Creep feeding has many benefits. Feeding calves from five to six months of age is an efficient time to supplement cattle, as you will get a conversion ratio of 5:1, meaning for every 5kg meal fed will result in 1kg additional liveweight gain.
In older finishing animals, this ratio could be as high as 10:1.
It also reduces the stress of weaning, as the nutritional needs of the calf are being met from concentrate, which eases the removal of milk from the diet.
Currently, weanling rations cost beween €260/t and €270/t. That means every kilo of liveweight gain from creep feeding cost between €1.30 and €1.35/kg, meaning it makes economic sense as well, especially where calves are to be sold in autumn.
Grazing quality
However, prior to any meal being fed, you need to ask if you are doing all you can when it comes to grazing quality. Can you creep graze calves ahead of cow?
Where cows and calves are in the one paddock, they are in direct competition with each other for the best available grazing.
By simply raising the wire into the next paddock or using a simple creep gate to allow calves to graze ahead of the cows, this will have a positive effect on calves' daily liveweight gain at a much lower cost than concentrate supplementation.
Feeding options
Where calves are being creep grazed ahead of cows and the decision is made to introduce concentrate, it can be offered in a trough that can be moved from paddock to paddock.
This is a better option than using a creep feeder, as you know every animal is getting the same level of supplementation.
With a creep feeder, some calves will be eating 4kg to 5kg, while others may not be eating at all.
The down side of this is that it is more labour intensive, as calves need to be fed every day.
Safety
Where calves are being trough-fed, farmer safety needs to be thought about. You do not want to be going in among calves with bags of feed as they come up to the trough to feed.
This can be simply overcome with a single line of electric wire and a few posts around the trough.
Put the wire up prior to bringing in meal, fill the trough and then remove the wire to allow cattle to come forward to eat.
On farms where creep-grazing is not carried out or is not possible to implement, there may still be an option to allow calves to creep out on a secure lane by altering the field gate or being able to prop the gate open slightly.
Read more
Camera at the Mart: first big flush of weanlings at Ennis Mart
THRIVE: are this year's calves hitting growth targets?
Weanling prices increase by 15c/kg to 25c/kg
Creep feeding has many benefits. Feeding calves from five to six months of age is an efficient time to supplement cattle, as you will get a conversion ratio of 5:1, meaning for every 5kg meal fed will result in 1kg additional liveweight gain.
In older finishing animals, this ratio could be as high as 10:1.
It also reduces the stress of weaning, as the nutritional needs of the calf are being met from concentrate, which eases the removal of milk from the diet.
Currently, weanling rations cost beween €260/t and €270/t. That means every kilo of liveweight gain from creep feeding cost between €1.30 and €1.35/kg, meaning it makes economic sense as well, especially where calves are to be sold in autumn.
Grazing quality
However, prior to any meal being fed, you need to ask if you are doing all you can when it comes to grazing quality. Can you creep graze calves ahead of cow?
Where cows and calves are in the one paddock, they are in direct competition with each other for the best available grazing.
By simply raising the wire into the next paddock or using a simple creep gate to allow calves to graze ahead of the cows, this will have a positive effect on calves' daily liveweight gain at a much lower cost than concentrate supplementation.
Feeding options
Where calves are being creep grazed ahead of cows and the decision is made to introduce concentrate, it can be offered in a trough that can be moved from paddock to paddock.
This is a better option than using a creep feeder, as you know every animal is getting the same level of supplementation.
With a creep feeder, some calves will be eating 4kg to 5kg, while others may not be eating at all.
The down side of this is that it is more labour intensive, as calves need to be fed every day.
Safety
Where calves are being trough-fed, farmer safety needs to be thought about. You do not want to be going in among calves with bags of feed as they come up to the trough to feed.
This can be simply overcome with a single line of electric wire and a few posts around the trough.
Put the wire up prior to bringing in meal, fill the trough and then remove the wire to allow cattle to come forward to eat.
On farms where creep-grazing is not carried out or is not possible to implement, there may still be an option to allow calves to creep out on a secure lane by altering the field gate or being able to prop the gate open slightly.
Read more
Camera at the Mart: first big flush of weanlings at Ennis Mart
THRIVE: are this year's calves hitting growth targets?
Weanling prices increase by 15c/kg to 25c/kg
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