Creep feeding means better lamb growth
From the August 2008 edition of Agriculture Today.
Lamb growth rates may be increased by using the simple management practice of creep gates that allow lambs unrestricted access to additional feed from cereal based pastures or grain and fibre supplement while still suckling.
In this way lambs can be provided with high quality feed, and ewe feed requirements will be reduced along with weaning stress.
It also prevents overgrazing of the cereal pastures and reduces the unit cost.
Creep gates can be easily constructed using solid or tubular pipe or steel posts.
A creep gate with vertical spacings of 225 to 250 millimetres with an adjustable horizontal bar set 450 to 600mm high will allow most lambs access to additional feed and prevent ewes from passing through the system.
Gates with adjustable spacings can be modified as lambs grow in size.
Creep gate systems may be used when creep feeding or creep grazing.
Creep feeding, where small fenced-off enclosures within the grazing paddock allow lambs access to supplemented, high quality feed, can be constructed cheaply and efficiently.
The creep feeding enclosure may contain a self feeder, open troughs or an area where hay or silage may be fed.
Creep feeding assists with training lambs to recognise, and consume, feed that may be used to supplement the lambs at a later date.
Creep grazing requires less labour and is generally more economical than creep feeding.
These systems will help acclimatise lambs to physical separation from their dams and will minimise stress associated with weaning.
It allows more efficient use of available pasture or cereal crop feed and can be an efficient way to utilise cereal crops with limited bulk while preventing overgrazing by the entire mob.
Creep grazing may help to fill the autumn-winter feed gap without additional supplementation of the entire lambing mob.
Pre-training lambs to recognise and accept feed types while on the ewe will improve their use of creep gates.
Trail feeding cereal grain, pulses, quality hay or silage and/or allowing ewes and lambs to graze cereal or high quality pasture for several days before introducing lambs to creep systems should help lambs adapt and to get additional feed offered within the creep area.
Ideally to further minimise stress, several creep access points should be available for lambs to enter and leave.
