By Tessa Thomas, AAg, Livestock and Feed Extension Specialist, Tisdale
June 2024
As cattle are sent out to pastures, the goal is to maximize calf gains while maintaining both pasture and dam health. Although most of the province has received an increase in early moisture compared to the past couple years, this doesn’t mean all pastures will be lush and plentiful.
A creep feeder is a feeding system that allows the young nursing calves to enter and gain access to feed while preventing access for cows and bulls. The feed placed in creep feeders is often grain-based and more energy-dense, but it can also be a protein-dense feed made from ingredients such as canola or soybean meal. The creep feed chosen to supplement will depend on the needs of the herd. Producers may choose to make their own on-farm blend for a creep feed or purchase a pellet or mix from a retailer.
There are many benefits to implementing creep feeding into your pasture and herd management strategy, including:
- Increasing average daily gain: Having a creep feeder in your pasture allows calves to have access to high quality nutritional supplements. This gives them the ability to increase their average daily gain and decrease reliance on their dam and pasture for the entirety of their nutrition.
- Source of supplementation in dry conditions: Creep feeding calves can be an ideal solution when dealing with dry pasture conditions. In years when moisture is scarce, the nutritional value of pastures will be lower than average. Cows may struggle to maintain body condition and milk production may be reduced. By providing supplementation, the pasture and dams will be able to hold more condition.
- Aid to weaning: Creep feeding is a benefit to implement prior to weaning. By the time of weaning, weaning stress will be reduced as the calves have established how to eat out of a trough or bunk. This may decrease weaning stress. Weaning weights will also be increased with the addition of creep feed.
Although there are many benefits to creep feeding, there are a few things to keep in mind when considering the inclusion of creep feed in your pasture plan:
- Economics: Producers must consider the economics of the year. Will the weight gain of the calves be enough to offset the cost of the feed? Is the cost of feed worth the amount of pasture health and dam condition conserved? For the amount of weight increased, this may invite price discounts at market for the heavier calves.
- Labour and time commitment: Creep feeders must always remain full to decrease the risk of digestive upsets. Depending on the size of your creep feeder and size of the calves, this may involve weekly, bi-weekly or monthly refilling.
- Potential to mask genetic performance: Calves with poor milking dams may consume more creep feed to compensate, resulting in similar weaning weights to their counterparts with dams that produce adequate milk. Thus, when it comes time to evaluate your herd, these underproducing cows will likely not be culled.
Overall, creep feeding is a great option to supplement calves, especially in dry conditions. However, it can be beneficial in other situations. Being able to identify if creep feeding is economical is a year-to-year decision and must be examined closely.
For more information about creep feeding, or other livestock-related topics, contact your local livestock and feed extension specialist or the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377. Visit our creep feeding webpage and learn more about whether creep feeding is the right management decision for your herd.