In Yzernay (Maine-et-Loire), the Gaborit brothers have equipped their organic goat farm with an innovative dryer for the fodder produced on the Roumé farm. The air is now heated using solar energy to speed up the process and preserve the nutritional values of the hay.
Thursday, November 28, Olivier, Xavier and Julien Gaborit, associated with the SCEA Le Roumé, in Yzernay (Maine-et-Loire), and the managers of the Segrafo association, introduced farmers to the hay dryer put into service in 2023.
New equipment supports this association of breeders created in 2000, for the promotion and development of the drying of fodder, cereals and biomass. Segrafo supports and trains project leaders from the start of their reflection.
Also read: Near Cholet, Fabien Reulier’s innovative hay dryer is operational
“We want quality hay”
“We are organic goat breeders and milk processors. We are self-sufficient in food for our animals with, as a main base, alfalfa and leguminous meadow hay, explains Julien Gaborit. We wanted to produce quality hay earlier in the season. This is why we studied the idea of a dryer. »
This involves dehumidifying it quickly after pressing it without letting it dry in the meadow, which allows it to retain its nutritional qualities. The cubic boots are placed on a grating which allows hot air to pass, ventilated from below.
Solar power to heat the air
“What is new in our installation are the solar panels which heat the air under the roof. This is then ventilated in collectors which arrive under the hay. explains the breeder. The Roumé dryer is equipped with ten heating lines and two large fans, controlled by a frequency variator, which propel the hot air at a speed of between three and six meters per second.
“We gain a maximum of 10°C compared to the ambient air. This is enough for the hay to dry in three days and keep its qualities, appreciates Julien Gaborit. And it's amazing how hot air passes through even very dense boots. » Before moving the dry bales into the storage shed, there remains one last essential check: probing the core of the bales to check drying.
Substantial investment
“This dryer allows us to make hay staggered until September, and to ensure quality fodder for our goats, which are quite fragile animals,” assure the farmers of Roumé. Despite everything, it is an investment of €284,200, not counting the photovoltaic panels.
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