Central Plains Milling Creep Feeds

Looking to increase weaning weight on your calves? Searching for ways to improve your bottom line? Creep feeding calves is a great solution and one that is almost always a return on investment. Let’s take a look at why you should utilize creep feeds, its benefits, and what creep feed options Central Plains Milling has for your calves.

Maximizing the Calves’ Growth Potential

In a cow/calf operation, gross income is partially going to depend on the weaning weight of calves. Typically, a lactating cow can supply about 50% of the nutrients that a calf needs to maximize its growth potential. Grass and creep feed are able to supply that other 50% that the calf is needing. Calves that are supplemented properly can convert on average 4 pounds of feed to 1 pound of gain. Creep feeding for approximately 100 days should add around 60 plus pounds of weaning weight. More pounds on a calf to sell equals an increase in revenue.

Relieve Pressure on the Cow’s Milk Production

In addition to increased weaning weights, creep feed has many other benefits. Supplementing creep feed to calves can help relieve pressure on the cow’s milk production. Relieving some pressure off the cow can also make an impact on their overall body condition. When it comes time to wean, your calves will be used to coming to feed and typically transition to a feed bunk easier. This in turn will make the weaning process less stressful on your calves.

Central Plains Milling Creep Feeds

Central Plains Milling provides quality creep feeds that are superior to most on the market. We have two different forms of creep available: pelleted or meal. Our pelleted creep is called “CPM Calf Creep” and our meal creep is called “CPM 4000 Creep”. CPM Calf Creep (pelleted) is 14% protein and is formulated with Bovatec with the option of adding CTC if needed. CPM 4000 Creep (meal) is a 16% protein that utilizes the power of dried distillers grains and has options to have Rumensin, Bovatec or CTC added. Both creep feeds have Availa-4 and Diamond V XPC in them. We utilize Availa-4 in our creep to help decrease the effects of stress, strengthen immune systems, and increase average daily gain in your calves. Diamond V helps support digestive tissue and promotes a healthy microbial balance for calf immunity and overall health. If you are interested in maximizing your calves potential on creep, contact one of our Livestock Feed Advisors!

Carly Steffensmeier, Livestock Feed Advisor

A Message from Travis Walters

Hello my name is Travis Walters, I’m the Livestock Advisor for Southeast Nebraska at Frontier Cooperative. With cattle show season gearing up in our area I would like to talk to you about our CPM Show Calf Creep w/ Precon. Not only my kids have had great success with it but a handful of other people as well. 

CPM Show Calf Creep w/ Precon is designed to be moderate energy level with a high fiber content to promote steady growth, rib development and soundness. Giving your animals that full look and dropped flank that every judge is looking for. This product can be limit feed or used in a complete ration. With the amount of protein and fiber in this feed your animals need very little other supplements to help them stay looking full. CPM Show Calf Creep w/ Precon also comes with Rumensin as a part of the feed. Rumensin improves feed efficiency by 4 percent by providing more energy from the ration through increased glucose supply. 

It’s not a surprise when bringing home new show calves to have issues with intake while transitioning them to your feed. However, the reviews of the CPM Show Calf Creep with Precon during the transition period has been said to be an easy transition for the calves, and they don’t miss a beat. By making the transition smoother it decreases the amount of stress on the calf and keeps them in a forward motion on their intake towards the end goal, that purple banner at the end of the show.  

As a livestock consultant, It’s a feel- good moment going to shows and seeing families using the products that you’ve supplied them. And it makes it that much better yet when those families win. 

Sincerely,

Travis Walters

CPM Momentum Line of Feed: An Introduction

CPM Momentum Line of Feed

Are you looking for an option to wean/start, grow or finish a set of calves but don’t want to have to start up the tractor and feedwagon and the tractor or skid loader to load the feed? You also would like to save on some hay and not have to feed as much or any while starting or feeding out a set of cattle?? We have a couple self fed options available that are fed through a self feeder, to you as a producer and cattle feeder, but we want to bring to light and inform you here of a product that we have, called CPM Momentum. The CPM Momentum line of feeds is formulated to be fed through a self feeder in a pasture or pen setting.

The CPM Momentum line of feeds is very unique to the industry in that the ingredients, which include rolled corn, DDG’s, a vitamin and trace mineral pack, and a one of a kind forage pellet as well allow for a unique and game changing option for self feeding. Each step in the CPM Momentum step up program also has the option of Bovatec to be added to the formula, which is an ionophore that helps the cattle consuming this feed be more efficient in converting feed to red meat and muscle.

CPM Momentum Starter 

The CPM Momentum line consists of a step up program consisting of the CPM Momentum Starter, CPM Momentum Grower, and CPM Momentum Finisher as well as the transition steps in between each if the producer and our nutrition advisor so decides that they would be a good fit. Whether you are wanting to feed out a set of calves, put some weight on some bred heifers or feed out some cull cows this program will work for you. Did we mention that throughout each stage of the CPM Momentum feeding program you will be able to save on hay as you do NOT need to feed hay along with the Momentum? You ask how this can be safe to be fed in a self fed situation with both rolled corn and DDG’s in the formula? The unique forage pellet that is included in each step provides enough scratch to the rumen as well as enough fiber to keep the gut working and also keeps the manure consistent. The amount of the forage pellet is decreased as we move past the starter to the grower and finisher phases allowing for a higher fat, lower protein and lower fiber formula to more efficiently grow and finish cattle.

The CPM Momentum line of feeds:

CPM Momentum Starter 13% Protein 4% Fat 16% Fiber

CPM Momentum Grower 13% Protein 5.5% Fat 16% Fiber

CPM Momentum Finisher 12% Protein 5.5% Fat 9% Fiber

The CPM Momentum line has been successfully fed in numerous situations over the years. Depending on your goals and your needs, our highly trained nutrition advisors will help recommend the best step for you and your cattle to start with as well as partnering with you as a producer to successfully and efficiently grow and finish cattle. Contact any of our nutrition team members or the Columbus or Howells feed mills for more info.

Goat 365: Product Spotlight

Once the US boarders were closed because of Covid, the US noticed the need to increase the goat industry to reduce the amount of imported goat products. CPM noticed this increase and the need for high quality, affordable feed for goat producers. From show feeds to commercial meat production, CPM has plenty of options for producers. Let’s take a look into our CPM Goat 365!

The CPM Goat 365 was originally designed to be high quality and affordable for breeding does. Once it was being fed, we found it to be an extremely versatile feed. It may only have a 2 pound feed rate but it packs a punch with the nutrients it delivers.

CPM Goat 365 provides Zinpro’s Availa 4, a chelated trace mineral pack, which is used to promote multiple aspects. The main areas in does that are most impactful for production are their reproduction system, skin and hoof health, and milk production. Availa 4 improves those aspects! It also promotes growth and muscle development, fiber digestion, and energy metabolism; which are all important in any stage of production! When the diet is balanced with trace minerals, animals are able to cope with stress with more ease.

Not only does CPM Goat 365 provide Availa 4 but it also provides Diamond V XPC! Diamond V XPC is a yeast culture that promotes gut health. With a healthier gut, the body becomes more efficient which leads to higher milking yields, heavier weaning weights, and increased feed conversion; which leads to improved weight gains in the end. With a healthier gut the immune system is stronger making it easier to cope with stress. 

CPM Goat 365 is available with or without Rumensin® depending on your operation. Rumensin® is a great additive and is highly recommended to aid in the prevention of Coccidiosis. It will not prevent it but it will help decrease the amount of shedding that occurs. By decreasing the amount of shedding, you reduce the amount of bacteria the animals are exposed to which reduces their risk. 

The CPM Goat 365 fits into many situations. No matter what your operation entails CPM can help you find the feed for the job! If you are looking for more information on goat feed, reach out to CPM today!

Janessa Smola

Nutritionist/ Livestock Advisor

Fears of Uncertainty Not Reality with VFD Rules

The new Veterinary Feed Directive requirement has been in effect for livestock producers since Jan. 1. Producers across the country need a written VFD in place to get certain medications for their animals. So far, things seem to be going reasonably well despite the uncertainty that typically surrounds new requirements.

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Corn Silage Tips and SAFETY

Did you know an estimation of 16-18 percent of corn silage put up in 2016 will be lost, equaling about $1.1 – 1.3 billion in feed inventory? The recommended minimum silage density is 15-16 lbs. per ft3 (44 to 48 lbs. fresh weight bulk density per cubic foot). This density helps with compaction and deprivation of oxygen for spoilage within the silage. Achieving a higher silage density and measuring DM recovery at the end of a feeding period are positively related when put up correctly because you are now minimizing spoilage by blocking out oxygen throughout the silage . This also increases storage capacity of existing bunkers while decreasing the height of drive-over piles (without reducing storage capacity).

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Cow-Calf Confinement Option

With the current price of land and the decreasing availability of pastures, cow-calf producers are starting to look for other options. The traditional rotational grazing of stocks and pastures isn’t as profitable as it once was; since it requires a high capital in order to make it work. Not only is there a 6.3% decrease in grazable acres, but the prices of land and the market risk make it unsuitable for some producers today. The U.S. cow herds must continue to grow in the industry if it is going to preserve and regain lost market share. One way producers can do this is through a confined or semi-confined system.

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Heat Stress

With summer approaching, so is the heat. Higher temperatures and humidity with lower wind speeds increase the risk of heat stress. When cattle are heat stressed, performance can be decreased. If you notice the cattle panting or hanging their mouth open, that is a great indication that your cattle are heat stressed.

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