Guidance

Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant specifications

Updated 28 May 2024

Applies to England

This guidance explains the required specifications for projects funded under the Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant. You should read this guidance before you apply to make sure your project is eligible.

1. What the grant can pay for

The grant can pay for capital costs to either:

• upgrade (refurbish) or replace (with new) existing buildings as part of a ‘comprehensive’ project to house laying hens or pullets
• add a ‘veranda-only’ onto existing laying hen or pullet housing

Replacing the internal parts of a production system, for example a flat deck with a multi-tier system, within an existing building would be considered an upgrade.

For this grant, a veranda is a fixed structure (with a solid roof and floor), outside of, and immediately next to, the main housing. It extends the internal litter (scratch) area and provides birds with access to natural daylight and fresh air. In Europe, verandas are often called ‘wintergardens’.

The building must be permanent, non-movable, securely attached to a foundation and intended for use for a minimum of 5 years.

All projects must meet the legal requirements for the keeping of laying hens. This grant offers funding to help farmers deliver higher standards for health and welfare and should not be used to help meet only  the minimum standards.

This grant scheme cannot be used to directly fund flock expansion by increasing stocking capacity. Because of this, comprehensive projects will receive a lower intervention rate for aviary system costs (based on starting flock size).

The floor area of any veranda, funded as part of either a comprehensive or a veranda-only project, must not be included in calculations of stocking capacity, even if the birds are able to access this space 24 hours a day.     

1.1 Project requirements

To be eligible for funding, your project must meet all specifications relevant to the project type. These specifications were co-designed with industry and are designed to support one or more of these grant priority themes:

• laying hen welfare
• biosecurity
• heat mitigation
• enviro-sustainability

2. Comprehensive laying hen project specifications

All comprehensive projects to upgrade (refurbish) or replace (with new) existing laying hen housing must include:

• a multi-tier aviary system
• a mechanical ventilation system
• a fully adjustable LED house lighting system
• building design features aimed at optimising biosecurity
• a veranda (subject to exemption criteria)
• a roof suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels

2.1 General building features

The building must have:

• a fixed structure with a solid concrete floor
• water-tight roof and walls
• mesh capping applied to any roof or wall inlets and outlets (with a mesh size of 25mm or less)
• catch trays under all chimneys and roof-mounted vents
• full (wall and roof) insulation within the main building
• direct external access to the egg store, separate to the main entrance lobby and biosecurity changing area
• a biosecurity changing area at each pedestrian access point to the bird housing

A biosecurity changing area should include:

• changing facilities, divided by a step-over barrier into an outer (‘intermediate’) biosecure area and an inner (‘specific’) biosecure area
• handwashing facilities (with running water) in the outer area, with storage for clothes and boots that are used outside of the immediate housing
• a footbath in the inner area, with storage for clothes and boots that are used within the bird living area

This biosecurity facility should be included as a main part of any new building.

For refurbishment projects, this changing area may take the form of a ‘biosecurity module’, a smaller shed added to the outside of the main entrance to support efficient barrier hygiene.

New (replacement) buildings must meet an additional U-Value requirement for insulation. U-Value is a measurement of heat loss. This is measured in Watts per square metre Kelvin (W/m²K). The U-Value must be 0.3W/m²K or less.

Verandas are not required to have wall insulation.

2.2 Aviary system

The project must include a high welfare multi-tier aviary system, not a combi-cage system. The system must: 

• be designed to allow birds to be able to move between levels without flying or jumping more than 1m - some systems are designed to maximise accessibility, while others will require the addition of welfare ramps and/or platforms to meet this requirement
• have a manure-removal belt system
• have integrated non-flicker LED lighting at each level (including under the system itself), able to automatically simulate dawn and dusk

2.3 Ventilation system

The project must include a mechanical ventilation system with: 

• a control system to automatically measure and record daily temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels
• an alarm system (to detect and communicate excessive high or low temperatures and system failure) with a power supply independent of mains electricity
• an emergency power supply, for example a high-capacity generator, in case of electrical or other failures
• the capacity to provide an air speed of one metre per second over the birds
• the capacity to provide a maximum ventilation rate (MXVR) of 10,800 cubic metres per hour (m³/h) per 1000 birds (up to 2.5kg body mass) – to help prevent the house temperature from increasing by more than 3°C above the outdoor temperature

2.4 House lighting system  

The project must include a house lighting system with:

• non-flicker LED light with a colour temperature between 2700 and 4000 Kelvin
• ability for zonal dimming (between 0 and 60 lux)
• full coverage of the exposed floor-litter (scratch) area
• an option for red light

2.5 Veranda

The project must include a veranda (unless the site does not have access to an outdoor area of a suitable size) that:

• runs the length of the bird housing and has either a width of 4m or a floor area equivalent of at least 30% of the indoor bird housing floor space
• has a solid concrete floor
• has a waterproof insulated roof
• has a perimeter wall, at least 1m high, to include a suitable biosecure entrance for cleaning access
• has a mesh roller-screen system running underneath the length of the roof, that fits securely against the wall when extended
• has a dimmable LED lighting system (between 0 and 60 lux)
• has lockable (closeable) popholes in the perimeter wall (barn system projects are exempt from this requirement)
• is accessible from the inside of the main hen house via lockable (closeable) popholes
• has internal popholes that must be at least 35cm high and 40cm wide, extend along the entire length of the building, and provide a total opening width of 2m for every 1000 hens
• has popholes with bases less than 30cm from floor level, or has access ramps that are as wide as the popholes
• does not have perches placed in front of popholes

To be exempt from including a veranda, you will need to send us evidence that there is not enough land directly next to the relevant building to allow the construction of a veranda. We expect that all systems with outdoor access (a range) will have enough outdoor space for a veranda.

 2.6 External biosecurity features

The project must include the following external biosecurity features:

• a concrete apron that surrounds the immediate perimeter of the structure (to include the hen housing and any veranda present) - this does not need to cross the range
• a designated, hard-standing concrete area for washing and disinfecting vehicles, appropriate to the size of the vehicles entering the facility, with a minimum width of 3m
• a drainage system to remove and securely store soiled water created by washing and disinfecting vehicles
• an external tap at the main pedestrian access point

2.7 Roof suitable for solar photovoltaic panels

Although you do not have to buy and install a solar PV system to be eligible for this grant, any buildings in receipt of grant money as part of a comprehensive laying hen project must have a roof that is designed with the capacity to support solar PV panels, unless:

• the building has listed status or is on a World Heritage Site
• you’re upgrading an existing building and would not otherwise make changes to the roof
• the roof only faces north or is heavily shaded
• the roof does not have 100 square metres of clear roof space

You must send us confirmation from a building expert, contractor or structural engineer that your roof will have the capacity to support solar PV panels as part of your full application. This confirmation is not funded by the grant.

3. Comprehensive pullet project specifications

All comprehensive projects to upgrade (refurbish) or replace (with new) existing pullet housing must  include:

• a multi-tier system
• a mechanical ventilation system
• a fully adjustable LED house lighting system
• building design features aimed at optimising biosecurity
• a roof suitable for solar PV panels

3.1 General building features

The building must have:

• a fixed structure with a solid concrete floor
• water-tight roof and walls
• mesh capping applied to any roof or wall inlets and outlets (with a mesh size of 25mm or less)
• catch trays under all chimneys and roof-mounted vents
• full (wall and roof) insulation
• a biosecurity changing area at each external pedestrian access point

A biosecurity changing area should include:

• changing facilities, divided by a step-over barrier into an outer (‘intermediate’) biosecure area and an inner (‘specific’) biosecure area
• handwashing facilities (with running water) in the outer area, with storage for clothes and boots that are used outside of the immediate housing
• a footbath in the inner area, with storage for clothes and boots that are used within the bird living area

This biosecurity facility should be included as a main part of any new building. For refurbishment projects, this changing area may take the form of a ‘biosecurity module’, a smaller shed added to the outside of the main entrance to support efficient barrier hygiene. 

New (replacement) buildings must meet an additional U-Value requirement for insulation. U-Value is a measurement of heat loss. This is measured in Watts per square metre Kelvin (W/m²K). The U-Value must be 0.3W/m²K or less.

3.2 Pullet housing

Pullet housing must allow for:

• pullets to be housed at a maximum stocking density of 20 kilograms per square metre (kg/m²) of the total usable area at 16 weeks of age (33kg/m² at floor level)
• the ability to provide a useable area over a variety of bird-accessible heights from 10 days of age
• at least 8cm of height-adjustable perch per pullet
• a minimum of 50% of the floor area designated to litter

3.3 Multi-tier system

Birds are to be housed in either:

• a rearing aviary - a system that houses birds in tiers during the first 2 weeks of rearing, and then opens to provide them with access to the barn floor after 2 weeks
• a step-up system - a floor system that can be configured to resemble a rearing aviary post-brooding, with adjustable elevated tiers, which can be added and gradually raised as the birds grow

Rearing aviaries must have:

• the ability to retain friable litter while the birds are initially held within the system during brooding
• a manure removal belt-system
• integrated height-adjustable feed lines, nipple drinkers and platforms
• integrated non-flicker LED lighting at each level, able to automatically simulate dawn and dusk
• welfare ramps from 2 weeks of age

Step-up systems must have: 

• height-adjustable tiers that include food and water at, or before, 10 days of age
• a housing complexity matching that of a rearing aviary by 15 weeks of age
• welfare ramps

3.4 Ventilation system

The project must include a mechanical ventilation system with: 

• a control system to automatically measure and record daily temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide (CO²) levels
• an alarm system (to detect and communicate excessive high or low temperatures and system failure) with a power supply independent of mains electricity
• an emergency power supply, for example a high-capacity generator, in case of electrical or other failures
• the capacity to provide an air speed of one metre per second over the birds
• the capacity to provide a MXVR of 9,000 cubic metres per hour (m³/h) per 1000 birds (up to 2kg body mass) – to help prevent the house temperature from increasing by more than 3°C above the outdoor temperature

3.5 House lighting system  

The project must include a house lighting system with:

• non-flicker LED light with a colour temperature between 2700 and 4000 Kelvin
• ability for zonal dimming (between 0 and 60 lux)
• full coverage of the exposed floor-litter (scratch) area
• ability to simulate a stepped dawn and dusk (unless this is already provided as part of a rearing aviary lighting system)
• an option for red light

3.6 External biosecurity features

The project must include the following external biosecurity features:

• a concrete apron that surrounds the immediate perimeter of the structure (to include the building and any veranda present) - this does not need to cross the range
• a designated, hard-standing concrete area for washing and disinfecting vehicles, appropriate to the size of the vehicles entering the facility, with a minimum width of 3m
• a drainage system to remove and securely store soiled water created by washing and disinfecting vehicles
• an external tap at the main pedestrian access point

3.7 Roof suitable for solar PV panels

Although you do not have to buy and install a solar PV system to be eligible for this grant, any buildings in receipt of grant money as part of a comprehensive pullet project must have a roof that is designed with the capacity to support solar PV panels, unless:

• the building has listed status or is on a World Heritage Site
• you’re upgrading an existing building and would not otherwise make changes to the roof
• the roof only faces north or is heavily shaded
• the roof does not have 100 square metres (m²) of clear roof space

You must send us confirmation from a building expert, contractor, or structural engineer that your roof will have the capacity to support solar PV panels as part of your full application. Confirmation is not funded by this grant.

4. Scoring criteria

The scoring criteria below apply to comprehensive projects to upgrade (refurbish) or replace (with new) existing laying hen and pullet housing. These scoring criteria do not apply to veranda-only projects.

Although these are not a requirement of the grant, you may consider including some of the additional features listed below as part of your project to better meet the grant funding priorities.

We will score the inclusion of these additional features at the online checker stage. If we receive applications for more funding than is available, we are more likely to invite you to make a full application if your eligible project is high scoring.

There are no scoring criteria for veranda-only projects.

4.1 Animal welfare priority

You can contribute towards this grant funding priority to improve animal welfare by:

• replacing a colony cage system with (cage-free) loose-housing
• upgrading pullet housing
• having consistent multi-tier housing at rear and lay
• making sure every level of your multi-tier system is connected to another level by a ramp
• using a multi-tier system that has a maximum height of 2m from which pullets or hens can directly access the floor (tiers higher than 2m can be used if step-down floor access is provided)
• using a multi-tier (step-up or aviary) system that has 3 or less tiers directly above each other - for this grant, a tier must have a designated manure belt (perches for roosting, located at the top of the system and the floor level, are not counted as tiers)
• including windows to provide natural light, equivalent to at least 3% of the total floor area (popholes are not counted as windows for this grant)
• including perches that aid gripping during perching - for example, those that have an easy-grip shape, material or coating (these must replace the circular-profile metal poles supplied with multi-tier systems as standard)
• adding a veranda built to the same specification as required for veranda-only projects (pullets only) – see ‘Veranda-only project specifications (laying hens or pullets)’
• adding dark brooders (pullets only)

4.2 Biosecurity priority

You can contribute towards this grant funding priority to improve biosecurity by:

• including shower facilities  in the biosecurity changing area of the housing receiving funding
• including a storage room inside the building with a separate air space, accessible from outside
• filtering the air entering the building

4.3 Enviro-sustainability priority

You can contribute towards this grant funding priority to increase environmental sustainability by:

• including manure drying facilities
• filtering air leaving the building (emissions) – for example, using wet/dry scrubbers
• including sustainable energy sources – for example, solar PV systems, heat exchangers, biomass boilers
• adding a tree shelter belt positioned near air exit points with the specific purpose of reducing ammonia emissions

To be effective, a tree shelter belt should:

• be located 10-20m downwind from your building
• be at least as wide as your building
• be at least 20m deep
• have a main canopy of mixed planting and a backstop of coniferous or evergreen trees

Further information can be found in the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology guidance on creating a tree shelter belt. 

4.4 Innovation priority

You can contribute towards this grant funding priority of encouraging the use of technology and innovation by including:

• monitoring system(s) that automatically collect data about bird welfare and performance management – for example, body weight, feed data and/or feed conversion ratios, egg production parameters (laying hens only), nest use (laying hens only), disease detection, bird location, locomotion or movement, sound analysis
• automated monitoring system(s) to collect additional environmental data – for example, levels of ammonia, carbon monoxide, inhalable dust

5. Veranda-only project specifications (laying hens or pullets)

All veranda-only projects to add a veranda onto existing laying hen or pullet housing must :

• run the length of the bird housing and either be 4m wide or have a floor area equivalent of at least 30% of the indoor bird housing floor space
• have a solid concrete floor
• have a waterproof insulated roof
• have a perimeter wall, at least 1m high, including a suitable biosecure entrance for cleaning access
• have a mesh roller-screen system running underneath the length of the roof that fits securely against the wall when extended
• have a dimmable LED lighting system (between 0 and 60 lux)
• have lockable (closeable) popholes within the perimeter wall (barn system projects are exempt from this requirement)
• be accessible from inside the main hen house through lockable (closeable) popholes
• have internal popholes that are at least 35cm high and 40cm wide, extend along the entire length of the building and provide a total opening width of 2m for every 1000 hens
• have popholes with bases less than 10cm (for pullets) or less than 30cm (for hens) from floor level, or have access ramps that are as wide as the popholes
• not have perches placed in front of popholes

6. Eligible costs

The grant can pay for:

• structures including floors, walls, roofs, reinforcements, drainage, doors, windows, insulation, external concrete, verandas and external biosecurity modules
• fixtures including ventilation, multi-tier and aviary systems, heating and heat exchangers, lighting, feed and water storage and delivery systems, washing facilities, nestboxes, internal egg collection and conveyor systems, muck removal systems (including infrastructure for manure drying) and pophole management systems
• fittings including monitoring systems for the collection of environmental and welfare information, welfare ramps (stairs) and platforms, dark brooders, perches (including approach tubes/rails), mesh roller screens and emergency generators
• delivery and installation of eligible capital items
• rooftop mounted PV solar panels, only when installed on the new or upgraded laying hen or pullet housing
• supporting equipment and structures for PV solar panels installed on the new or upgraded laying hen or pullet housing, including solar racking, DC to AC power inverters, performance monitoring systems and storage, including solar batteries and grid connection costs
• one-off alterations to the electrical or water supply to new or upgraded buildings, to accommodate the installation of new equipment or drinking/washing facilities
• upgrade of electricity supply

If you’re altering or upgrading the electricity supply, the eligible cost must be related to the project that will be undertaken. For example, if the project requires an additional 100 kilowatts (kW) of electrical supply and the new supply is 200kW, only half of the cost will be eligible. You will need to provide detailed evidence of the power requirement of the project in your full application.

6.1 Second-hand items

You can use the grant funding to buy second-hand items if the associated supplier quote includes a statement that the item:

• has not previously been paid for with public funding
• is fit for purpose
• does not cost more than an equivalent new item
• is expected to last for at least 5 years

6.2 Production capacity

This grant scheme cannot be used to fund flock expansion. 

If your egg production capacity is increased by adding a multi-tier system, we will work out the costs that we can pay for by using the stocking capacity of the housing at the time of application, and at project completion. The costs will be based on the lower figure, up to 40%. We will work out the remaining eligible project costs at the standard intervention rate (up to 40%). We will add these two values together to work out the final grant contribution.

You may wish to increase your production capacity. However, if you are replacing existing laying hen or pullet housing with a larger building, the amount of grant funding you can receive will be decided pro rata. This is based on the total project costs and the stocking capacity of the housing at the time of application and at project completion. We will fund up to 40% of the eligible costs based on the initial stocking capacity, up to the maximum grant amount.

 If you are replacing a colony cage system, you may wish to maintain your egg production capacity by using a combination of projects. For example, both a refurbishment and a new-build project. We will fund up to 40% of the eligible costs up to the maximum grant amount if the final stocking capacity of the project does not exceed that of the colony system. If at project completion, the project exceeds the starting colony capacity, then the amount of grant funding available will be worked out pro rata, as above. You will need to fill in one application per project. A single maximum grant amount will cover both projects.

You can keep the old building if you are replacing existing laying hen or pullet housing with a new building. But you must not use the old building for poultry housing or egg production after you complete the project.

The floor area of any veranda must not be included in calculations for the stocking capacity of the housing, even if the birds are able to access this space 24 hours a day.

6.3 Roof-mounted solar PV panels

Only PV panels on the roof of the structure (a new or upgraded building with or without a veranda extension) are eligible for funding as part of a comprehensive project.

Veranda-only projects and roofs that face only north or are fully shaded are not eligible for solar PV funding.

We will fund the cost and installation of PV solar panels based on a power requirement of 5 kilowatts (kW) per 1,000 birds in the relevant housing, up to 25% of the eligible costs. You can install a solar PV system with power requirements greater than 5 kW per 1,000 birds, but we will only fund 25% of the costs up to this power requirement.

Costs for supporting equipment and structures for solar PV panels include:

• DC to AC power inverters and voltage optimisers
• performance monitoring systems and storage
• solar batteries
• maintenance access – for example, ladders and structures to access
• grid connection costs including physical connection to your local grid network
• load limiting diverters and/or reverse power relays

There is no minimum grant amount for roof-mounted solar systems. But the comprehensive project costs must meet the minimum grant amount before solar system costs are added.

7. What the grant cannot pay for

The following costs are not eligible for grant funding (this list is not exhaustive):

• mobile housing
• any non-permanent structure not included in the minimum design specification
• combi-cage systems
• solar PV systems for installation on the range, on other buildings not receiving grant funding, as part of veranda-only projects, or on roofs that face only north or are fully shaded
• moveable items not in the minimum design specification (such as enrichment feeders or vaccination guns)
• equipment relating to egg quality, packing or processing
• high-pressure cooling (misting) systems
• automated vehicle washing systems
• any work involving, or items located within, the range (such as pond removal, tree planting, artificial shelters or range-sited solar PV)
• ongoing ‘consumable’ costs (such as wood shavings or poultry feed)
• manure storage facilities
• items which are not directly associated with the funded building - for example, if you project includes a tree shelter belt near poultry-housing air exit points, this will increase the likelihood of your project receiving funding, but is not an eligible cost
• standard agricultural equipment and inputs (such as farm vehicles and poultry)
• the cost of agricultural production rights and payment entitlements

7.1 General costs

The grant will not cover general costs, such as:

• projects that are carried out only to meet a legal requirement
• any costs incurred before the project start date shown in the grant funding agreement
• contingency costs
• the cost of getting any permissions, consents, or statutory requirements, such as planning permission or environmental permits
• legal costs
• revenue costs
• any items which have already had EU or national funding, or intend to get national funding
• marketing and promotion

7.2 Buildings, land and equipment costs   

The grant will not cover buildings, land, and equipment costs, such as:

• repairs to existing buildings that will still not meet the higher standards required by the grant
• replacement of existing buildings with new buildings that will still not meet the higher standards required by the grant
• repairs to equipment and machinery
• ongoing maintenance costs for buildings and equipment
• cost of capital items that will not be on the asset register of the business 5 years after completion of the project
• cost of land or buildings
• renewable heat and energy systems, except heat exchangers, solar PV systems, and the associated infrastructure mentioned above as eligible under the grant

7.3 Business running costs

The grant will not cover business running costs, such as:

• salaries and running costs of the business
• animal housing expenses, such as rent or utility costs
• in-kind contributions (this means the value of donated work or services), such as the cost of using your own labour, vehicle and office space
• recurring monthly or annual licence fees, farm assurance scheme membership fees, subscriptions and service charges
• computers, software and printers used in the general running of the business, such as processing orders or accounts
• mobile phones

7.4 Financial costs

The grant will not cover financial costs, such as:

• bad debts
• advance payments
• insurance policy costs
• working capital
• financial charges, for example bank charges, fines and interest
• costs connected with a leasing contract, such as a lessor’s margin, interest refinancing costs, overheads and insurance charges
• reclaimable VAT
• pension provision