As opposed to creep feeding a traditional grain-based diet, creep grazing has potential to be a more cost-effective solution. There are many ways to adapt this system to each individual situation, but the bottom line is that it must be profitable.
Most forages can be used for successful creep grazing as long as they are high in nutrient quality and readily available. Time of year will affect which forage is used for creep grazing. During the cool season months, annual grasses like rye, oats, wheat or ryegrass will be used. During the warm season months, most producers will use legumes, Bermuda grass, pearl millet, or sorghum-sudan grass. With the potential of high nitrate millet or sorghum-sudan grass due to heat stress and spotty rainfall during the Oklahoma summer of 2024, calves are a safer bet to utilize those standing forages than cows. If you have done a forage analysis on millet or sorghum-sudan, you have likely seen the following information regarding the safest way to utilize these forages based on nitrate levels.
Generalized interpretation for Nitrate test (ppm-dry matter basis):
- 0-3,000 = generally safe for all cattle
- 3,000 – 5,000 = generally safe for non-pregnant cattle. Low risk of reduced breeding performance and early-term abortion
- 5,000 – 10,000 = some risk for cattle, May cause mid to late-term abortions and weak newborn calves. May decrease growth and milk production.
- 10,000 = potentially toxic for all cattle. Can cause abortions, acute toxicity symptoms and death
Similar to grain creep feeds, the added weight gain from creep grazing depends on pasture quality. Regardless of forage quality, if forage quantity is a problem, creep grazing should have a positive effect on calf performance. Daily gains tend to be less than the full fed energy creep systems but are usually increased by 10 to 20 percent with creep grazing. This underscores the effects that pasture quality and quantity exert on gains of creep-grazed calves.
Creep grazing has a few other indirect benefits. One is that calves do not get as fat as when they are fed a grain-based creep feed and may not receive price discounts often applied to calves fed an unlimited high energy creep feed. Replacement heifers may get too fat if fed a grain-based creep feed and have reduced milk production. This problem is less likely to occur when using forage as a creep feed.
Remember most experiments that track cow weight change and calf milk intake show that calves consume all the milk available whether they are fed creep fed or not. Creep feeding simply does not change or improve cow weights or body condition. Calves prefer milk first, palatable creep feed second, then forage. Accordingly, the primary benefit of creep grazing is cost-effectively put pay weight on calves.
Reference: Creep Feeding Beef Calves. University of Georgia Extension Bulletin 1315.
