Description
Organic system, exclusively grass-fed with a feed diet based on grass silage.
A great care is taken when harvesting grass silage. The harvest is systematically carried out before May 15th for 80% of the plots cut in order to have a good harvest of hay afterward.
Optimization of forage quality because no concentrate are distributed during winter.
Practice overseeding with a perennial rye-grass base, which is associated with hybrid rye-grass and intermediate perennial rye-grass. The hybrid rye-grass secures the overseeding. White clover is very present too.
Practice crossbreeding with several goals: ease of calving, having cows with good legs and milk quality.
Reason for the innovation
The farmer thought about this strategy first of all because he had a sanitary problem that needed to be solved.
The objective is also to increase production and so the products.
Everything rely on forage quality and quality of the grasslands for grazing.
Farm description
Environment
- Soil: Loam, sandy-loam
- Climate: Temperate oceanic climate
- Altitude: 40m
Grassland management
- Grazing management type: rotationnal
- Length: 9 months/year
- 28% of the grasslands exclusively mowed
- Fertilization: organic only (20 t/ha of composted manure with embedded bac-teria on litter)
- Dominant grass and legume species in grasslands: Perennial rye-grass, White Clover, Red Clover , Fescue, Cocksfoot, Hybrid rye-grass, Alfalfa and Chicory
- Forage conservation type: Grass silage, Hay, Haylage
Structure
- Annual Work Unit: 2
- Agricultural Area: 75 ha UAA
- Grass-based system (55 ha of temporary grasslands and 20 ha of permanent grasslands)
- Farm type: Organic specialist milk production
- Breed: Cross-breeding (Jersiais/Prim’Holstein/Rouge scandinave)
- Livestock Unit: 95 (65 dairy cows)
- Stoking rate: 1,8 LU/ha main forage area
Animal performance
- Milk production per head: 5 000 L/year
Why it is working
The farmer helps himself out to ensure the innovation works. He made a bovi-duc to increase the available area for pasture (10 ha).
Good grazing valorization and management with plots from 1,3 to 1,7 ha and 3 days-rotationnal grazing.
Numerous exchanges via discussion groups, farmers groups and advisors.
