Food Plots for Beef Calves: Effectively Using Creep Grazing

Small food plots are commonly used for managing wildlife and are often planted with high quality forages like ryegrass, clovers, chicory, or even alfalfa. These plots supplement wildlife nutritional needs during times when forage and browse is short or has poor quality. For example, alfalfa, lab lab, or millet food plots can provide high quality forage during summer months when whitetail does are lactating and bucks are developing antlers. This food plot concept can be easily applied to beef cattle operations in the form of creep grazing. This article will discuss which animals can benefit, which forages are suitable, and how creep pastures should be grazed.