Cow-Calf Certification Practice Exam

Creep feeding can indeed reduce the amount of forage consumed by calves, making the statement accurate. The primary goal of creep feeding is to provide young animals with supplemental feed that allows them to grow more efficiently. When calves have access to high-energy feeds provided through creep feeding, they may choose these concentrates over foraging, which can lead to a decrease in their forage intake.

This practice is beneficial as it helps to improve the growth rate of the calves, especially during periods when the quality of forage might be suboptimal or when competition for forage is high among the cow-calf pairs. As the calves consume more energy-dense creep feed, their reliance on the available forage decreases, thereby reducing the overall amount of forage they consume during grazing.

The notion that the quality of forage or the type of creep feed (grain-based versus other types) impacts the extent of reduced forage consumption is valid, but the fundamental principle remains that creep feeding, in general, tends to lower forage intake among calves.