When Jean-Christophe chose the Raptor straw blower, it was above all to save time but also, and more importantly, to avoid physical exhaustion.
And for good reason, before buying this machine, the Limousin breeder used to strawbed by hand!
His investment allows him to carry out this tiring task in 10 or 15 minutes, alone (including loading the bale and strawbedding), compared to 30 minutes, with two people, before. "You had to open the fences, the gates... It was much more difficult," recalls the 47-year-old farmer.
Another significant advantage is the saving of straw. "You put less straw in with the machine than by hand. With the straw blower, it's very regular," notes Jean-Christophe, before offering a piece of advice: "The more the straw is chopped, the better. It leaves well and sponges well".
As for the quantities used, he uses 1 bale of 500 kg to 1.5 bales depending on the period and the weather, whether it is dry or wet.
In summer, when most of the animals are outside, Jean-Christophe only straws once a week. But from November to April, it's every day.
A daily use of the Raptor allows him to be totally confident with the machine: ''I could use it with my eyes closed now. At the beginning, I used to look at the buttons on the joystick, but now I don't even need to," laughs the breeder.
This ease of use is facilitated by the machine itself. According to him, getting used to the machine and the adaptation period was very quick: "I didn't even have to stick the explanatory sheet on. The strating up has been done by the dealer, I got all the explanations I needed and I was confident within in 3 or 4 days. The Intuitive Control, for example, is very easy to use. I do everything with the same hand and without looking.
It is easy to use and efficient: "My buildings are 50 m long with a straw bed about 10 m wide, but the Raptor can straw up to 20 m! The chute is powerful and can be turned on both sides.
