than 3 weeks old and below 5 °C for older calves to maintain growth rates. Changes may not be necessary where calf jackets are used to help keep calves warm, dry and healthy as temperatures fall. We advise that any variations to the recommended volume and concentration of milk replacer due to external temperatures are written into calf rearing protocols so all staff are aware. This winter with forage stocks under pressure on many dairy
units, forage is being eked out by feeding heifers lower quality forage and/or straw diets. As ever, it is important to review heifer diets based on current forage analysis to check that supplementation is sufficient to achieve target growth rates and optimal fertility. Mineral supplementation should also be reviewed to prevent any possible deficiencies, particularly where straights are being fed rather than mineralised compound feeds. Typically, feed and forage account for approximately 1/3 of the
total cost of heifer rearing. Where producers have been forced to purchase additional forage this year, the daily feed cost of rearing heifers has become more transparent and the ‘perceived’ value of carrying surplus heifers called into question. Whilst calving insufficient heifers into the herd can have a serious impact on herd production and profitability, reviewing heifer rearing costs, target numbers and age at first calving is highly recommended.
COUNTRYSIDE PRODUCTIVITY SMALL GRANTS SCHEME (CPSGS) The Government recently announced that it has committed £30 million for further rounds of the Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme (CPSGS). As I write this, details of this round have yet to be announced; new items have been added to the list of equipment eligible for funding and examples of items that were eligible under the previous round of the scheme include: • Cattle specific equipment - handling systems and crushes (including foot trimming crushes), weighing systems, shedding gates, heat detection systems, cluster flush, calf milk pasteuriser / dispenser and auto calf feeders. • Precision farming equipment – GPS, yield mapping and variable rate controller for sprayers and fertiliser spreaders • Resource management and efficiency equipment – trailing shoe slurry system, variable speed vacuum / milk pump • Robotic silage pushers. In the previous round grants were between £3,000 - £12,000 and
each item was given a standard cost which was the maximum fixed price that grant would be paid on and meant that quotes for items were not necessary for the application. Further details of this second round are expected to be released in January. I like to think I’m a reasonably optimistic person and would
love to close this column by saying that I hope that 2019 will be less challenging than 2018. However, I am also a realist so will close by wishing all readers best wishes for 2019, whatever it might bring.
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FEED COMPOUNDER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 PAGE 13
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