1. Setting the bars in the creep gate
Before talking the feeder out to the field make sure you already have the bars set up in the creep gate. Depending on the size of the creep feeder, it will have three to five vertical bars that are adjustable.
The aim is to space out the bars so that the calves can gain easy access while the cows are restricted. Make sure not to set the bars too tight or the calves will get stuck. This can lead to serious injuries such as broken hips or broken legs.
In the larger feeder where you have five vertical bars you should aim to leave at least three exit/entry points. The other openings should be no more than 1ft wide so the calf will not be allowed to get its front shoulder through. It is often these narrower openings that calves end up getting stuck in.
Make sure when the feeder is in the field that calves can pass through the bars without any problems.
2. Introducing the creep feeder
It is important that when the creep feeder is introduced that the calves do not gorge themselves on meal. Where calves have not been fed meal previously, gorging tends not to be a problem as intakes are low and build-up is gradual.
There is a higher risk of gorging where calves were fed meal throughout the spring and are used to going to the trough. Unfortunately, when you are using a creep feeder you have no choice but to leave it in the field and allow the calf ad-lib access to meal.
However, there is still a number of steps that you can take to prevent gorging. Firstly, never introduce the creep feeder to calves when they are hungry and short on grass.
You should move the cows and calves into a fresh paddock and introduce the creep feeder immediately. With a good supply of grass underfoot and the increase in the milk yield from the cow, the calves will gradually become interested in the feeder and will slowly start to eat meals.
Also, you should play it safe with the type of meal you place in the feeder for the first week. Avoid feeding high levels of cereals.
3. Don’t allow the hopper to run empty
Some farmers seem to think they will be able to reduce the total amount of meal that they feed by allowing the creep feeder to run empty for a few days. Don’t. This will lead to a number of problems.
Firstly, the stronger calves in the bunch will consume most of the meal.
Secondly, allowing the hopper to run empty will result on calves gorging on meals when you re-fill. This will increase the risk of acidosis. If you go down the route of using a creep feeder, you will need to keep meal in it at all times.
4. Watch for acidosis
When herding, always keep an eye out for calves suffering from acidosis. Even with a high level of management calves can still gorge themselves on meal. Signs to look out for are calves that are scouring and are dirty around the tail.
Also calves that are in obvious distress – lying down, then standing up or kicking at their bellies. Calves that have gorged should be removed from the group and not be allowed back in with the feeder.
5. Keep the trough clean
Don’t forget to go inside the feeder and make sure the trough is clean. Rain can sometimes blow into the trough and cause the meal to go stale. Don’t be tempted to scoop the stale meal out and throw it on the ground inside the feeder as this will only make the cows more anxious to get inside – often resulting in a cow getting her head stuck somewhere it shouldn’t be or a few bent bars in the creep gate.
You don’t want a 700kg cow standing on your foot or pinning you to the side of a creep feeder
6. Refilling the hopper
Refilling the hopper with meal, while the cows and calves are still in the field, can be an extremely dangerous job – cows will cram in around the feeder in the hope that they can manoeuvre their head into a bag of meal or into the hopper.
You don’t want a 700kg cow standing on your foot or pinning you to the side of a creep feeder. Where possible, remove the feeder from the field when refilling.
If this is not possible, then make sure you have someone with you to keep the cows under control.
7. Refill with caution
Approach the creep feeder with caution when checking stock. Going up to the feeder quickly and startling calves could cause them to try an exit quickly. If there is more than one calf in the feeder they may get jammed in the creep gate, causing injury.
8. Feeder position
There is no hard and fast rule as to where you should position it in the field. It is advisable, however, that you try and pick the driest part of the field or a rough area that is unproductive, but not under trees. If you are finding that calves are lying around the feeder during the day and are opting to eat meal as opposed to graze grass, then move the feeder to the opposite end of the field to the water trough. This will encourage them to move up the field.
9. Don’t ad-lib creep feed heifers
While bulls will respond well to ad-lib meals for the six-week period pre-weaning, heifers will tend to get over fat. The will start laying down soft puppy fat around the tail head.
Neither live exporters nor Irish finishers want this type of heifer. Ad-lib creep feeding heifers will only drive up production costs and reduce selling prices. Heifers should only be fed 1kg to 2kg per day over the six-week pre-weaning period.
10. Don’t introduce too early
Be careful not to introduce the creep feeder too early. Bulls weighing 300kg to 400kg can eat up to 5kg or 6kg of meal per day, depending on the milk yield of the cow and availability of grass.
While bulls will initially achieve high conversion rates, after a period they will start laying down fat and efficiency will drop.
Avoid ad-lib creep feeding for any more than six to eight weeks. You will have to ensure that calves are fairly even and are weaned on the same day.
Read more
Full coverage: weanlings
1. Setting the bars in the creep gate
Before talking the feeder out to the field make sure you already have the bars set up in the creep gate. Depending on the size of the creep feeder, it will have three to five vertical bars that are adjustable.
The aim is to space out the bars so that the calves can gain easy access while the cows are restricted. Make sure not to set the bars too tight or the calves will get stuck. This can lead to serious injuries such as broken hips or broken legs.
In the larger feeder where you have five vertical bars you should aim to leave at least three exit/entry points. The other openings should be no more than 1ft wide so the calf will not be allowed to get its front shoulder through. It is often these narrower openings that calves end up getting stuck in.
Make sure when the feeder is in the field that calves can pass through the bars without any problems.
2. Introducing the creep feeder
It is important that when the creep feeder is introduced that the calves do not gorge themselves on meal. Where calves have not been fed meal previously, gorging tends not to be a problem as intakes are low and build-up is gradual.
There is a higher risk of gorging where calves were fed meal throughout the spring and are used to going to the trough. Unfortunately, when you are using a creep feeder you have no choice but to leave it in the field and allow the calf ad-lib access to meal.
However, there is still a number of steps that you can take to prevent gorging. Firstly, never introduce the creep feeder to calves when they are hungry and short on grass.
You should move the cows and calves into a fresh paddock and introduce the creep feeder immediately. With a good supply of grass underfoot and the increase in the milk yield from the cow, the calves will gradually become interested in the feeder and will slowly start to eat meals.
Also, you should play it safe with the type of meal you place in the feeder for the first week. Avoid feeding high levels of cereals.
3. Don’t allow the hopper to run empty
Some farmers seem to think they will be able to reduce the total amount of meal that they feed by allowing the creep feeder to run empty for a few days. Don’t. This will lead to a number of problems.
Firstly, the stronger calves in the bunch will consume most of the meal.
Secondly, allowing the hopper to run empty will result on calves gorging on meals when you re-fill. This will increase the risk of acidosis. If you go down the route of using a creep feeder, you will need to keep meal in it at all times.
4. Watch for acidosis
When herding, always keep an eye out for calves suffering from acidosis. Even with a high level of management calves can still gorge themselves on meal. Signs to look out for are calves that are scouring and are dirty around the tail.
Also calves that are in obvious distress – lying down, then standing up or kicking at their bellies. Calves that have gorged should be removed from the group and not be allowed back in with the feeder.
5. Keep the trough clean
Don’t forget to go inside the feeder and make sure the trough is clean. Rain can sometimes blow into the trough and cause the meal to go stale. Don’t be tempted to scoop the stale meal out and throw it on the ground inside the feeder as this will only make the cows more anxious to get inside – often resulting in a cow getting her head stuck somewhere it shouldn’t be or a few bent bars in the creep gate.
You don’t want a 700kg cow standing on your foot or pinning you to the side of a creep feeder
6. Refilling the hopper
Refilling the hopper with meal, while the cows and calves are still in the field, can be an extremely dangerous job – cows will cram in around the feeder in the hope that they can manoeuvre their head into a bag of meal or into the hopper.
You don’t want a 700kg cow standing on your foot or pinning you to the side of a creep feeder. Where possible, remove the feeder from the field when refilling.
If this is not possible, then make sure you have someone with you to keep the cows under control.
7. Refill with caution
Approach the creep feeder with caution when checking stock. Going up to the feeder quickly and startling calves could cause them to try an exit quickly. If there is more than one calf in the feeder they may get jammed in the creep gate, causing injury.
8. Feeder position
There is no hard and fast rule as to where you should position it in the field. It is advisable, however, that you try and pick the driest part of the field or a rough area that is unproductive, but not under trees. If you are finding that calves are lying around the feeder during the day and are opting to eat meal as opposed to graze grass, then move the feeder to the opposite end of the field to the water trough. This will encourage them to move up the field.
9. Don’t ad-lib creep feed heifers
While bulls will respond well to ad-lib meals for the six-week period pre-weaning, heifers will tend to get over fat. The will start laying down soft puppy fat around the tail head.
Neither live exporters nor Irish finishers want this type of heifer. Ad-lib creep feeding heifers will only drive up production costs and reduce selling prices. Heifers should only be fed 1kg to 2kg per day over the six-week pre-weaning period.
10. Don’t introduce too early
Be careful not to introduce the creep feeder too early. Bulls weighing 300kg to 400kg can eat up to 5kg or 6kg of meal per day, depending on the milk yield of the cow and availability of grass.
While bulls will initially achieve high conversion rates, after a period they will start laying down fat and efficiency will drop.
Avoid ad-lib creep feeding for any more than six to eight weeks. You will have to ensure that calves are fairly even and are weaned on the same day.
Read more
Full coverage: weanlings
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