BONUS MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2025

When to start with creep feeding Creep feeding should be started as soon as possible after calving. A young calf’s rumen only begins to function when it starts to eat solid food. The reason it is started so early is that the calf takes time to get used to the creep pen and learn to eat the creep feed. The sooner the calf is exposed, the sooner it learns to eat it, and the faster its rumen begins to develop. For calves that are manually reared, additional feed is usually provided on the second or third day after birth. Initially, the creep feed intake will be low, but the main objective is to keep the creep feed fresh and feed it regularly to encourage better intake. Where to place the feeders To ensure a good response with creep feeding, there must be adequate feeding space. If feeding space is insufficient, a large percentage of the calves will not have access to the creep feed. The recommended feeding space is 15 cm per animal, with an absolute minimum of 10 cm. The creep pens must be placed in locations where calves have easy access, such as at water points, feeding troughs, or where the cows sleep. The creep feeder, without the creep gate(s), is initially used for the cows’ lick supplement. As soon as the calves start eating with the cows, the lick is replaced with the creep feed, and the creep gates are reinstalled so that only the calves have access. The cows’ lick troughs should be placed near the creep feeder. Another technique to increase intake is to cover the pen with a shade net. The effect of the environment on the success of creep feeding Milk production from beef cows peaks approximately two months after calving and then gradually declines. Calf growth up to two months of age is directly dependent on the cow’s milk production. As the cow’s milk production decreases, the calf becomes increasingly dependent on pasture, and consequently, the availability and quality of the pasture will directly affect the calf’s growth. A calf weighing, for example, 90 kg needs 11 kg of milk daily to grow at a rate of 0,9 kg per day. If the cow produces only 7 kg of milk, the calf needs an additional 2 kg of high-quality pasture (on a dry matter basis) or creep feed to maintain the same growth rate. When the calf weighs 180 kg, the cow’s milk production drops to around 4,5 kg per day, and the calf will now require 5 kg of additional nutrition to maintain its growth. The quality of the pasture will, therefore, influence both the cow’s milk production and the calf’s growth once it begins grazing. In years with lower-quality pastures, creep feeding will have a greater effect on calf performance than in years with high-quality pastures. The return on investment from creep feeding will vary from year to year. It’s important to remember that creep feeding not only helps with weight gain, but also provides numerous other benefits that are often harder to quantify in terms of return on investment. Therefore, it is recommended to consistently creep feed calves. Can stud farmers use creep feeding? As long as the group remains contemporary (all animals are treated the same), stud farmers can use creep feeding as a useful tool to ensure they reach the full genetic potential of their animals. Creep feeding will not affect the animals’ performance data or hide unwanted traits, as long as all animals are treated the same. De Heus products to use as creep feed We have learned that there is no “one size fits all”-solution to animal nutrition, as there are many differences between farms (e.g., quality of pastures, management, season, etc.). That’s why we offer more than one product recommended for creep feeding, depending on the circumstances www.agribonus.co.za Autumn 2025 BONUS 53