Description
In the GAEC Tertre de Villeray dairy farm, 170 Normand cows (1.2 million liters of milk) graze 52 ha (≈ 0.3 ha/ cow). Aiming at decreasing feeding cost and improving the use of grass in cow diet, the farmers have increased the grazing area and implemented a 1-day (24 hours) ration stocking (confining the animals to an area providing the daily allowance). With this new management, grazing is more homogeneous than before (less grass is not eaten) and cows move more easily. The grass intake is better. Grazed grass makes up 40% of the dairy cows’ diet on annual average and near 90% in spring. 50 tons of soybean cake have been saved. The farmers have accepted a lower milk production due to the increased part of grazed grass in cow diet in order to decrease feeding cost.
Farm strengths: a great climate (≈ 860 mm/year well distributed from 47 to 80 mm on average each month), a diversity of soils with various bearing capacity allowing a long grazing period, the farmers’ strong motivation to graze their cows rather than driving the tractor. Their motivation has been awarded with extra 10 € per 1000 l of milk since January 2019.
Main prerequisites: having a large, continuous area available for grazing, making necessary investments in pathways and an adapted water network and water troughs.
Main threatens: in years with unusual climatic conditions (drought in summer, a lot of rain in autumn-early winter,…)dry conditions, with reduced animal performances, the economical result is insured through an increased number of cows during spring and summer (and by avoiding the overload of cowshed during winter).
