UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA CIRCULAR 348 November, 1939 CREEP-FEEDING OF SPRING LAMBS ROBERT F. MILLER 1 In this state, during the past year, there has been considerable interest in creep-feeding of spring lambs. Many requests have been received for the details of this somewhat new practice. This circular is intended to acquaint those interested with the essentials of creep-feeding, its advan- tages, its limitations, and the plans for necessary equipment. A lamb corral for creep-feeding. At the outset the writer wishes to emphasize that creep-feeding, though highly profitable in some sections under certain feed conditions, may not be necessary or even practical under other conditions. Every grower should carefully study his own feed limitations, become familiar with creep-feeding, recognize the cost of necessary equipment, and decide for himself the desirability of this practice. Because of the many considerations involved in the feeding of young lambs, it is somewhat difficult to explain why some men fail and others meet with striking success. One must plan the work well in advance — such details as building panels and troughs, providing a tent for grain 1 Professor of Animal Husbandry and Animal Husbandman in the Experiment Station. 2 University of California — Experiment Station storage, setting up the equipment at the proper time, and purchasing the grain supply. Also important is the personal element — that is, close supervision by the owner and whole-hearted cooperation of the foreman and the herder in performing the daily routine. SPRING-LAMB PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA California produces about 1,250,000 spring lambs annually. About one half of these are shipped to eastern markets, while the remainder are sold on the Pacific Coast. Because these lambs are dropped in November, December, and January, at the time when natural feed is short, the grow- ers must usually supply supplemental feeds for the ewes. The principal feeds used are alfalfa hay, volunteer grain hay, cottonseed cake, yellow corn, barley, oats, milo, split beans, and dried beet pulp. To produce choice lambs of good weight, some have found it desirable to supplement the feed of the lambs also. This practice is herein discussed. NATURE OF CREEP-FEEDING Definition. — Creep-feeding consists in providing supplemental feed for the young lambs apart from their mothers. This is done by means of lamb corrals consisting of specially constructed panels with upright slats 8*4 to 10 inches apart (frontispiece and fig. 1), which will admit the lambs but withhold the ewes. This lamb corral is usually set up at the bedground or perhaps where the ewes are given supplemental feed. Object. — The object of creep-feeding is to prevent a possible setback in the lambs because of scarcity of feed ; to force the lambs to an early finish; to produce a high percentage of fat marketable lambs ; to produce lambs of heavy weight ; and to finish the lambs before the feed dries up. When the feed dries, the ewes cease milking freely ; and the grass seeds adhere to the wool of the lambs, irritating the skin around the mouth, brisket, belly, and legs. Where lambs are creep-fed, furthermore, the ewes remain in better condition and produce a heavier wool clip because the lambs are more satisfied. Grain-fed lambs shrink less in shipping to eastern markets, produce a firmer carcass, and in general compare favorably with the native mid- western lambs, which are also usually fed grain by means of a creep. Adaptability. — On the better class of ranges, where bur clover pre- vails, creep-feeding may not be justified. It is, however, particularly adapted to the second-rate ranges where the vegetation consists mainly of filaree, foxtail or wild barley grass, wild oats, brome grass, and other coarse vegetation. It is also advantageous on ranges that have been over- stocked and on which the native vegetation is limited. According to one grower, 65 per cent of the ranges in California are of these two types. Cir. 348] Creep-Feeding of Spring Lambs 3 Creep-feeding is particularly desirable in seasons of low rainfall when feed is normally short. Fortunately, it works best during dry years ; a heavy rain may cause the corrals to become so muddy that straw bed- ding must be provided. In addition, during heavy rains it is hard to keep the troughs clean and dry or to haul feed out on the range. Fig. 1. — A lamb corral showing panel construction of creeps with 10-inch openings (for large lambs) and demountable troughs containing grain put out ready for the lambs. A canvas tent, 8 x 10 feet, is set up adjacent to the corral for grain storage. The question is often raised whether it pays to creep-feed lambs when natural feed is plentiful. Although they may not need supplemental feed during wet years, no one can predict what the rainfall will be. For that reason it is recommended to begin creep-feeding when the lambs are 2 weeks old, regardless of the weather prospects; for good results, one must teach the lambs to eat while young. Regardless of rain, furthermore, native feed is nearly always short during December and January because of cold weather ; it is helpful to feed the lambs during this period. One can easily discontinue the practice should the season prove so favorable that the supplement is deemed unnecessary. Experienced growers regard creep-feeding as an insurance policy; it eliminates the gamble on the weather and the resultant worry. Again, fed lambs finish at an early age, attain heavy weight, and when shipped east shrink considerably less than lambs not creep-fed. They are acquainted with troughs and feed and will begin eating even at the first unloading station, whereas other 4 University of California — Experiment Station lambs not accustomed to supplemental feeds will not eat well until the second or third feeding station en route east. Creep-feeding also makes it possible to stock a range to full grazing capacity because it provides supplemental grain. "With the prevailingly high rate of lease in California, one must carry the optimum number of sheep per acre in order to realize a profit. MANAGEMENT DETAILS Successful creep-feeding of lambs depends upon many simple details in management. Growers who have observed these details have had excel- lent results, whereas others less careful have failed. For this reason sheepmen disagree as to the practicability of this somewhat new practice. Freedom of Grazing. — Creep-feeding must fit into the method of graz- ing ; it works best where the sheep are in the charge of a herder and where the ewes and lambs graze leisurely up to a well-arranged creep late in the evening. They should be held there for about an hour or long enough for the lambs to consume the grain in the troughs. In some cases the ewes are made to bed down near the creep, although the more experienced growers prefer to bed them somewhere else on the range in order to keep the area around the creep clean and sanitary. The lamb corral should be movable and should be changed from one range to another as required. To graze range areas in rotation is a desirable practice. Creep-feeding does not work well where the ewes and lambs are graz- ing at will under fence, unless the ewes are fed supplemental feeds and the band comes regularly up to a central place. In this case a lamb creep may, with good results, be set up adjacent to this central feeding ground. It would be a mistake, however, to round up the ewes and lambs daily, perhaps with the aid of a dog, in order to feed the lambs. "Freedom of grazing is the essence of successful sheep husbandry." Sufficient Panel and Trough Boom,. — To accommodate a band of 700 lambs a panel corral 60 feet wide and 120 feet long is required. The creep corral should have slatted panels on all four sides, as is shown in figure 1. The arrangement makes it easy for the lambs to dodge in and out at will ; and should they become frightened for some reason, they can readily find an exit and avoid possible injury through jamming or running into a fence. The writer has observed creeps with only one 12-foot slatted panel on each side and with the rest of the corral constructed of ordinary panels that do not allow either the ewe or the lamb to enter. This is not an ideal arrangement. The slatted panels are usually 12 feet long and constructed of light 1x4 inch lumber surfaced on four sides. They are held in place by movable 5-foot steel posts. To determine the best width between the slats Cm. 348] Creep-Feeding of Spring Lambs is a problem : the space should be sufficient to keep the smaller ewes out and yet large enough to admit the lambs. When lambs are small an 8^4-inch opening (fig. 2) 2 is sufficient, but later the opening should be increased to 10 inches. The most practical arrangement is to construct panels with permanent 10-inch openings (fig. 3) and to nail a 1 x 4 inch board across the panel about 18 inches from the bottom ; this prevents Nail Openings appro*. 8kwi doable. Fig. 2. — Creep panel (Brownell type) with approximately S^-inch openings, nonadjustable. The lumber is surfaced on four sides. This panel is adapted primarily to small-type lambs. /Jail ^xZ" Mack bolts NaiU This I Varicii < 4- movable bJe hej