 |
 |
  |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
 |
   |
| Creep Feeding Calves May Be More Profitable in 2004 by Donald Stotts | |
 | |
| Posted by Agricultural Communication Services on Tuesday, Jul. 20, 2004 | |
|
STILLWATER, Okla. - Cattle producers might find that creep feeding calves is more profitable now than in the past few years, given the current structure of the cattle market. Value of added weight gain is exceptionally high, from a historical standpoint, said Dave Lalman, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist. "If 500-pound steer calves are priced at $1.30 per pound and 775-pound yearling steers are priced at $1.14 per pound, the 275-pound difference in weight is worth $233, or about 84 cents per pound of additional weight," Lalman said. Lalman's example compares to the normal range of 50 cents to 65 cents value per pound of added weight. Producers can expect traditional 12-percent-to-16-percent protein, grain-type creep feeding programs to produce about one pound of additional weight gain for every eight pounds to 10 pounds of creep feed consumed by a calf. "The conversion efficiency is lower when forage quality is poor and forage availability is limited," Lalman said. "In contrast, the conversion is at the higher end of the range when cattle have abundant access to high-quality forage. In the latter situation, creep feed tends to simply replace rather than supplement the forage." Calves generally will consume between four pounds and seven pounds of feed per day when they are given free-choice access to feed for at least 60 days, depending on forage conditions. "Creep feed needs to be reasonably priced or value of added weight gain needs to be high in order for conversion rates to be cost effective," Lalman said. "If we use a conversion rate of nine to one (9:1) and creep feed costs $145 per ton, each pound of additional weight costs 65 cents, not including management costs such as additional labor." Additional labor, equipment such as creep feeders and increased fleshiness of calves are recognized drawbacks of free-choice creep feeding. "If calves consume around five pounds to seven pounds of creep for more than 60 days, they may receive a discount for fleshiness at market time," Lalman said. "Even so, research indicates that free-choice creep feeding improves quality grade if the calves go straight to the feedyard after weaning." In addition, researchers have discovered that by limiting creep intake with added salt, conversion efficiency is improved, calves gain more weight and they do not become fleshy. Intake has been limited to around three pounds to four pounds per day, with conversion efficiency improved to around 6:1 or 7:1 rates by including 4 percent to 7 percent salt in creep feeds with 14 percent to 16 percent protein. "Such a program usually works best for cattle grazing forage that is higher in protein, such as fescue, brome or bermudagrass," Lalman said. "If feed conversion is 7:1 and this type of creep feed costs $152 per ton, the feed cost per pound of added weight is 53 cents." Another advantage of such a limit-fed program is that the amount of feed a producer must handle is reduced substantially. Lalman said Oklahoma Silver, a limit-fed creep feeding program designed by OSU researchers that targets cattle grazing native range pastures during late summer, may prove to be especially useful to some cattle producers this year. Late summer and fall native-range pastures typically are deficient in protein, compared to a growing calf's nutrient requirements. "Calves will consume and digest more forage if a producer includes 8 percent to 10 percent salt in a 38-percent-to-45 percent oilseed meal-based feed," Lalman said. "This will increase weight gain without causing the calves to become fleshy." Salt should be introduced gradually, so that feed intake is maintained at about one pound per head per day. In previous research, this type of program has resulted in creep feed conversion ratios of about three pounds to four pounds of feed per pound of added weight gain. "If the high-protein creep costs $260 per ton, or 13 cents per pound, the feed cost per pound of added weight gain is 52 cents," Lalman said. Lalman said cattle producers need to do calculations with figures from their specific operations, basing management decisions on an approximate cost of added weight gain from creep feeding, added labor requirements, forage conditions and current cattle market analysis. "The structure of the cattle market is subject to change, of course, which potentially could eliminate this apparent opportunity," Lalman said. "However, as of right now, it at least deserves some consideration by a number of producers." ### MEDIA CONTACT: Donald Stotts 301 Public Information Bldg. Agricultural Communications Services Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078-6041 Phone: 405-744-4079 Fax: 405-744-5739 E-Mail: [email protected] Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments Cooperating: The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, or status as a veteran, and is an equal opportunity employer. |
|
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
