Creep Feeding Calves
Cattle prices are up and feed prices are down so this may be a year for cattle producers to consider providing their calves supplemental feed, especially with the prospect of a long hot summer that results in cattle spending less time grazing and spending more energy to keep themselves cool. Providing feed to calves that are still with their mothers is most often accomplished with a sturdily constructed ‘creep gate’ which has vertical stays placed just wide enough to allow calves to pass through but exclude the larger cows. The creep gate is positioned with a corral or portable pen in which the creep feed is placed thus allowing the calves access while excluding the cows. Here are three considerations when making a decision regarding creep feeding young stock.
First, make time to develop a reasonable assessment of how much additional weight gain to expect, how much feed it would require, and what would be the cost of that additional weight gain. Your Extension Agent or feed supplier can help with this.
Second, the stockman should engage their cattle buyer(s) or others with experience in the local cattle markets to develop a sense of how prices will compare across different weight categories. As cattle get heavier, the lower the price per pound the calf brings at market. There are times in Virginia cattle markets where lighter calves bring a premium but if the calves go over a threshold weight the competing cattle buyers will pay significantly less per pound for the heavier calves that are above this weight threshold. The reason for this is that the buyer wants the calf to be light enough for them to capture a profit from the feed resource the buyer is utilizing. The drop in price per pound may negate any advantage from marketing a heavier calf. In Virginia markets, pricing discrepancies like this are sometimes seen in calves that are in the 650 to 800 pound weight range. The stockman should seek the advice of cattle buyers or others with current knowledge and experience of local and national cattle markets to gauge current pricing patterns for different calf weight categories. Generally, if a stockman traditionally markets a 500-lb calf in the fall and a summer supplement will add 60 pounds to the calf, current prices indicate that investment in feed will realize a good return.
Third, the stockman should consider options for the type of feed, the amount, and frequency with which it is fed. Research has shown feed supplements can be delivered as little as twice per week and still realize a weight gain benefit. The lower the frequency of feeding requires careful consideration of what is fed, how much, and feeding space sufficient to allow all the animals an opportunity to get their share. More frequent feeding allows higher feed intake and gain. Supplements consisting of grains like corn, barley, or soybean meal have higher levels of starch and fat which can interfere with both forage (grass) intake and digestibility. Commodity byproducts like corn gluten feed, distillers grains, wheat midds, or soyhulls generally derive more of their calories from digestible fiber and as a consequence are more compatible with the rumen bacteria that help cattle digest grass. For assistance with summer feed supplementation strategies for livestock, contact Tom Stanley through the Rockbridge County Extension office or by e-mail at [email protected].
