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Moberly MO | I found this online so you may find it useful.
Creep Feeding. The objective of any farm sheep enterprise should be to develop thrifty, fast-gaining lambs that can be marketed at an early age. Creep feeding may help accomplish this objective.
The most efficient conversion of feed to weight gain occurs during the first 100 to 120 days of a lamb's life. Lambs can easily gain 1 pound per day in their first 70 to 80 days. In well-managed flocks of efficient, fast-gaining breeds, it is common for lambs to reach weights of 110 pounds at 120 days of age.
Young lambs gain 1 pound for every 3 to 4 pounds of feed consumed. By comparison, old-crop feeder lambs require 5 to 6 pounds of feed per pound of gain. There are several potential advantages to using a creep-feeding program:
Increased weight gains, especially for multiple-birth lambs.
Highly efficient feed conversion.
Early marketing.
Early growth and development of the lamb lessens the stress of early weaning.
When practical, start lambs on creep feed as soon after birth as possible. Ordinarily, lambs do not consume much feed until they are 3 to 4 weeks of age. However, the small amount consumed at earlier ages is critical for establishing rumen function in the lamb. Most studies have shown that if the intake of the creep ration does not average 1/2 pound per day from 20 days of age to weaning, then no increase in lamb performance is realized from creep feeding.
Locate the creep feeders where the lambs will use them. In a drylot, place the feeders in a convenient, dry, well-bedded, protected area. In pasture areas, place the feeders relatively close to water tanks, resting areas, or salt and supplement feeders. | |
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Sheep Cattle conversion of feed
