Defra funding available to upgrade calf housing

The Animal Health and Welfare Infrastructure Grant is a new funding pot within the Farming Transformation Fund. It will allocate awards from £15,000 to £500,000 and will prioritise funding towards new and upgraded calf housing in order to promote better social contact and create a healthier environment for livestock.

Successful applicants could receive funding for a variety of building types – for example, the construction of A-frame buildings to house dairy calves from birth to weaning – and also for roof-top solar panels on calf housing.

ForFarmers Youngstock specialist Ann Coombs said: “This is a great opportunity for our customers to improve their youngstock housing. Better housing can help improve calf health and profitability ensuring they have the best start in life to continue to grow into productive heifers in their first lactation or prime beef cattle. I would strongly encourage anyone who would like to upgrade their housing to look into the grants in detail and make an application.”