Applications now open for Defra deer chiller trailer grants

Conor O'Gorman

Well-Known Member
Defra is now inviting applications for this year’s Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. The scheme includes grants of up to 50 per cent for deer chiller trailers.

The application window for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) opened on 29 May and closes at midday on 10 July.

The FETF is part of the Farming Investment Fund. It helps farmers, growers, foresters, contractors and land managers invest in equipment and technology in a range of areas, including deer management.

More info here:

 
Interesting. The requirements look potentially tricky - a trailer carrying a minimum of 20 carcasses and a maximum weight of 1500kg. Now what do 20 red (or fallow) carcasses weigh?
Reds 1400 plus
Fallow 900-1200 plus

That’s without taking into consideration of the trailer and the towing capacity of the vehicle
 
Only roe on my ground, and those under a reasonable degree of control.

By the way, you are allowed to make comments which are relevant to the subjects of threads.
We are all free to make comments, however dealing with them then you understand how heavy they are so I still stick to what I said shoot a few and you would find out :tiphat:
10@ 80>120kg is a lot of weight.
 
We are all free to make comments, however dealing with them then you understand how heavy they are so I still stick to what I said shoot a few and you would find out :tiphat:
10@ 80>120kg is a lot of weight.
And 20 plus the weight of a braked, indulated and regerated trailer with a winch for under 1500kg? Surely that's not a realistic proposition?
 
And 20 plus the weight of a braked, indulated and regerated trailer with a winch for under 1500kg? Surely that's not a realistic proposition?
Like all loading of trailers it is the responsibly to the person to know the weight, the trailer will have a GW mark so you load to that. Deer dry out around 1kg per day as I weigh mine in and then at the game dealer with (the fallow) the reds bounce my 200lb farm scales past. The dealer weights are around 1.5 kg difference (my old scales) £3-4!
If you only shoot roe then it matters not to you. Go pick holes in something else ;)
 
Interesting. The requirements look potentially tricky - a trailer carrying a minimum of 20 carcasses and a maximum weight of 1500kg. Now what do 20 red (or fallow) carcasses weigh?
It just says it has to have space and enough rollers and gambrels to hang 20 deer. It doesn't say you have to put 20 deer at a time in it, or that you have to tow it with 20 deer in it.
A lot of people who buy these trailers will simply park them in a shed and use as a stationary chiller.
 
Nevertheless the requirements create a situation, where the trailer is best suited for only smaller species (and that means certain areas / users).

Obviously they try to use the requirements to limit that only certain types of trailer are bought (the grant is not misused). Yes you can sell the all but useless small gambrels (if made for roe, and trailer is used for reds) but the inner height and probably design limit for sliding rails will prevent putting even small numbers of larger deer in.

BTW I'm somewhat sure that you're not supposed to tow them with any carcasses hanging. So it doesn't work so that you shoot a trailer full of beasts, drive to game dealer and offload them.
 
It just says it has to have space and enough rollers and gambrels to hang 20 deer. It doesn't say you have to put 20 deer at a time in it, or that you have to tow it with 20 deer in it.
A lot of people who buy these trailers will simply park them in a shed and use as a stationary chiller.
If you’re not shooting good numbers numbers (say minimum 50-100 fallow/red) of deer then it’s not really financially viable to spend that kind of money, these trailers are priced at!

I certainly wouldn’t do it that’s for sure
 
Nevertheless the requirements create a situation, where the trailer is best suited for only smaller species (and that means certain areas / users).

Obviously they try to use the requirements to limit that only certain types of trailer are bought (the grant is not misused). Yes you can sell the all but useless small gambrels (if made for roe, and trailer is used for reds) but the inner height and probably design limit for sliding rails will prevent putting even small numbers of larger deer in.

BTW I'm somewhat sure that you're not supposed to tow them with any carcasses hanging. So it doesn't work so that you shoot a trailer full of beasts, drive to game dealer and offload them.
With the right hanger you can get a red in a low height unit.
Item must:

  • be a chiller trailer for deer carcasses
  • be constructed to food grade standard with minimum 55mm insulation on all walls
  • have a maximum gross weight for trailer (including payload) no more than 1500kg
  • have a maximum internal height not exceeding 2.0m
  • contain two high level hanging rails
  • include a minimum of 20 double roller-hooks or 20 gambrels with single roller-hooks to allow for the hanging 20 deer carcasses
  • operate in temperature range of 1°C to 8°C, trailers with freezer capability not eligible
  • have a lockable rear door
  • be fitted with a rear carcass lift with winch
  • be fitted with a temperature data logger to monitor and record temperature when in use
  • be fitted with a rear non-slip galvanised step
66" or for the metric queens 1.6764 RAIL HEIGHT
 
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