With current lamb prices remaining strong and the Spring lamb trade looking optimistic, many sheep farmers are starting to introduce lamb creep to their newly born lambs.
Creep feeding is a management practice used to supplement the diet of young lambs, typically after they are a few weeks old, to promote faster growth and better health. It should especially be considered where there is low-quality forage availability or limited grazing on farm.
Why Creep Feed Lambs?
- Accelerated Growth: Lambs are naturally weaned by the ewe from 8 weeks old. Before that however, they can begin supplementing their mother’s milk with solid feeds of forage and concentrates. Creep feeding takes advantage of this by providing lambs with necessary nutrients for growth alongside their mother’s milk. This allows accelerated growth of lambs to reach market weight in a shorter period of time, and more efficiently. Lambs on creep feed typically gain 250-300 grams of live weight per day.
- Reduced Weaning Stress: Gradual introduction of concentrates through creep feeding can ease the transition from milk to solid feed. As lambs are accustomed to eating concentrates before they are weaned, they experience less stress and disruption to their digestive system. This results in a smoother weaning process.
- Improved Health for Ewe and lamb: Creep feed provides lambs with additional energy, protein, and minerals, helping to support the development of stronger immune defences. Lambs are less susceptible to diseases and infections and are more resilient to stressors. Ewes can maintain their body condition better with higher availability of energy as the demand for milk production drops. Recent research has shown that ewes with a higher plane of nutrition post lambing, have demonstrated better reproductive performance the subsequent year.
- Enhanced Feed Efficiency and Carcass Quality: By providing additional nutrients early on, lambs develop faster, improving feed efficiency and improved overall productivity through fewer days on farm. Lambs that receive creep feed also will have improved carcass quality and kill out performance generating a better income.
Fane Valley Feeds’ Pedigree Lamb Creep can be offered to ewe and ram lambs from 1 week of age through to sale, helping to achieve top performance. The Fane Valley Feeds’ Lamb Creep range has been specifically formulated to exploit the high genetic merit of today’s’ Pedigree lambs as well as achieving the desired growth rates for lambs from commercial flocks.
Pedigree Lamb Creep contains a high level of Actisaf live yeast to help condition the rumen of the young lamb – a key factor in achieving high feed conversion efficiency and maximising growth rates both now and in the future. Featuring a high level of quality protein, Pedigree Lamb Creep drives the fast production of lean muscle growth. The inclusion of Ammonium Chloride helps to lower the risk of urinary calculi during periods of more intense feeding. Fane Valley Feeds’ Protected Lamb Mineral Package meets all the required vitamin and mineral levels, including chelated minerals to improve availability and absorption by the lamb.
To maximise your lambs’ growth and profitability this Spring, contact your Fane Valley Feeds Representative or call 028 8224 3221 to explore Fane Valley Feed’s Creep Feeding options today.
