Why not creep feed calves in a steer stuffer type feeder? That is a fair question that I considered in the past as my current system evolved.

Several reasons I don't creep calves:  I don't own a combine nor have equipment or facilities to store and handle grain. I would have to purchase the grain. I do not want to purchase grain. Yes it might help get my weights up but it also would have a significant effect on getting my costs up.

The sweet feed I use as an occasional treat to get them coming into the corral when I call is now up to $10 per 50 lb bag.  It also has less corn and more pellets than it used to.  Needless to say they are not getting many treats these days.  I bought a lower cost "sweet feed" from another source recently and opened it up and it looked like it was full of cotton balls! Now that mey be fine feed but is not what I am looking for.  Filling a creep feeder these days with a good quality grain blend has to be very costly.

I also feel creep masks some of the genetic differences between cow/calf families. I want to finish on my corn just before processing. Grazing corn also spreads the manure... etc etc lots of reasons I dont creep feed the calves.

The only thing my calves get that I don't raise is mineral. Creep feeding grain to young calves may be fine in some systems, but not mine.

Jim at Dawn

I would be open to creep grazing the steers on corn, as Ben suggests, while still on mama in the fall if I could find a way to set it up/screen the 500-700 lb steers from the cows.