SO WHAT IS CREEP FEEDING? I found this and I thought it was a good explanation. I do not have who the author is .....sorry I just know they are from Texas. Creep feeding is a means of providing supplemental feed for nursing kids. It is an essential component of an accelerated kidding and/or early weaning management program. Advantages of creep feeding include: 1. It increases preweaning weight gain, especially for kids reared as a twin or triplet. In the competitive marketing environment for marketing show wethers, some degree of creep feeding is almost an essential. 2. The conversion of creep feed to body weight gain is a very efficient process. Creep fed kids will have a greater weight per day of age. 3. Kids will reach a target market weight and can be marketed at a younger age. For spring-born kids, avoiding the heat of the summer and large market runs may have a positive effect on net profit. 4. Creep feeding reduces the stress associated with weaning. Potential breeding animals and show wether prospects make the transition from milk to a dry diet much smoother if creep fed prior to weaning. Other factors to consider include: 1. Kids that are creep fed seldom forget what a creep feeder is. If those kids are kept as breeding animals, they sometimes can be a challenge to keep out of a creep feeder. 2. Producers must be conscious of cost of gain. Relatively inexpensive feed and a strong goat market equate to a positive return on the creep feed dollars invested. Feed conversions should be in the 5:1 or less range (1 lb gain per 5 lb feed consumed). 3. Be aware of market conditions and weaning weights. In Texas, kids weighing in excess of 80 lb are discriminated (price) against by slaughter goat buyers. 4. Creep feeding does not facilitate increased stocking rates. Providing creep to nursing kids has minimal effect on the nutrient requirements or forage intake of lactating does. Kids begin to nibble at feed and hay very early. Personal experience indicates that some kids may have a functional rumen and be chewing their cud by two weeks of age. Therefore, if maximum growth is expected, creep should be available by the time kids are 3-5 weeks old. Creep consumption will be minimal until kids are 8-10 weeks of age.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:30:25 +0000
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