# Creep feeds



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

What is the feed you use to creep feed? How often do you go through feed and what's the amount of kids you creep feed? Is the cost worth it?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

We use Boer Goat Developer R20. Right now there are 9 kids ranging from Jan-March.
They go through almost 7# per day. This is 3 feedings. 
Is it worth it? They look pretty good IMO.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I use a mix of sweet feed, this goat pellet feed from a mill here in california that I get at the feed store, its 16% protine, and....ohh crap I for got the name, it comes from tractor supply its a grain that has med. in it for cocci. I have 58 kids, go threw about 50lbs a day (guessing here) and up till this year it has been worth it, my kids got cocci bad and couldnt figure out what was going on, so I have some 'nasty' kids. To be honest even if it wasnt 100% worth it I would still do it since I always save some doelings and with my back would rather pay extra money then chase the ones I want around every night. Also up till this year my creep would only be filled with the sweet feed and they still did good. Probably better for the price I was paying to what they ended up being. I only changed this year since I have a good amount of reg. bucks and for once have buyers for them so I want the buyers to be happy with them......and thats my book lol


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

We provide full creepfeed from as young as they will eat it(normally about 3 weeks of age) until about 4 months of age and then we cut back to about 2 lbs a day. We put the creepfeed out fresh twice a day. 
Our feed costs 21 cents a lb. They normally eat around 3% of their body weight a day in creepfeed, so a 50 lb kid will eat right at 1 1/2 lbs of creep feed a day. 
We have .5 to .7 daily gains for the most part, and the feed is medicated to slow down coccidiosis. 
If they eat on average 2 lbs a day for 2 months and I sell them at the age of 4 months, I have 41 cents x 60 = $24.00 of creep feed into them. That number is probably high, since they probably aren't quite eating 2 lbs a day average. Our kids are looking really good and sell really well. 
We like to get them sold as soon as possible, since we are running fairly high numbers on our property. Creep feeding allows us to get good size on the kids and there for they sell faster. I would say they make market weight sooner, which is true. But the majority of our kids do not go directly to market off our farm they go to 4H projects and breeding stock. out of around 35 to 45 kids a year we maybe have 2 or 3 that will end up going right to market. 
so that answers another one of your questions, how many? We kid out on average 18 to 23 does a year, we kid one time a year. Most of htem kid in winter when we have no pasture and are on all hay, 4 or 5 of them will kid a little later in the spring. We wean the kids at 9 week or so and send them to their new homes 10 to 12 weeks of age for the most part. although we do occasionally have them closer to 4 months of age. We have a couple that are sold right now that we are still feeding and they are a full 4 months old and waiting for the new owners to come and get them. 
they are on grass, and a little hay and 1 1/2 lbs of feed a day divided into 2 feedings. i took them off of full creepfeed, since they were getting plenty big. 
Our creepfeed is a 16% protein, 4% fat, 12% fiber pelleted feed for goats. Their is ammonia chloride and rumensin in the feed. Because of the high level of fat and low fiber it will bloat them if I am not careful with how much hay/pasture they are consuming. It is not designed to be the only feed. Some creepfeed and goat pellets for growing out kids have closer to 16% fiber and those are better if you are feeding out a show wether and limiting hay,ect. Or if for some reason you are in the situation that you don't have enough hay/pasture.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Wow 20kids, that was very informative! Thank you!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

It sounds like the feed your feeding is about the same as that 16% I said I was getting. I just keep filling my creep feeder up when ever it gets low then is gone in the morning, your right, you dont want it to just sit there. Another thing I like about the creep feeder is it makes it a little more easy on moms bags, by the time I sell my kids at 3 months old they are only nursing more for comfort then anything else.


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