Save Money and Stress with Creep Feed

In a time of all time high cattle prices with feeder cattle bringing upwards of 3 dollars a hundred there has never been a better time to use a product that pencils out and adds profit to your operation. Creep feed can be a useful tool for an operation to add pounds, takes some stress off the cow, and prepare the calf for weaning. Now creep doesn’t work for everyone, but the case can be made if an operation can use creep, it can help improve profitability on your farm or ranch.

The increase in cheap gain is something that most people enjoy with creep feed above all else. With average creep running around 300 dollars per ton or $0.15 per pound and the average feed conversion being about 5 pounds of creep to 1 pound of gain this brings your cost per pound of gain to $0.75. Now this number can vary based on a wide range of variables but when we look at adding an additional 50-80 pounds per calf, this can add up quickly in today’s market.

Late in the summer in Iowa we also face the problem of dry and hot days, usually leading to our grass slowing down and cows losing a little condition. With the help of creep feed, we can give the calves something to eat and take some of that load off our cows. This helps maintain cow condition and helps with breeding for the following year. When cows maintain better body condition score, we also know that it takes less energy to go through winter and coming into spring as they don’t need to make up what was lost but rather keep what they have.

Lastly of the three times of major stress in a calves life (birth, weaning, and shipping) Weaning can be one of the hardest to overcome. Calves are moved away from mom, put in a new pasture or lot, and most times are introduced to a feed that they have never seen or smelled before. Many producers have moved to use creep to bridge this gap. By getting calves on a solid feed while they are on the cow and stress is lower, a weaned calf already knows how to get to a feeder or bunk and understands what the stuff inside is. This reduces the stress of weaning, decreases the loss of pounds from going off feed, and sets the calf up for success in the feedyard.
Creep feed can be a helpful tool for most operations with several benefits. Contact your local SFG location to discuss how it can work in your operation!