Description
Romain GUEGAN and his partner Emilie DOUSSAL own a herd of 100 Normande dairy cows. Located in Brittany, the farm covers 85 hectares, including 59 hectares of pasture. The cows produce 550,000 litres of conventional milk per year, amounting to 5,500 litres per cow, produced with 200 kg of concentrate per cow per year. The grazing area per cow is 45 ares.
Innovations implemented in the farming operation regarding grazing include the creation of 1.5 kilometres of tracks for the cows and the construction of a cow tunnel. The objective was to increase the grazing area by 40 hectares, to be able to lead the cows to the pastures independently, and to enhance tranquillity, as the cows no longer have to cross roads. The construction of the cow tunnel cost €18,000 and the paths cost €10,000. The cow tunnel was straightforward to implement as it passes under a small road: its length is only 10 meters and the administrative procedures for the authorization were simple. The construction of the tracks was largely carried out by the farmers themselves, reducing costs. The expansion of grazing has reduced the feeding cost for the cows by half, from €100 per 1000 litres of milk to €50, and has saved 30 minutes of daily work time related to leading the cows to the pastures. To further improve the cattle crossing, it would be necessary to consider installing mud traps before and after the crossing tunnel to avoid the burden of manually removing mud four times a year. For the paths, maintenance every three years to replenish sand is needed, or even the installation of a hard surface (concrete or asphalt) for the first 500 meters leading out of the building.
