SHEEP CREEP FEEDING WEANING

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SHEEP CREEP FEEDING WEANING

• KEITH VANDER VELDE
• CENTRAL DISTRICT SPECIALIST

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Creep-feeding

• Benefits
• Increase Lamb Weaning Weight
• Improves ewe body condition
• Reduces pasture consumption
• Reduces lamb stress at Weaning
• Allows twins to grow like singles

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Creep-feeding

• Profitability
• When grain is cheap and calf prices high
• Herd has large number of young ewes
• Pastures or feed for ewes is short
• Lambs are being sold as feeders not retained
• Lambs are born in late winter
• Market premiums for bloomy lambs

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Creep-feeding

• Not Recommended
• When forage is abundant
• Ewes are heavy milkers
• Weaned lambs are retained on high-roughage feed
• Periods of high grain and low lamb prices
• Ewe lambs are retained as herd replacements

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Creep-feeding
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Creep-feeding

• Rations
• 41 corn, 42 oats, 17 SBOM, rolled or ground
  first 6 weeks, no processing after six weeks
• Decrease the SBOM as Lambs reach 7-8 weeks of age
• Provide free choice hay in creep area