The Bobcat cleans hen houses

In 1983, Sylvie Jaffré took over the family turkey farm in Gourin. Two years later, the farm expanded with the purchase of a 2,600 m2 building. Sylvie's husband Daniel was hired as an employee. “This building dates from 1967,” he says. “It's not very high, and it has three rows of posts, which doesn't make cleaning any easier.”

In 1986, Daniel Jaffré went to the Trégourez agricultural fair with the intention of buying a small cab-less tractor capable of working in the building.

Convinced by its small size and maneuverability, the Morbihan native bought the machine and became the first French customer to equip himself with one for a neighboring agricultural activity.

A fleet of 6 loaders

“At first, I only used it for our hen houses,” recalls Daniel Jaffré. “But at the time, there were a lot of poultry farmers in Gourin, and word-of-mouth did the trick.” It wasn't long before the former farm employee began cleaning his neighbors' buildings at weekends. “The machine easily did 2,000 hours a year,” he explains. In 1991, he set up his own business, making it his full-time activity. Today, Daniel Jaffré covers a radius of 80 km around his commune and owns a fleet of 6 loaders. “I have one that's only 90cm wide, ideal for the smallest chicken coops,” he explains. “The most recent one was bought a year and a half ago. It's the latest Bobcat S76 model. It's more comfortable and more economical on diesel. My two oldest machines have almost 9,000 hours on them.”

An array of buckets

For his cleaning jobs, Daniel Jaffré equips his loaders with 2.30 to 2.50 m wide lifting buckets. “When the bucket is fully raised, the hydraulic cylinders take over, gaining 1.10m in height. This is essential, as all our customers have very high trailers.” Once the henhouse is empty, the bucket is replaced by a sweeper for the finishing touches. After each operation, the loaders are thoroughly washed. “Dust is very corrosive,” explains the contractor. “That's why it's essential to have a well-enclosed, air-conditioned cab. Otherwise, you can't work.” The Morbihan-based company also cures a number of stalls, particularly in winter. In these cases, the machines are fitted with grapple buckets.

An activity in municipal works

Daniel Jaffré also works on earthmoving projects, which now account for the bulk of his sales. “I started out by buying a mini excavator in the 90s. Nobody had one back then. I've always done what others didn't.” The entrepreneur currently owns 4 excavators and 2 track loaders.