« We are very demanding on the bacteriological quality of our milk, explains Edouard Rémillet, one of the three partners of Gaec des Baraques in Genevrières (52). Of the 1.2 million liters produced by our cows, we transform 1 million into AOP Langres, a raw milk cheese. »
To ensure impeccable milk, the farmer focuses above all on the hygiene of the animals' bedding and the quality of the feed. To preserve this during distribution, the trough must be clean. In this regard, concrete troughs on the ground with a damaged surface can become real breeding grounds for microbes.
« Our building is 10 years old. Over time, the acidity of the silage has eaten away at the concrete in the trough. Degraded, they have become impossible to clean properly », reports the farmer.
Once the decision has been made to renovate the troughs, the choice of system comes next. « It's not easy to renovate a trough in a building that is in operation, warns Edouard Rémillet. Concrete must dry for 3 weeks before use. Resins also need a long drying time. »
How to continue feed distribution in the meantime? To be able to feed their 120 cows again in good hygienic conditions, the farmers opted for a SANI-FEED mat. "It was while talking to the Bioret sales representative that we discovered this mat system that covers the trough. The 3.5 mm thick PVC product meets our sanitary requirements and installation constraints."
Hygiene, practicality and resistance
At the end of March 2021, the SANI-FEED mat was installed on the 72 meters of trough. " The installers arrived at 8 a.m. By 2 p.m., the feeding robot could already enter the alley to distribute the rations. An installation time fully compatible with a building in operation," notes the farmer.
The system for distributing feed to the cows was another constraint to take into account when considering the renovation of the troughs for the cows at Gaec des Baraques. Here, a robot distributes and pushes the ration.
" It passes through the alley about twenty times a day. " Therefore, a sufficiently resistant and well-anchored material is needed so that it is not damaged or moved by these trips. "This is the case. Nothing has moved, Edouard Rémillet appreciates. The SANI-FEED mat is flush with the floor. There are no edges or level differences that disrupt distribution, nor is there any risk of food passing underneath. " Stretched and fixed by baseboards at each end, the mat rises to the level of the headlock wall.
The PVC material preserves the palatability of the ration for the cows and facilitates the robot's push-up work. Smooth, it is also easy to clean. This easy maintenance guarantees constant cleanliness of the SANI-FEED mat and prevents the appearance of microbial colonies, as can be the case in the crevices of degraded concrete. " It's reassuring for the bacteriological quality of our milk ", appreciates the farmer.
