Income: “We maximize the products from the dairy workshop on our farm in Haute-Loire”

“Since our installation in 1995 on the family farm, the number of dairy cows remained unchanged, points out Daniel Guignand, in Gaec with his brother Joël, in the zone of semi-mountain at an altitude of 850 meters southwest of Saint-Étienne. Our building has fifty cubicles and we have never tried to go higher than that. »

Restricted by the building brought up to standard in 2000, the breeders preferred to head towards the search for added value. “We seek to promote as best as possible all the products that leave the farm, starting with the milk,” explains the breeder. On average over the three previous financial years, the added value linked to the quality impact amounts to more than €32/1,000 l on average, with prim'Holstein.

Breeding sheet

2 THERE

100 ha of UAA including 22 ha of triticale, 15 ha of corn silage, 63 ha of meadows

473 863 l

TB-TP 44.8 g/l – 34.4 g/l

51 prim'Holstein at 9,237 l

1,05 UGB/ha

460 pigs fattened per year

With a TB at 48 g/kg and a TP at 36.9 g/kg, for a production of 28 l/d at 190 days of lactation, the latest monthly results do not deny Gaec's performance in terms of rate. “Since the opening of the new grass silage silo, we have found excellent rates”rejoices Daniel. The explanation lies above all in the fodder qualityand more particularly to that of thegrass silage which displays a value of 0.98 UFL/kg this year and 15% MAT, and is very palatable. It includes 10.5 kg DM in the milkmaids' ration, to which are added 7 kg of corn silage, 2 kg of crushed triticale, 1 kg of grain corn, 2 kg of soybean meal and 1 kg of rapeseed meal. . Cows receive individual DAC supplementation.

Rumens that function well

Main fodder of the diet,grass silage provides energy in the form of sugars and very digestible walls, which respectively provide butyric and acetic acid, favorable to the synthesis of TB in the udder. By limiting corn silage to less than 9 kg DM, the ration does not exceed 14 to 16% starch, which limits the risk of acidosis and the TB shots. But you still need to have quality grass silage so as not to distract the ration too much. This is the case at Gaec de Saint Denis, where the first cuts of grass silage regularly come out at more than 0.90 UFL/kg DM, between 14 and 15% MAT, with a dry matter of 33-35 %. “We are mowingyoung grassdescribes Daniel. The advantage is that we have a Cuma forage harvester, a 25 year old New Holland FX 300. As there are only two farms left using it, it is much more flexible to take advantage of good opportunities and promote a quality harvest. »

Breeders also pay great attention to tassage of the silo with two tractors permanently on the job during production. “Our silos are quite long and not very high. We make sure to do everything we can to ensure consistent quality from start to finish,” advances Daniel, specifying that a biological preservative based on lactic acid bacteria is systematically applied to prevent the forage from becoming unpalatable.

Long-standing genetic selection on rates

Yes thefood constitutes the main lever for setting rates, the way genetic also contributes in part. Among the selection criteria of the Gaec, the rate share the podium alongside the udder and the legs. No rate-negative bulls are used and the cows are all genotyped to also favor selection on the female route. “Within each lineage, we observe an improvement in the level of rate. » The herd displays a VG index of 41.6 and TP of 32.7 for a Prim'Holstein France average of 40.7 VG and 32 TP.

A year heavily penalized by butternuts

The search for a best milk price obviously also requires strong requirements in terms of sanitary quality milk delivered. “We do our best not to find ourselves penalized and pocket all of the quality bonusesargue Daniel. But without imposing on us a milking hygiene drastic. »

The Gaec performs pre-soak foaming, followed by wiping the teats with wood wool and post-soaking. “We don't shoot the first few jets unless I notice lumps in the filter between the milk pump and the tank. I check it after each milking, it’s a good indicator which allows us to be reactive to the slightest alert”considers the breeder. The filter is washed in the washing tank at each milking and changed every week.

The efforts at milking pay but the basis remains fodder quality. “Usually, our practices allow us to do well but last year, for the first time, we were penalized nine months out of twelve in butyric »he laments. In question: the execrable harvest conditions of grass silage 2023. “From the moment we opened this silo, the sanction fell with a penalty of €9/1,000 l. » It was necessary to overcome the silo to stop this penalty linked to butyric.

Have the least marked end-of-summer low possible

” Side seasonalitythe Sodiaal dairy does not offer any specific very incentive scheme, Daniel believes. And anyway, we don't have much room for maneuver due to the limited number of places in the building. » The Gaec especially tries to limit the end of summer slump by spreading out the calvings and take advantage of prices that are generally more profitable at this time of year. In 2024 and 2023, 24% of milk in the rolling twelve months was delivered in August-September and October, and 26% in 2022.