Capturing Value with Creep Feeding
By Lance Kennington, Ph.D., Kim Hager, M.S., CHS Nutrition
As the cost of living increases for cow/calf producers, many are asking what they can do to increase revenues with their calves and make their operations more sustainable in the future. Creep feeding remains a common method used by producers to capture value for their calves and consists of supplying the calf with supplemental nutrients, such as energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals, on pasture. When done correctly, creep feeding has become a profitable enterprise for many ranchers.
As cattle genetics have improved over the past thirty years, we have seen higher weaning weights as well as higher slaughter weights, with calves typically finishing the same time in the spring. In short, cattle are not what they used to be. Early creep trials conducted with low quality ingredients and lower gaining cattle were largely disappointing and lead many to believe that creep feeding does not pay. However, with creep feed formulations that compliment grass, we have been able to see gains rise to 60-80 lbs or more and feed efficiencies improve to 5-6 lbs of feed per pound of gain. With some simple math and a projection of what the final price will be for calves, we can calculate cost of gain and the return on investment realized by using a highquality creep feed.
Producers in the western states market grass, so avoiding negative associative effects (the negative effect of starch digestion on fiber-digesting bacteria in the rumen) is crucial. This can be done by purchasing a creep feed containing highly digestible sources of fiber and avoiding grain-based creep feed.
Most producers who routinely creep feed have also found that the best gains and feed efficiencies are seen as grasses start to mature or go into the summer heat slump. Most high-quality grasses in the western states are classified as cool-season grasses, so when the weather gets hot and there is less rain, we see the cool-season grasses become more fibrous and less nutritious. Most producers will start putting out creep feed during this time, which in Montana will mean from mid-July until weaning in September or October.
Creep feeding also helps with weaning time. Calves will be adjusted to dry feed and tend to wean easier and with less health problems, especially when creep feed formulations contain adequate levels of trace minerals and vitamins for your area. Many ranches utilize water containing high levels of sulphur and iron, which can reduce the absorption of some trace minerals that are crucial for improving immune status.
In summary, most herds have a higher genetic potential for weaning weight than the nutrition in mid-to-late summer grass and declining milk production of the cow will provide. Pasture supplementation (creep feeding) will economically fill the nutritional gap between the calf’s nutrient requirements and the pasture diet.