you can run into grain acidosis, bloat, high $ loss in lots of feed eaten but not much gain. I have Coon trouble so I only feed what I know they will eat in a 1-2 day period, I am not raising coons so I have to be careful.

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[Anonymous]

Calves - In my setup, I usually start when the grass goes into it's summer slump ~ mid Jul. Calves are then about 3 months old. I start them on about 2# per head per day & I feed every day. By fall sale time, they are eating about 8 - 10# per head per day and ready to go on full feed. Feed is consistently a 14% protein grain mix.

Lambs - Different story, I put feed in the creep feeder when the oldest lambs in the pen are about 3 weeks old. Seems the first 2 bags last forever but before you know it they are eating 500# a week. I start with a 20% starter pellet, go down to 18% after the first two bags per pen, stay with the 18% til they are weaned. Just before weaning, my lambs eat about 2.5#/head/day.

Don't know much about pigs but with most pigs weaned at 10 days, must start real quick.

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[Anonymous]

> I just have several general
> questions. When would you start
> creep feeding for beef calves,
> lambs, and pigs? What % protein
> would you feed? How much should
> each animal be fed daily? How long
> should they be on creep feeding?
> What is the best form to present
> it (pelleted, crimpled, ground,
> etc). Thank I would appreciate
> this information. pigs will start nosing through creep feed as early as 3 or 4 days. A 20%-22% would be high enough protien otherwise it gets a bit rich for their systems while still nursing.

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