Ridgetop
Herd Master
Why do you need a creep?
If you have abundant pasture in the spring and summer, you may not need a creep but if you lamb in the winter when your pasture is dormant, or you are in a dry lot situation, you will be feeding hay and supplement. Most of us have experienced drought or flooding periods when our pastures weren't at top production and we had to feed hay. The time of year you lamb also makes a difference. We like to lamb in the fall and winter which means dormant grass so hay must be fed. Hay and supplement (bag feed) costs $$$. Sometimes lots of $$$! Ewes are greedy and will shove their lambs out of the way to get to feed. A creep prevents the adults from eating feed that is needed for the lambs to grow fast. There is nothing that says you MUST have a creep for your young animals. Over the past 40 years we have raised different breeds of lambs with and without a creep. We have used different hay and different grain supplements depending on the breed of sheep we were raising. We use creeps and believe that even if you are only feeding hay a creep is a good idea for lambs. The goal of all shepherds is to get lambs off feed and into the sale barn as soon as possible. The profit margin is low. Plump, healthy lambs bring a better price than stunted, skinny ones. If your lambs are not growing as well as they should, you may need to consider a creep.
What IS a "creep"?
A creep is a designated area where extra feed is provided for young lambs or kids. The creep does not allow adult animals to enter. It can be built of stock panels, metal, wood, or wire. The main thing is that it must be sturdy enough to prevent the adult animals from getting into the creep since the ewes will want to come in and eat the lambs' food. On the other hand, it must allow the lambs to enter at any time. For the lambs to enter the creep while keeping the ewes out you will need a creep gate.
View attachment 124547 Fig. 1 This is a commercial Shaul's creep gate which is actually a walk through gate as well. The metal rods are bent over on top to fit down over the top bar. The white PVC covers on the metal rods rotate as the lambs go through the gate. The vertical bars feed through holes in the top bar, through the PVC rollers, then into holes in the bottom bar. They can be removed to be adjusted for various widths of lambs from tiny newborns to weaning age (60-80 lbs.). The horizontal bar prevents ewes from squeezing through as the vertical spacing is widened for the lambs. When raising lambs on good pasture during the summer flush of grass, you won't necessarily need a creep. BUT when feeding them during the winter, or when good pasture is not available, they will gain weight and grow better if they have one.
View attachment 124548 Fig. 2 This creep is in a barn. The ewes have access to the barn for shelter. To the right of the post is the hay feeder seen in Fig. 3 below. On the other side of this creep are lambing jugs where newborns and their mamas are confined for several days before being tagged and vaccinated.
A creep pen can be constructed in a barn or an open pasture. Your creep pen must be large enough to hold all the lambs comfortably without the ewes being able to reach the hay and grain from the sides. Pasture creeps should have a cover/roof and windbreak sides so the lambs will be able to shelter from rain, snow, and strong cold winds. The roof and sides can be a simple tarp. Heavy straw bedding in the shelter will provide the lambs with a warm dry area during freezing temperatures. Creep pens built in the barn only need to avoid drafts.
Creep Pen Feeding:
Fresh, tender hay should be provided at all times. Uneaten or picked over hay should be removed and replaced with new fresh hay every morning and evening. The uneaten hay can be fed to the ewes. A suitable grain ration can be offered to the lambs as well. This should not be fed free choice. Instead, measure out the amount per lamb per directions on the supplement bag, and only offer that amount once a day. The lambs will learn to come for the ration. The purpose of a creep pen is to allow the lambs to come in and eat hay or supplement without any competition from the ewes. If there is sufficient pasture grass, the lambs will consume less hay BUT it is essential to make sure they have plenty of hay in the creep. This will ensure a steady weight gain. If there is an available fresh water source outside the creep a water source in the creep will not be necessary. If your small lambs can’t reach into the tall water troughs a shorter water container should be supplied in the creep for them.
View attachment 124549 Fig. 3 Here is a picture of the creep from inside looking out through the creep gate to the main ewe pen. These are 3-4 week old lambs eating alfalfa from the feeder. Any hay can be fed in the creep feeder - the idea of a creep is to allow the youngsters access to food without their greedy mothers eating it all. You can see a ewe trying to squeeze through the creep gate behind them. The pen on the back of the hay feeder is one of the jugs.
Heat Lamps - IMPORTANT!
A heat lamp may be installed over the creep during freezing months to encourage the small lambs to use the creep. Use a heat lamp ONLY if the lamp can be protected from rain and snow. Inside a structure is best. Cold rain or snow hitting a heat lamp bulb that has been burning will explode the hot bulb and blow glass everywhere. They can be dangerous so only use if you have a secure electrical connection and no rain or snow can reach the heat lamp.
* You don't need to buy a commercial creep gate. You can easily make one in a couple hours with 2x4s, rebar and PVC piping. *
Here are the instructions for an easy, homemade, adjustable creep gate 48" wide x 42" tall with a horizontal ewe barrier. We have made several and they work just as well as the metal fabricated ones. Here are the directions with a list of tools and materials you will need. If you need a different width gate, just adjust the width of the top and bottom bars. Be aware that you may need fewer or more verticals depending on whether the gate has been adjusted narrower or wider.
Creep Panel Construction Instructions
Tools:
Drill/driver
½” or 5/8” drill bit & driver bit for screws
Wood saw to cut 2x4s
Metal blade to cut rods
PVC cutter to cut PVC
Materials:
Three 8’ 2”x4”s
Screws
32’ of 3/8” rebar or 3/8” steel rod (cut in 48” lengths*)
2 10’ pieces of ½” PVC piping (cut in 36” lengths*)
(*The diameter of the rods or PVC can be adjusted to what you have on hand as long as the PVC inside diameter is larger than the metal rod diameter. The PVC pipe must be able to spin on the metal rod.)
Optional:
4 L brackets to strengthen corners
6 large eye bolts or large screw-in eyes to attach creep panel to fence panels
Assembling the Creep Panel:
If the panel is for a permanent installation, ignore this and simply screw the panel into place. Otherwise, if the creep will be disassembled and stored, measure where you need the large metal eyes to attach to the creep pen sides. Install the eye bolts or screw-in eyes. The eyes should be large enough for either a clip, metal pin, wire or hay rope to fit through the eye in order to attach the creep panel to the creep fence in a sturdy manner. Remember as the lambs grow they will be subjecting the creep panel to a lot of force as they push through it.
If you have abundant pasture in the spring and summer, you may not need a creep but if you lamb in the winter when your pasture is dormant, or you are in a dry lot situation, you will be feeding hay and supplement. Most of us have experienced drought or flooding periods when our pastures weren't at top production and we had to feed hay. The time of year you lamb also makes a difference. We like to lamb in the fall and winter which means dormant grass so hay must be fed. Hay and supplement (bag feed) costs $$$. Sometimes lots of $$$! Ewes are greedy and will shove their lambs out of the way to get to feed. A creep prevents the adults from eating feed that is needed for the lambs to grow fast. There is nothing that says you MUST have a creep for your young animals. Over the past 40 years we have raised different breeds of lambs with and without a creep. We have used different hay and different grain supplements depending on the breed of sheep we were raising. We use creeps and believe that even if you are only feeding hay a creep is a good idea for lambs. The goal of all shepherds is to get lambs off feed and into the sale barn as soon as possible. The profit margin is low. Plump, healthy lambs bring a better price than stunted, skinny ones. If your lambs are not growing as well as they should, you may need to consider a creep.
What IS a "creep"?
A creep is a designated area where extra feed is provided for young lambs or kids. The creep does not allow adult animals to enter. It can be built of stock panels, metal, wood, or wire. The main thing is that it must be sturdy enough to prevent the adult animals from getting into the creep since the ewes will want to come in and eat the lambs' food. On the other hand, it must allow the lambs to enter at any time. For the lambs to enter the creep while keeping the ewes out you will need a creep gate.
View attachment 124547 Fig. 1 This is a commercial Shaul's creep gate which is actually a walk through gate as well. The metal rods are bent over on top to fit down over the top bar. The white PVC covers on the metal rods rotate as the lambs go through the gate. The vertical bars feed through holes in the top bar, through the PVC rollers, then into holes in the bottom bar. They can be removed to be adjusted for various widths of lambs from tiny newborns to weaning age (60-80 lbs.). The horizontal bar prevents ewes from squeezing through as the vertical spacing is widened for the lambs. When raising lambs on good pasture during the summer flush of grass, you won't necessarily need a creep. BUT when feeding them during the winter, or when good pasture is not available, they will gain weight and grow better if they have one.
View attachment 124548 Fig. 2 This creep is in a barn. The ewes have access to the barn for shelter. To the right of the post is the hay feeder seen in Fig. 3 below. On the other side of this creep are lambing jugs where newborns and their mamas are confined for several days before being tagged and vaccinated.
A creep pen can be constructed in a barn or an open pasture. Your creep pen must be large enough to hold all the lambs comfortably without the ewes being able to reach the hay and grain from the sides. Pasture creeps should have a cover/roof and windbreak sides so the lambs will be able to shelter from rain, snow, and strong cold winds. The roof and sides can be a simple tarp. Heavy straw bedding in the shelter will provide the lambs with a warm dry area during freezing temperatures. Creep pens built in the barn only need to avoid drafts.
Creep Pen Feeding:
Fresh, tender hay should be provided at all times. Uneaten or picked over hay should be removed and replaced with new fresh hay every morning and evening. The uneaten hay can be fed to the ewes. A suitable grain ration can be offered to the lambs as well. This should not be fed free choice. Instead, measure out the amount per lamb per directions on the supplement bag, and only offer that amount once a day. The lambs will learn to come for the ration. The purpose of a creep pen is to allow the lambs to come in and eat hay or supplement without any competition from the ewes. If there is sufficient pasture grass, the lambs will consume less hay BUT it is essential to make sure they have plenty of hay in the creep. This will ensure a steady weight gain. If there is an available fresh water source outside the creep a water source in the creep will not be necessary. If your small lambs can’t reach into the tall water troughs a shorter water container should be supplied in the creep for them.
View attachment 124549 Fig. 3 Here is a picture of the creep from inside looking out through the creep gate to the main ewe pen. These are 3-4 week old lambs eating alfalfa from the feeder. Any hay can be fed in the creep feeder - the idea of a creep is to allow the youngsters access to food without their greedy mothers eating it all. You can see a ewe trying to squeeze through the creep gate behind them. The pen on the back of the hay feeder is one of the jugs.
Heat Lamps - IMPORTANT!
A heat lamp may be installed over the creep during freezing months to encourage the small lambs to use the creep. Use a heat lamp ONLY if the lamp can be protected from rain and snow. Inside a structure is best. Cold rain or snow hitting a heat lamp bulb that has been burning will explode the hot bulb and blow glass everywhere. They can be dangerous so only use if you have a secure electrical connection and no rain or snow can reach the heat lamp.
* You don't need to buy a commercial creep gate. You can easily make one in a couple hours with 2x4s, rebar and PVC piping. *
Here are the instructions for an easy, homemade, adjustable creep gate 48" wide x 42" tall with a horizontal ewe barrier. We have made several and they work just as well as the metal fabricated ones. Here are the directions with a list of tools and materials you will need. If you need a different width gate, just adjust the width of the top and bottom bars. Be aware that you may need fewer or more verticals depending on whether the gate has been adjusted narrower or wider.
Creep Panel Construction Instructions
Tools:
Drill/driver
½” or 5/8” drill bit & driver bit for screws
Wood saw to cut 2x4s
Metal blade to cut rods
PVC cutter to cut PVC
Materials:
Three 8’ 2”x4”s
Screws
32’ of 3/8” rebar or 3/8” steel rod (cut in 48” lengths*)
2 10’ pieces of ½” PVC piping (cut in 36” lengths*)
(*The diameter of the rods or PVC can be adjusted to what you have on hand as long as the PVC inside diameter is larger than the metal rod diameter. The PVC pipe must be able to spin on the metal rod.)
Optional:
4 L brackets to strengthen corners
6 large eye bolts or large screw-in eyes to attach creep panel to fence panels
Assembling the Creep Panel:
- Cut the two of the 2x4s into three 48” pieces and one 42” piece. Cut a 42” piece off the remaining 8’ 2x4. Save remaining 54” piece of 2x4 for horizontal ewe bar.
- Clamp the 3 48” pieces together matching ends and sides. Drill all 3 pieces at once with ½” or 5/8” drill bit, placing holes 3-4” apart on center across the 48” length.
- Remove clamps and attach 2 of the 48” pieces together to form a 4x4 piece 48” long with holes drilled through both pieces. This will be the bottom bar of the creep panel. The remaining 48” piece of 2x4 (with the holes) will be the top bar.
- Lay out the creep pieces with the two 42” pieces of 2x4 forming the sides of the creep panel. Screw sides to top and bottom. Finished panel should be 42” tall.
- If desired for stability L braces or corner braces can be attached to the corners of the creep panel now.
- Cut metal rods into 48” lengths. There should be 6” of rod extending from the top of the panel when inserted into holes. Top of bars can be bent over to form small hook if there is enough rod.
- Cut the PVC pipes into 36” pieces. These will be the rollers on the creep bars.
- Stand the creep panel up and feed the pieces of rod through the top holes, through the PVC rollers, and into the bottom holes of the creep panel. The rods and rollers can be moved wider to accommodate growing lambs.
- Measure the final width of the creep panel. Cut the remaining piece of 2x4 to fit horizontally across the panel. Screw the horizontal ewe bar onto the creep panel. This horizontal bar will prevent the ewes from entering the creep as the vertical bars are moved to widen access for growing lambs. Optionally, you can drill holes in the vertical sides of the panel in different heights and use bolts, large washers, and wing nuts to attach the ewe bar. The bar can be removed and adjusted up and down for different heights of ewes.
If the panel is for a permanent installation, ignore this and simply screw the panel into place. Otherwise, if the creep will be disassembled and stored, measure where you need the large metal eyes to attach to the creep pen sides. Install the eye bolts or screw-in eyes. The eyes should be large enough for either a clip, metal pin, wire or hay rope to fit through the eye in order to attach the creep panel to the creep fence in a sturdy manner. Remember as the lambs grow they will be subjecting the creep panel to a lot of force as they push through it.
