# Creep feeding



## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I had a lady out today to look at some does for sale, well to get to their paddock we had to walk through a smaller paddock which has an automatic grain and hay feeder in it, plus a growing oat crop. Between the two paddocks I have a creep gate, I have three baby angoras plus a young boer who are free to come and go between the two. They get the extra green pick and also as much hay and grain as they want. I need them to grow out for a show at the end of the year. 

Well, when this lady saw the creep gate, she basically attacked me. She said that all I was doing was teaching the goats to squeeze through the fence, and they will always be difficult to contain and wont respect fences and that she would never want to buy any animals off me. 

:shocked: 

I was completely shocked by all of this, and not expecting it at all, and so I didnt even manage to defend myself  I have some adults that were creep fed as kids, and others that werent, and the creep fed ones are no worse on the fences than those that werent creep fed. In fact, the worst two I had on fences (would just beat at the fence till they broke it, and squeeze through any gap) were NOT creep fed as youngsters. 

What are your opinions on creep feeding?


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I have never done it. . . was going to try it and leave grain and hay out free-choice to the babies but got too scared of enterotoxemia (there are cases of even vaccinated goats getting it). So, haven't done that. I probably will make a creep feeder just for hay though. 

But what that lady said has never come into my mind regarding creep feeding. :shrug: Goats will always be hard on fences. That's why goat owners/breeders always need secure fencing. . . We have super strong chain link fencing in some parts and the goats are really rough on it.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

i started creep feeding this year....seems rational that kids get their own feed instead of fighting the bigger does off.

and i've seen better growth feeding a show mix, i've started feeding everyone (except poor cashmere wethers, cuz they tip it over :doh: ) grain, and i'm seeing better muscling...even on thor. :wink:


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

She may have overreacted a bit. Though I have never done it, I know of quite a few breeders that creep feed kids...From what I can see their goats are no worse on fences than any of the others. 

The bottom line is what everyone else said--goats are hard on things no matter how they were raised...especially if they get bored.


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

Why do people feel the need to overreact to things like that :shrug: . What diff does it make if you would or would not do a thing. You will never find a breeder that does things EXACTALLY like you would, so it makes no sense to fly off like that and then say that you will "never" do buisness there. To me those people are better off not owning animals in the first place. You don't make a goat hard on fences they come that way, just make a better fence as they teach you where your fence was deficiant.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Keren ......I creep feed....it gives the kids a better start and as Katrina stated ...they don't get slammed by the adults.. and are able to eat ..instead of maybe not at all.....A creep feeder is made to only allow kids to go through....and not the adults.....but I never... ever from all the years doing it..........have I ever had goats... try to squeeze through a fence .....or try to escape.....That person is irrational... and doesn't know ...what the heck ...she is talking about...... :shrug: Don't let her get to you keren...you are doing it the proper way.... :hug: :wink:  and there will be no problems later ....because of it...... :wink:


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

People get strange ideas. I am sorry she did not handle the situation better but as others have stated, there is nothing wrong with creep feeding. :hug: Try not to take it to heart.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

well I think that Keren understands that the lady overreacted. I think the question is on creep feeding or not and the experiences with goats being extra agressive on trying to get through the fence or not.


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

I personally prefer to creep feed because our girl's love their grain and would take ANY they could get.
I honestly believe that the lady was over re-acting. :grouphug:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I've always creep fed - in a few different ways, sometimes I have free choice grain and hay set up in a creep feeder for the kiddos, sometimes they are limit fed but a little more than the mums get, sometimes I just put the gate up so they can get to a paddock with a better pasture/crop in it. I've never had a problem before and I definitely see a difference in the growth of the kids. But this lady had me starting to doubt myself. 

Capriola ... I've had adults get into the creep feeder twice. One was vanity and I was using a wooden creep gate - great for the angoras who are not rough on things, didnt quite work for the big old boer. Now I use a metal creep gate lol She broke one of the bars out of it. Got into a nice crop paddock and free choice grain and hay, was there for a few hours but I didnt have any entero problems. Its been my experience that goats limit themselves quite well when exposed to more grain than they are used to, unless they were getting none at all in which case they get a bit nutty and over excited. 

The second one that tried to get through got stuck at the hips, it was quite funny because she could almost reach the grain pans, and she was sticking her tongue out and managing to lick out a couple pellets at a time. All with her back end stuck out the back lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> The second one that tried to get through got stuck at the hips, it was quite funny because she could almost reach the grain pans, and she was sticking her tongue out and managing to lick out a couple pellets at a time. All with her back end stuck out the back lol


 :ROFL: To funny keren.... :ROFL: sometimes yes... the older goats get into the creep feeder.....how.. :scratch: ... I really don't know ...but they sure have to do alot of squeezing and twisting....LOL


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Oh, I am not so worried about the adults getting into it (although that is a concern) I am worried about little babies getting entero. . . We've never had a case but I still get nervous.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

capriola-nd said:


> Oh, I am not so worried about the adults getting into it (although that is a concern) I am worried about little babies getting entero. . . We've never had a case but I still get nervous.


Start them off on smaller rations, slowly uncrease till they are getting the amount where they eat what they want and then walk away. After that you are pretty safe to leave it free choice.

Also, feeds that contain a rumen buffer are handy.

I've had two cases of entero, both were fatal. Both were vaccinated, both animals werent on a scrap of grain and hadnt got into any. I havent had a problem in my goats on full feed.


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