Poultry Grower

2026-2027 TAEP Application A

50% Cost Share – Maximum Reimbursement - $6,000

The amount of payment is based upon 50% of expenses incurred for eligible program items up to the program maximum.

Applicant Responsibility

It is the applicant’s responsibility to review all TAEP program requirements prior to applying for cost share. Applicant must qualify for program selected at time of application to be considered for approval.

Applicant Eligibility
Educational Requirements
Reimbursement Requirements
Verification Requirements
Applying for TAEP

Minimum Requirements

Broilers – 75,000/yr
Non-Broilers – 10,000/yr

Applicant must be a commercial poultry grower meeting the minimum program requirements.
Verification of minimum requirements may be requested prior to approval.

Eligible Items & Requirements – Print Version

Eligible Items & Requirements

NEW EQUIPMENT ONLY
New items cannot be previously owned.
Items purchased at an auction are considered used and are not eligible.
Replacement parts and repairs are not eligible.
Labor to install new items is eligible. Labor for repairs is not eligible.
Electrical service is not eligible.

1. Brooders and heaters — full section only; must be designated by the manufacturer for poultry house use
2. Composter — drum style only for mortality disposal
3. Cool cell pads — cool cell pads for entire house
4. Curtains — must be designated by the manufacturer for poultry house use; sidewall drop curtains, inside divider curtains
5. Egg conveyor belts — conveyor belts; not eligible – egg packers, tables
6. End doors — must be designated for poultry house use; sliding end door, roll-up or bi-fold end door (crank or mechanical) for exterior of poultry house; not eligible - custom doors, handmade doors
7. Environmental pads — reinforced concrete pads for the front/receiving end of the poultry house to allow for better cleaning and disinfection before and after receiving poultry; recommended dimensions: 20’ wide x 24’ deep (front to back) x 6” thick; reinforced concrete, sloped away from the building
8. Feed bin scales — automated feed bin scales and electronics
9. Feed bin with optional auger and concrete foundation pad — for on farm storage of poultry feed only; must meet housing and feeding system specifications
10. Incinerator — for mortality disposal
11. Generator — for poultry use only, must be stationary, fixed mounted; minimum of 20 KW per house; concrete pad foundation; not eligible – portable/PTO generators
12. Knee braces — must be made of metal and designated by the manufacturer for poultry house use
13. LED lights and dimmer controllers — must be purchased through a poultry supply company and specified for agricultural use; must have a 5-year warranty; includes LED light fixtures that contain fixed LEDs within the apparatus or built into the fixture as one unit; includes automated dimmer to accommodate higher efficiency LED lighting; not eligible – residential grade LED lights, wiring, conduit, keyless fixtures
14. Litter management equipment — must be designated by the manufacturer for poultry house use; equipment includes conveyors/elevators, pull-type spreaders (min. 140-bushel capacity), and poultry specific mounted implements used to windrow, de-cake (house cleaners), till, pulverize, level, sanitize, and/or scrape walls for optimal litter management; not eligible – self-propelled equipment, front end loaders, bucket attachments
15. Nesting pads for hen houses — must be designated by the manufacturer for poultry house use
16. Overhead trolley system — aid in the removal of mortalities and transport supplies; manual or automated complete system
17. Poultry barn alarm system — main control box with sensors for feed, temperature, ventilation, water etc., optional accessories with purchase – antenna, antenna cable, weather resistant case for control box; not eligible – batteries, purchase of sensors only, security surveillance system
18. Poultry house cabling — re-cabling of entire line systems, can be just one line system or all cables in the poultry house
19. Poultry house cleaning equipment — must be designated for poultry house use for cleaning, washing down, and disinfecting the interior of the poultry house; minimum 540 RPM PTO driven sprayer and/or blower rigs; sprayer tank size must be a minimum 200 gallon and PTO driven; blower must be hydraulic or PTO driven; spray attachment optional
20. Poultry litter treatment spreader — not eligible – poultry litter treatment
21. Poultry scales — automated poultry scales with hanging platform
22. Propane tank — above ground and for poultry use only; must be purchased and installed by a Tennessee licensed dealer and be ASME certified (American Society of Mechanical Engineers); 1,000-gallon minimum capacity (small capacity tanks of 500 gallons may be purchased to reach the minimum capacity); concrete pad or footers
23. Slats for hen houses — must be purchased through a poultry supply company and meet housing system specifications; preassembled plastic slats and pre-cut wooden slats, sticks and structural rail support systems; not eligible – hardware, individual boards or lumber that is not purchased through a poultry supply store or itemized for wooden poultry slats
24. Turbo grow feeders — minimum purchase of 150 feeders; not eligible – feeder trays
25. Ventilation doors — side vents, attic vents, tunnel doors, and inlets; not eligible – louvers, shutters, mounting hardware
26. Ventilation fans — must be designated for poultry house ventilation use and must be fixed mounted; tunnel fans, stir fans, minimal vent fans; not eligible – belts, blades, fan cones, shrouds, diffuser guards, mounting hardware
27. Water sanitation/treatment system – commercial whole farm poultry system
28. Water storage tanks — minimum tank size of 5,000 gallons

Reimbursement Request Deadline – August 1, 2027

Allowable purchase dates for Poultry Grower are from October 1, 2026 – August 1, 2027.
All items, regardless of backorder status, must be purchased (paid in full or financed) by the program reimbursement deadline. Backordered items may be ineligible for cost share if not delivered to the farm by the program deadline.
Receipts must be in the name of the applicant approved for cost share funding.
Quotes and purchase orders do not represent a purchase and are not considered receipts.
Proof of payment may be requested to verify purchase.
See “Reimbursement Requirements” link at the top of the page for more information.