Creep feeding lambs

[saitek1989]

Is it ever worth creeping lambs

The current price over here for lamb is £3.60/kg I sell all dead

Iv weighed a group of lambs to get a very rough estimate of how theyr doing seems to be most are around the 25-27 kg Mark bigger ones 30-33
And the lighest of them 20+

My problem at the moment is grass still doesn't seem to be where it should be lambs seem to be doing okay atm but next rotation doesn't look like there will be as much grass

Would I be wise to creep these lambs iv been doing some workings out and iv worked out that they will eat on average 35kg each or about £8-9 a head I should be rid of all of them in 10-12 weeks if they grow @300g a day average would I get this back in the higher price I'll get for them by selling earlier or should I just Finnish them on grass in the off chance the price actually goes up later in the year

 

[Kip]

Creep the big 1s and see how you get on. That way you wont have spent a lot of money and you will be know better for next year. Cant see £ going up, talking £50 for lambs later on in summer.

 

[saitek1989]

hope not maby hard feed will follow

Can't creep the bigger ones seperate untill I Wean all in a month

 

[Big Al]

How old are your lambs? If you are short of grass you could be better weaning lambs earlier and prioritising your best grazing for the lambs, whilst keeping the ewes really tight.

 

[saitek1989]

Majority are 10 weeks old youngest around 6 weeks

 

[Big Al]

Bit too young to wean yet then.
I got a flyer this morning from the mill which had a bit about creep feeding.
They reckon their good quality creep which has sopralin in it will have a feed conversion ratio of 5:1. It said poorer quality feeds with cheaper ingredients in will only convert at 8:1.

In your figures above your creep costs about 24p a kg, should be good quality at that price, do you know if its got much soya in it?

 

[cotswold shooter.]

only seems to feed the rooks and crows we reckon In a week we get through a tonne of creep to the birds

 

[saitek1989]

I duno what's in it Tbh I can get it cheaper I'd say that price is for 2.5/3 mm pellets to get them going I'll probably switch to a coarse mix later on it might only be £210 per ton

 

[Bury the Trash]

good creep would increase killing out % and help specially in low grazing/quality situation -but in that situation there will be a higher chance of losing one through blowing up .it will definitely speed the system up if that's important .

 

[ajcc]

Not worth throwing money at lambs this year! Even folk who lambed in jan. are questioning the economics of creep feeding this year.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Not worth throwing money at lambs this year! Even folk who lambed in jan. are questioning the economics of creep feeding this year.

ive heard that said heaps of years - all I know is (if i can use whole barley and a bit of something else ) then it gets them gone quicker -my priority

 

[Nithsdale]

My problem at the moment is grass still doesn't seem to be where it should be lambs seem to be doing okay atm but next rotation doesn't look like there will be as much grass

Just open the gates... give up with rotation for now and spread the stock lightly.

Cheaper as creeping, and the grass has a chance of coming away instead of getting stripped bare

 

[saitek1989]

Would that not worsen the situation rotational grazing gives the ground time to rest

 

[Nithsdale]

Would that not worsen the situation rotational grazing gives the ground time to rest

Your saying the next rotation block isnt looking great? If it is roughly the same acreage as the field/block they are currently on you are halving your stocking rate meaning the grass can continue to grow.

Iv never seen land stocked lightly being grazed bare before.

 

[saitek1989]

The whole reason I use rotationally grazing is to increase grass yield at least that's what I was told and it does seem to work I think bit of fert is what it needs

 

[Woolless]

Try creep grazing instead? Buy a couple go creep hurdles (or turn ring feeders upside down, need approx 20cm gap) and let the lambs go ahead into the next paddock. Apparently adds 4kg to weaning weight. Would be trying it on my new place if I had any decent fences .

 

[Nithsdale]

The whole reason I use rotationally grazing is to increase grass yield at least that's what I was told and it does seem to work I think bit of fert is what it needs

I wasnt saying rotation doesnt work... but if the grass isnt growing what else is there? Spread them as thin as you can and leave them till the weather sorts itself out, and we get back to a 'normal' year, then tighten them back up and go back to rotation

 

[saitek1989]

Might try that

 

[Wishful Thinker]

What weight gain should i expect feeding lambs 0.75kg/day of creep?

After having a similar problem to @saitek1989 with lambs scouring and not doing even though they were wormed(blamed lush grass and fertilizer in it) i moved my lambs to let them follow behind a set of bullocks and fed creep. After just over 2 weeks they have gained approx 4kg, which i put down to compensatory growth but with grass getting short and breeding ewes needing to take priority just wanting to work some figures to see if i am best to sell as stores or finish. Anyone have an idea on what they could do?