A Norfolk based business has been awarded almost £150,000 to set up a self-sustainable free range egg-laying facility for 16,000 birds; the first of its kind in the UK.

Based in Diss, DR and TJ Laurie Family Partnership will use the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative grant to build the new laying facility which is designed with innovation, energy efficiency and animal welfare in mind.

The facility will also use new technologies to contribute to birds’ welfare and ultimately improve their health and productivity. Research undertaken as part of the ‘hennovation’ concept has proven that injurious feather pecking is all but eliminated as a result of happier and more settled chickens and this also significantly reduces disease and pests.

The technology involved in the project includes:
• A heat exchange unit and separate air source heat pump that creates the ideal climate for the birds using fresh air
• A state of the art nesting and laying system with automated feeding and separate waste and egg conveyors
• An automated egg grading, labelling and packing system
• LED Lighting with wavelength control to fluctuate the light accordingly
• A rainwater harvesting system that filters the water ready to input into the drinker system for bird consumption

Thanks to the grant, DR and TJ Laurie Family Partnership have already secured a contract with Noble Foods to supply up to 16,000 eggs per day for Marks & Spencer food stores.

Mark Reeve, Chairman of the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP, said: “The Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative was created to support innovation within the Agri-Tech sector, which is exactly what this grant will do for DR and TJ Laurie Family Partnership. As the first ever self-sustaining egg-laying facility in the UK, it will use this new technology to boost productivity and lower costs, whilst keeping animal welfare at the forefront. As a result of this development, the team have already secured a new contract with Marks & Spencer, and I look forward to seeing them grow even further in the future.”

David Laurie, Senior Partner at DR and TJ Laurie Family Partnership, said: “Grant assistance from the Agri-Tech Growth initiative will make a huge difference to this project and will provide the business with a significant boost which will enable it to grow at a much quicker rate than would have been otherwise possible. Without the grant we would have only been able to build a very standard unit but the facility we will now have is state of the art and will be industry leading.”

Chris Starkie, Managing Director of New Anglia LEP said: “Agri-Tech businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk are introducing new ideas and inventions which are setting themselves apart from the rest of the field. I am delighted to support DR & TJ Laurie Family Partnership and their ‘hennovation’ which shows the Agri-Tech Grants at their best, supporting businesses who come up with new ideas to be more productive and stand out in a competitive marketplace.”

The Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative is run by the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with support from New Anglia LEP, Norfolk County Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, and the local authorities covering this area.

Grants are available to organisations looking to invest in specialist equipment, new market and supply chain development, ways to improve productivity and efficiency, and the application and commercialisation of Research and Development.

To find out how the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative could help to grow your business, visit www.agritechgrants.co.uk or call the LEP on 01480 277180.