Management
Table 1. Economic Summary.
Economic Summary
2014
2015
2016
Average
Feed Intake Summary
Per Head Per Head Per Head Per Head
Avg. pounds of daily feed intake 2.72 3.33 5.50 3.85
Total pounds of creep feed consumed 272 333 550 385
Avg. daily weight gain due to feed 0.34 0.65 0.45 0.48
Per Lb of
Gain Per Lb of
Gain Per Lb of
Gain Per Lb of
Gain
Pounds of creep feed needed 8.07 5.11 12.14 8.44
Costs of creed feed $1.34 $1.06 $1.69 $1.36
Revenue Summary
Per Head
Per Head
Per Head
Per Head
No Creep Feed Total Revenue
Calf weight in pounds at weaning
489 501 526 505
$3.06 $2.12 $1.56 $2.25
$1,496.65 $1,061.48 $821.03 $1,111.88
Market value per pound
Total Revenue
Creed Feed Total Revenue
Calf weight in pounds at weaning
523 566 572 553
$2.80 $2.02 $1.46 $2,09
$1,463.84 $1,143.32 $834.54 $1,162.14
Market value per pound
Total Revenue
Return Summary
Per Head Per Head Per Head Per Head
Total Revenue, calves not fed creep $1,496.65 $1,061.48 $821.03 $1,111.88
Total Revenue, calves fed creep $1,463.84 $1,143.32 $834.54 $1,162.14
Difference in return due to creep feed ($32.81)** $81.84 $13.51 $50.26
Feed cost ($45.13) ($68.87) ($76.47) ($63.49)
Equipment Cost ($8.77) ($10.42) ($12.20) ($10.46)
Labor Cost ($13.82) ($16.41) ($19.21) ($16.48)
Transportation Cost ($1.57) ($1.35) ($1.39) ($1.44)
Average Total Costs ($69.29) ($97.05) ($109.27) ($91.87)
Creep Feeding Costs
*Net Return to Creep Fed Calves
($102.10)
($15.21)
($95.76)
($41.61)
* Net return on creep feed was calculated by subtracting the per calf costs of creed feed, depreciation cost of creed
feeder, labor cost and transportation cost from the Difference in return due to creep feed (the expected added value of
creep feeding).
** This value is negative due to price slide. Creep fed calves weighed more but prices were significantly higher for lighter
calves.
A second factor to consider
is related to the cost of creep
feeding. Using the per pound
costs of feed instead of the actual
total costs does not account
for the other factors related to
it. Our example indicates that
feed purchase costs account for
about 65% to 70% of the actual
total costs. Using only feed costs
and average calf price for calves
fed creep, our results found
erroneously that creep feeding
would have been profitable two
of the three years. Furthermore, if
the price slide were used without
considering cost, the 2015 year
would falsely be considered
a profitable year for creep
feeding, since the added value
of feeding amounted to $81.84
and cost of feed was $68.87,
indicating a positive difference
of $12.97. However, once all the
other factors are included in the
analysis, in no year is there any
positive return to feeding creep
feed to nursing calves. In the
last line of Table 1, the final net
returns to creep fed calves at GSL
were -$102.10, -$15.21, - $95.76
and -$41.61 for the periods of
2014, 2015, 2016 and the three-
year average, respectively.
Creep Feeding “Cow-Q-Lator”
(CFC)
Making the choice to creep
feed seems like a pretty simple
and straight forward decision.
Conceptually, it is simple. But
since the markets recognize
value based on the weight of
the calf and costs other than
feed are involved, using a rule of
thumb such as the costs of feed
needed to create an additional
pound of calf may result in an
improper decision. Recognizing
that this choice requires some
additional work and thought, the
economics team at UNL’s West
Central Research and Extension
Center created an easy to use
excel tool known as the “Creep
Feeding cow-q-lator” or CFC. The
CFC is based on the inputs found
in Table 1 of this article. This tool
is easily accessed at the University
of Nebraska webpage: https://
farmcents.unl.edu and then
clicking on the tab “Ag Manager
Tools” where it is listed among
other useful decision aids. I
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