The switch from silage to hay

Today, we invite you to join us for a farm report in Tiefenbach, eastern Bavaria (94113). Here, Josef Maier and his family run a modern dairy farm with 130 dairy cows and 130 young cattle.
However, it wasn’t always this way. Until the 1990s, the Maier family farm specialized in poultry farming. It wasn’t until 1996 that they built their first free-stall barn for 60 dairy cows. In 2011, with the expansion of the outdoor area, the farm successfully transitioned to organic milk production. In March 2021, they invested in two milking robots for semi-guided cow traffic, and by 2022, Josef Maier and his wife Nicole officially took over the farm. Mechanization reached a significant milestone in 2024 with the purchase of an HSR hay drying system, including an HSR-Tajfun hay crane.

To store the hay, the family constructed a large hay barn between 2023 and 2024, completely on their own. This saved money and made this critical expansion step possible. With exterior dimensions of 70 x 15.5 meters and a storage volume of around 7,000 m³, the barn provides ample space for loose hay and features a perforated bridge floor for drying grain, corn, and woodchips.
Until the end of 2024, the Maier family used silage, stored in six silos, for feeding. After in-depth discussions with Dankesreiter’s farm, an HSR customer from eastern Bavaria, they decided to transition fully to hay feeding. This transition took place in December 2024. For drying, they installed an HSR 140 VARIO ELITE dehumidifier of the latest generation. To distribute air across the hay boxes, which can span up to 230 m², a VARIO ELITE fan 1250/55kW was installed. The air guidance was implemented with switches and shutters from HSR, and remote maintenance is ensured through the HSR Connect module.

At the same time, during the barn expansion and the construction of the hay storage hall, large roof areas were fitted with a PV system. As a result, they decided to integrate the new PV module into the VARIO Comfort Control system. This module regulates the power supply for the hay drying system, helping reduce electricity costs for hay farming.

Another step in mechanization was the acquisition of an HSR 125.28 hay crane with a closed cabin. This crane offers numerous features, including a radio with a hands-free system, a large gripper with a rotator, and tine extensions for a volume of up to 12 m³, among other advantages.

With these investments, the Maier family has made another significant step toward the future. They have laid a solid foundation to efficiently manage their 150-hectare farm with a small team in the coming years. We are truly honored to work with such innovative and forward-thinking individuals.
If you’d like to learn more about the Maier family farm, check out the new video from our visit in summer 2024 (available in German only):