- English
Manual cleaning of the barns was becoming increasingly difficult and time-consuming. So dairy farmer Gerrit Fleuren decided to take a different approach. When he heard about manure scrapers, he was quickly convinced and chose two grid scrapers from JOZ. How do these scrapers ensure that the barn and cows are much cleaner? Gerrit enthusiastically explains.
A successful dairy farm
In 1972, Gerrit’s parents started a dairy farm in Helenaveen, Brabant, and years later Gerrit joined the business. ‘My parents built the company from scratch and made sure it blossomed into a successful business,’ he says.
‘In recent years, our dairy farm has grown considerably. We now have 120 dairy cows and around 80 head of young stock. We also have 70 acres of land with corn and grass.’
New barn with rubber floor
A new barn was added in 2014. Gerrit manually cleaned the floor of this barn for the first eight years. ‘We have a rubber floor, so basically I was fine doing it myself,’ he explains. ‘It just took so many hours and I noticed it was getting harder and harder.’
He therefore decided to look for a solution. ‘I had heard good stories about JOZ’s scrapers through my dealer ESL-agri,’ Gerrit continues. ‘For me, it’s a matter of trust. If I have a good feeling about something, I don’t have to think long and hard about it. And with JOZ’s grid scraper with rope, I had that good feeling.’
Higher frequency
The grid scraper with rope means that the barn floor can be cleaned more frequently. ‘By purchasing the two scrapers, we can increase the frequency much more,’ Gerrit says. ‘A big difference from when I was doing it manually.’
‘In addition, the scraper installations have a data logger, which measures exactly how often we scrape manure. It’s nice that the data logger records this exactly. If we get an inspection, I can show that we scrape the manure every 1.5 hours.’
Clean cows and fewer hoof problems
Gerrit’s cows find the barn’s rubber floor very comfortable and like to lie down on it. ‘Because of the scrapers, I see that they go to the stalls more often,’ he says. ‘And if they continue to lie down on the floor, it’s not as bad now as it was before we bought the manure scrapers, because the floor is much cleaner. And so are the cows.’
He noticed that the cows quickly got used to the scrapers. ‘They are very animal-friendly. The animals neatly step over it when one passes by. Also, because the barn is cleaner, I see fewer hoof problems. I definitely notice that difference.’
Job satisfaction
Not only are the cows happy with the scrapers, but Gerrit himself also has more job satisfaction. ‘It’s easy to work like this because it reduces the amount of labour considerably and saves a lot of time. I can now use that time for other work.’
He is very satisfied with the rope scrapers and finds them very reliable. ‘If there is a problem, I can call the dealer. Fortunately, this has not yet been necessary because the quality of the scrapers is very good. There’s really not much to worry about. I spray the corner wheels with grease once every two weeks. That takes five minutes and then it’s done. Ideal!’
