WINTER BONUS MAGAZINE 2025

Maximising growth and efficiency: The benefits of creep feeding for lambs Mark Willment - Technical Advisor: Dairy Creep feeding is the practice of providing supplemental feed to nursing lambs. This is usually done using a creep gate, which is large enough for the lambs to enter the feeding area, but too small to allow ewes to pass. A lactating ewe can only supply 50% of the nutrients a four- to six-week-old lamb needs to maximise growth; this is due to the decreasingmilk production of the ewe after she has reached peak milk production at 3–4 weeks. Depending on availability and quality, foragemay not be able to supply the other 50% of nutrients the lamb needs. Due to the extremely efficient feed conversion of the young animals, creep feeding is, inmost cases, very economical. In intensive breeding systems and for ewes withmultiple lambs, the use of creep feeding is evenmore important as the pressure on the ewe escalates. Creep feed is one of the tools that can simplify the processes surrounding female animals on the farm. Firstly, it relieves a lot of the pressure on the ewe because the lamb is less dependent on milk and does not want to suckle all the time. Secondly, the lamb ingests dry matter that fills the rumen and supplements any nutritional deficiencies. Ewes recover faster after lambing as they lose less body mass. Their ability to reconceive is also better. This improves lambing percentages on the farm. A lamb is, in fact, monogastric until its rumen has developed to the extent where it can digest roughage. Creep feed also promotes rumen development, and volatile fatty acid production takes place in the large intestine (rumen) which stimulates the development of the papillae. This is beneficial for the lamb because it increases the surface area for absorption in the rumen. A better-developed rumen increases the animal’s resistance against weaning shock and ensures better weight gain. Because the rumen develops earlier, the lamb can be weaned sooner, and it also benefits the lamb when it goes to the feedlot or to the replacement herd as it adapts faster and performs better. Advantages of creep feeding: 1. Increased average daily gain leads to higher weaning weights 2. Higher weaning weights allow earlier George Schoonbee - Junior Product Manager: Extensive Ruminants the practice of providing supplemental feed to nursing lambs. This is usually do h is large enough for the lambs o enter the feeding area but too small to allow ewe an only supply 50% of the nutrients a four- to six-week-old lamb needs to maximi decre sing milk production of the ewe after she has reach d peak milk producti g on availability and quality, forage may not be able to supply the other 50% of Due to the extremely ffici nt feed conversion of the y ung animals, creep fee y economical. In intensive breeding systems and for ewes with multiple lambs, even more important as the pressure on the ewe escalates. of the tools that can simplify the processes surrounding female animals on the farm. Firstly, it rel the ewe because th lamb is l ss dependent on milk and does no want to suckle all the time. ry matter, which fills the rumen and supplements any nutritional deficiencies. Ewes recover f e less body mass. Their ability to reconceive is also better. This improves lambing percentages o monogastric until its rumen has developed to the extent where it can digest roughage. Creep evelopm nt, and volatile f tty acid producti takes place in he large intestine (rumen), which f the papillae. This is beneficial for the lamb because it increases the surface area for absorp veloped ru en i creases the animal’ resistance ag i st weaning shock and ensures better w develops earlier, the lamb can be weaned sooner, and it also benefits the lamb when it goes to nt herd as it adapts faster and performs better. cree p feeding: aximizing Growth and Efficiency: enefits of Cr ep Feeding for Lambs hoonbee - Junior Product Ma age : Extensive Rumina t www.agribonus.co.za Winter 2025 BONUS 67