# Calf manna, creep feed, and calf starter. What is the difference



## Boscanat (Feb 24, 2015)

Anyone know? I've been told creep feed by breeder, calf manna by the store and calf starter from the vet I spoke with. 

This is for a one month old jersey heifer calf to offer free choice.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

calf manna is a name brand or rather a variety made by the Manna Pro company
creep feed is stuff you put out in the pasture in a creep feeder to supplement the cows milk as the calf grows, it can be a lot of different things, plain oats can be used
calf starter is grain you feed a bottle calf 
If your jersey is a bottle calf you should be feeding it a calf starter with at least 18% protein, calf manna is considered a very good starter grain but it's usually way too expensive when compared to the stuff we can buy in 80 lb sacks premixed at the feed mill.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Calf manna is a supplement designed to have grain added once they start eating 1lb of calf manna a day. Calf starter will be a higher protein feed, 18 to 22% protein, made for calves your age often designed to be the sole feed source besides milk. Creep feed will be 16% protein + or - and more appropriate for your calf when it is older, usually used to increase weaning weight in calves closer to weaning of the cow.

Calf manna is a good feed but if adding grain to it will be a problem I would go with a calf starter for simplicity, a flaked starter might be more acceptable to the calf then a pelleted starter.


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