Creep Feeding Principles for Lambs and Kids

What is Creep Feeding?

Creep feeding (the process of providing supplemental feed to young livestock while restricting access to adults) is one method sheep and goat producers can use to increase lamb and kid value when selling milk-fed lambs or kids for cultural celebrations. Creep feeding typically increases growth rate and adds body condition to produce higher-quality animals that meet buyer expectations. Here, we will introduce the principles and benefits of creep feeding for lambs and kids, best practices for creep feeding (e.g., diet composition, creep feeder design, and integration of creep feeding with pasture grazing), and how to manage creep feeding challenges (e.g., overeating disease, contamination, and urinary calculi). Whether your goal is to increase animal weight at weaning or to improve overall health and quality, this guide provides actionable information to help you achieve those goals (Figure 1).

Creep Feeding Benefits

Creep feeding takes advantage of increased feed efficiency by young animals. Lambs and kids can often convert 2–4 pounds of feed into 1 pound of weight gain. Older lambs and kids, however, may require 4–6 pounds of feed to gain 1 pound. In addition, creep feeding often results in lambs and kids weighing 10–20% more at weaning than their peers who were not creep fed. Taking advantage of the lamb’s feed efficiency at this early age and the improvement in weaning weight can result in more income for the farm.

For example, Table 1 above compares non-creep-fed lambs with creep-fed lambs. A lamb that typically weighs 50 pounds at weaning may weigh 60 pounds when creep fed. By comparison, that 50-pound lamb might bring $4.00 per pound, whereas a 60-pound lamb might bring $3.75 per pound. This results in the 50-pound lamb selling for $200, whereas the 60-pound lamb sells for $225. Creep feeding comes at an additional cost, so considering feed costs is essential. For a lamb that gains an extra 10 pounds at a feed efficiency of 3 pounds of feed to 1 pound of gain, that lamb would consume approximately 30 pounds of creep feed. At $400 per ton or $0.20 per pound, this would cost the producer $6 for the additional 10 pounds in weight gain. Therefore, the creep-fed lamb in this example would produce an additional income of $19 ($25 additional sale value minus $6 in feed costs) compared with the non-creep-fed lamb.

Another benefit to creep feeding can be seen at weaning, particularly for lambs or kids kept as replacements and for lambs or kids fed to a finished weight of 100–160 pounds. Creep-fed lambs adjust to consuming solid feed earlier in life and exhibit less stress at weaning than lambs or kids without access to creep feeds. This leads to animals that are less likely to become sick and that can regain any lost weight from weaning more quickly.

Creep Feeding Diets

Creep feeds do not need to be complicated mixes. Simple mixes can provide the same benefits. All creep feed grain mixes should be palatable, fresh, and coarsely ground or cracked to prevent sorting.

Highly palatable feeds encourage intake. In other words, lambs or kids will readily consume this feed because it appeals to them. Typical feeds that lambs and kids readily consume include soybean meal, roasted soybeans, corn, and alfalfa hay. A simple creep feed mixture might consist of 80–85% ground corn and 15–20% soybean meal. Lambs and kids should also have free-choice access to a legume or legume/grass mix hay. Common legumes found in hays include alfalfa, clover, or birdsfoot trefoil. Some producers encourage lambs and kids to consume creep feed by top dressing with soybean meal. This method encourages lambs and kids to begin eating creep feed more quickly; however, the practice should be discontinued after 1 or 2 weeks.

Numerous types and brands of commercial creep feeds are available. These are excellent options for producers with just a few lambs or kids. Larger operations may wish to have a custom mix made at a local feed mill. Many mills require a half-ton minimum, so producers must have enough lambs or kids to consume the minimum order of creep feed within about 4 weeks to ensure freshness.

Sometimes it is advantageous to substitute corn with other grains. Sorghum and oats can replace corn at a 1:1 ratio. However, oats contain less energy than corn and may need to be added at 1.25 times the amount of corn to replace corn energy if producers expect the same weight gain as corn-based creep diets. Wheat or barley can be substituted for half of the corn. Producers should use whatever grains are available in their area and mix according to whatever works best for their operation (Figure 2).

To prevent very young lambs and kids from sorting through the creep feed, grind the feed and add molasses as a binder or process the feed into 0.25-inch pellets. Continue this processing until the lambs or kids reach 4 to 6 weeks of age. After 4 to 6 weeks of age, coarser grinding, cracking the grains, or offering a larger pellet would be appropriate. By weaning, or shortly after weaning, the feed can remain as cracked grains or be transitioned to a textured feed with whole grains.

When lambs or kids first start eating the feed, producers should add feed to feeders in smaller amounts. This will keep the feed fresh. Old, stale feed can be fed to the ewes and does. However, feed contaminated with fecal material should be thrown out to prevent parasitic infections. Many producers add a coccidiostat to the creep grain mix to prevent coccidiosis and improve feed efficiency. Bovatec (lasalocid) or Deccox (decoquinate) can be added to lamb feeds, whereas Rumensin (monensin) or Deccox can be added to goat feeds. Remember that the livestock species you intend to feed MUST be listed on the product label to feed that product to that species legally.

As lambs and kids grow, the grain mix’s protein concentration may be decreased. For example, the starter creep feed might contain 18–20% protein, but by weaning, the creep feed protein concentration may be reduced to 14–16%. Always remember to gradually change feed mixes by blending the rations together when making a diet transition. This transition should occur over 1 week or more to prevent digestive upsets.

Ram lambs and buck kids can develop urinary calculi issues whenever the diet’s calcium:phosphorus ratio drops below 2:1. This imbalance causes mineral crystals to form, which collect in the urethra and obstruct urine flow. In severe cases, the urethra can become blocked entirely. To prevent this disease, be sure to balance the diet with a 2:1 or higher calcium:phosphorus ratio. Also, ammonium chloride can be added at a rate of 0.5% of the total diet to acidify the urine and help prevent mineral crystals from forming. In addition, access to a fresh and clean water supply and exercise can help prevent urinary calculi.

Creep Feeder Design

Creep feeders should be placed in areas readily accessible to the lambs or kids. A light in the area may encourage lambs or kids to enter. The area should be free from cold drafts and provide a comfortable place for lambs or kids to escape the adults. Creep areas should be kept well bedded and dry. A sunny area can also encourage lambs or kids to enter the creep (Figure 3).

Creep feeders must be designed to allow access for lambs and kids while preventing access to ewes and does. The creep feeder gates must be substantial enough that the mothers cannot bend them or push them over and be tall enough so that mothers cannot jump over them. The creep feeder panel must also be sized to allow easy access for the lambs or kids and, again, prevent access to the mothers (Figure 4).

The creep feeder panel design is critical for preventing adults from gaining access to the creep area. The width between the creep panel bars should be 6–9 inches for lambs and 5–7 inches for kids. These widths can be adjusted as the lambs and kids grow. The height of the opening between the creep panel bars is also critical. For lambs, 36 inches is appropriate, but the height should be 12 inches for kids. The height of the creep feeder gates should be 40–45 inches (Figure 5).

Rolling creep panel bars are one method to make it easier for lambs or kids to enter a creep area. These bars roll as the lamb or kid enters the creep area and are ideal for larger lambs or kids. The rolling bars prevent wool or hair from rubbing off behind an animal’s shoulders when the panel bar width is barely wide enough for the lamb or kid to pass through (Figure 6).

Figure 6. This creep panel features rolling bars made from beveled wooden boards and bolts.

In addition to the gate and panel specifications for setting up a creep feeding area, producers should provide an adequately sized area and adequate feeder space. The creep feeding area should allow 1.5–2.0 square feet per lamb or kid, whereas the feeder length should allow 2 inches per head. For example, a herd that produces 30 kids will need a creep area of approximately 45–60 square feet in size. Therefore, the creep area should be approximately 5-by-9 feet to 6-by-10 feet. The feeder inside the area should be at least 60 inches long. However, if the feeder is accessible on two sides, then the feeder would need to be 30 inches long. Remember to place the feeder far enough inside the creep area that the mothers cannot reach the feeder through the creep panel.

Creep Feeder Examples

Creep feeders come in various styles. They are often made with wood or metal but may also be made of plastic. Figures 7–12 show photos of creep panels and feeders featuring different materials and designs.

Figure 7. This creep feeder panel uses a modified wooden pallet.

Figure 8. This homemade creep panel uses 2-by-4-inch and 2-by-6-inch boards.

Figure 9. This creep panel style can be adjusted for both the height and width of
the openings.

Figure 10. This creep feeder uses a 55-gallon barrel with holes cut in the bottom to facilitate feed flow
onto a platform. The lambs have access to the feeder from four sides.

Figure 11. This metal feeder allows a producer to adjust the opening for the feed to flow into the trough.
The trough has bars and a lip to prevent lambs or kids from wasting feed by pushing it out onto the ground.

Figure 12. This poly feeder hangs on a gate, and the feed flows into the trough at the bottom.

In addition to grain feeders, a creep area should include a hay feeder. As with the grain feeders, the hay feeders come in many different styles and sizes (Figure 13).

Figure 13. This small hay feeder hangs on a gate and can hold approximately one flake of hay.

Creep Grazing

Creep grazing is an option for producers who prefer to raise lambs or kids on pasture. Producers often incorporate creep panels in the opening where a gate leads into the next section of pasture. This allows lambs or kids to consume the highest quality forage in a field ahead of their mothers. This new pasture section typically has a reduced parasite load; thus, lambs or kids are less likely to become infected. In addition, the higher protein concentration in the forage they graze can also help suppress internal parasites.

Conclusion

Creep feeding can be cost-effective in improving lamb and kid quality and increasing weaning weights when producers sell their lambs or kids at weaning. Creep feeding is ideal for multiple births but can also benefit lambs and kids born as singles. In addition, creep feeding can reduce weaning stress, which can be important for lambs and kids fed to finish weight or kept as replacement females. This may be most important for producers wanting replacement ewes and does to reach a minimum weight for breeding to lamb or kid as yearlings. Producers should consider the sheep or goat market options available in their area and their operation goals when deciding whether to creep feed.

For more information on sheep or goat nutrition, consult "Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants" published by The National Academies Press. Prepared by Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension educator. Photo credits: Melanie Barkley.