Creep feeding for Calves
Creep feeding is the practice of providing supplemental feed to nursing calves. This is usually done using a creep gate, which is large enough for calves to enter the feeding area but too small to allow cows to pass. A lactating beef cow can supply only 50% of the nutrients a three- to four- month-old calf needs to maximize growth. Depending on availability and quality, forage may not be able to supply the other 50% of nutrients the calf needs. Due to the extremely efficient feed conversion of young animals, creep feeding is, in most cases, very economical.
Creep feed is one of the tools that can simplify processes surrounding female animals on the farm. Firstly, it relieves a lot of pressure on the cow, because the calf does not want to suckle constantly. Secondly, the calf ingests dry matter, which fills the rumen and supplements any nutritional deficiencies. Cows recover faster after calving as they lose less body mass. Their ability to reconceive is also improved. This increases calving percentages on the farm.
A calf is monogastric until its rumen develops enough to digest roughage. Creep feed also promotes rumen development. Volatile fatty acid production takes place in the rumen, stimulating the development of papillae. This is beneficial for the calf because it increases the surface area for absorption in the rumen. A better-developed rumen increases the animal’s resistance to weaning shock and ensures better weight gain. Since the rumen develops earlier, the calf can be weaned sooner, which also benefits the calf when it goes to the feedlot as it adapts faster and performs better.
Advantages of creep feeding:
1. Increased average daily gain leads to higher weaning weights.
2. Higher weaning weights allow earlier weaning of calves if needed.
3. Lower weaning age results in higher stocking rates (more animals per hectare).
4. Reduced weaning stress improves overall calf health and growth.
5. Lower coccidiosis due to coccidiostats (ionophores) in creep feed.
6. Improved rumen development enhances feedlot performance.
7. Better cow body condition increases conception rates.
8. Reduced lick intake by cows decreases feed costs.
9. Enhanced meat quality due to improved marbling.
When to start with creep feeding:
Creep feeding should be started as soon as possible after calving. A young calf’s rumen only begins to function when it starts to eat solid food. The reason it is started so early is that the calf takes time to get used to the creep pen and learn to eat the creep feed. The sooner the calf is exposed, the sooner it learns to eat it, and the faster its rumen begins to develop. For calves that are manually reared, additional feed is usually provided on the second or third day after birth. Initially, the creep feed intake will be low, but the main objective is to keep the creep feed fresh and feed it regularly to encourage better intake.
Where to place the feeders:
To ensure a good response with creep feeding, there must be adequate feeding space. If feeding space is insufficient, a large percentage of the calves will not have access to the creep feed. The recommended feeding space is 15 cm per animal, with an absolute minimum of 10 cm.
The creep pens must be placed in locations where calves have easy access, such as at water points, feeding troughs, or where the cows sleep. The creep feeder, without the creep gate(s), is initially used for the cows’ lick supplement. As soon as the calves start eating with the cows, the lick is replaced with the creep feed, and the creep gates are reinstalled so that only the calves have access. The cows’ lick troughs should be placed near the creep feeder. Another technique to increase intake is to cover the pen with a shade net.
The effect of the environment on the success of creep feeding:
Milk production from beef cows peaks approximately two months after calving and then gradually declines. Calf growth up to two months of age is directly dependent on the cow's milk production. As the cow's milk production decreases, the calf becomes increasingly dependent on pasture, and consequently, the availability and quality of the pasture will directly affect the calf’s growth.
A calf weighing, for example, 90 kg needs 11 kg of milk daily to grow at a rate of 0.9 kg per day. If the cow produces only 7 kg of milk, the calf needs an additional 2 kg of high-quality pasture (on a dry matter basis) or creep feed to maintain the same growth rate. When the calf weighs 180 kg, the cow's milk production drops to around 4.5 kg per day, and the calf will now require 5 kg of additional nutrition to maintain its growth.
The quality of the pasture will, therefore, influence both the cow’s milk production and the calf's growth once it begins grazing. In years with lower-quality pastures, creep feeding will have a greater effect on calf performance than in years with high-quality pastures. The return on investment from creep feeding will vary from year to year.
It’s important to remember that creep feeding not only helps with weight gain but also provides numerous other benefits that are often harder to quantify in terms of return on investment. Therefore, it is recommended to consistently creep feed calves
Can stud farmers use creep feeding?
As long as the group remains contemporary (all animals are treated the same), stud farmers can use creep feeding as a useful tool to ensure they reach the full genetic potential of their animals. Creep feeding will not affect the animals' performance data or hide unwanted traits, as long as all animals are treated the same.
De Heus products to use as creep feed:
We have learned that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to animal nutrition, as there are many differences between farms (e.g., quality of pastures, management, season, etc.). That’s why we offer more than one product recommended for creep feeding, depending on the circumstances on the farm. The two products we suggest for use as creep feed are:
1. RumiComplete Calf Grower (V28653)
RumiComplete Calf Grower has been developed as a complete creep feed for suckling calves. It is also a complete growing ration for young calves up to weaning. Calf Grower should be supplied ad libitum in creep pens to calves.
Initial intake might be low as calves learn to eat the feed but should reach 1-1.2kg/day at weaning. Feed conversion of calves is very good and economical, and to achieve optimal results, intake should therefore not be restricted.
When creep feeding calves at a young age (2-3 months) while their intake is low and they are still suckling from the cows, there is no need for an adaptation to the feed. If this product is fed at a later stage, animals should be gradually adapted to the feed by increasing quantities for 14-21 days, while roughage is available ad libitum.
2. RumiLick Accelerator (V24940)
RumiLick Accelerator is a production lick fed to growing calves on good-quality pasture to achieve maximum growth at minimal cost. This product focuses on carcass development rather than fat deposition, making it an ideal product for rearing stud animals and use in extensive growth clubs. The product is used in creep feeding systems, and after weaning, the same product can be used for "backgrounding."
As RumiLick Accelerator is a lick, the salt in the formulation will limit intake, and no adaptation period is required. Feed animals ad libitum on good-quality pasture or grazing with free access to clean water.
Trails that were done by De Heus
1. 2016 – Trial Conducted in Zeerust, NW during the 2015 Drought:
Table 1: The effect of creep feeding in the drought
|
|
Control group |
Creep feed group |
|
Average Daily Gain |
350g/day |
1190g/day |
|
Weight gain of calves over 126 days |
44,1kg |
149,94kg |
|
Weaning weight 20 April 2015 (6 months) |
114,1kg (to light to wean) |
219,94 kg |
|
Additional growth with creep feed |
|
105,84kg |
|
Value of additional growth |
R0 |
105,84kg x R19,16 =R2029,89 |
|
Creep feed cost per calve |
R0 |
R394,63 |
|
Margin over feed cost per calve |
R0 |
R1633,26 |
|
Return on investment |
R0 |
R4.14: R1 |
We conducted a trial to observe the effect of creep feeding during the drought. The herd was evenly split into two groups, and the groups were rotated every second week between camps to eliminate any camp effect. Both groups received RumiLick Bovine 50 (V28649) ad libitum.
Control group Creep feed group
2. 2017 & 2018 Trail in Vredefort, FS.
The customer started feeding RumiLick Accelerator as creep feed in 2019 to his commercial beef herd. It was too difficult to split the group into subgroups for the trial, so we decided to compare years. Obtaining accurate data is challenging due to seasonal differences, but the significant improvement in weaning weight indicates that creep feeding can make a difference.
Table 2: Impact of creep feeding on calf weaning weights and economic returns: 2018 vs. 2019
|
|
2018 Control |
2019 Creep feed |
|
Average weaning weights |
217 |
264 |
|
Intake of creep feed (RumiLick Accelerator) |
|
126 |
|
Weaner R/kg |
R 32,00 |
R 32,00 |
|
Feed price |
|
R 4 510,00 |
|
Feed cost per calve |
|
R 568,26 |
|
Additional growth |
|
47 |
|
Additional income |
|
R 1504,00 |
|
Profit per calve |
R 6 944,00 |
R 7 879,74 |
|
Additional profit per animal |
|
R 935,74 |
A trial conducted in Clocolan under controlled conditions showed similar results:
“The average daily mass gain (ADG) of the control calves that received no creep feed was 0.658 kg compared to 0.974 kg for the calves that received creep feed. Therefore, the creep feed increased the calves' average growth by 48%. The weaning weight of the control calves (no creep feed) was 210 kg compared to 263.5 kg for the calves that received creep feed.”
If you want to learn more about creep feeding for calves, please contact a De Heus technical advisor for expert
