Victor Duclos uses preventive management in high-altitude grazing to ensure smooth lactation, achieving impressive milk yields with a pasture-based diet.
High-altitude farming practices
Victor Duclos, a farmer in the Cantal region of France, uses a unique approach to high-altitude grazing that combines traditional methods with preventive management to ensure smooth lactation for his cows. At an altitude of 990 meters, he follows an AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) farming system, which is a protected designation of origin for agricultural products.Preparation before calving
Duclos is one of the few farmers in the area who adheres to a three-week preparation phase before calving. This period is crucial for managing the health and nutrition of dry cows, especially during the grazing season when calving is spread out, making it difficult to prepare specific rations for small groups of animals.Grazing during the dry period
During the dry period, all cows receive a teat plug and a bolus of vitamins and trace elements. They are then led to natural pastures of medium quality without additional feed. This approach is considered safe as long as high-quality grass is available at will, up to the heading stage, to meet the cows' nutritional needs and prevent weight loss.Rationing before calving
Three weeks before calving, dry cows are brought back near the stable to make monitoring and management easier. During the day, they follow a rotating grazing cycle on paddocks of 35 ares per cow per day. In the evening, they remain in the stable with a ration in the feeder based on hay. This rationing helps manage the high Baca (a measure of forage quality) of the forages used.Feeding during the preparation phase
The evening ration consists of coarse hay at will plus 2 kg of a feed with 22% MAT (a type of protein) and a special mineral supplement for dry cows. This diet helps prevent condition losses and ketosis in cows that return to pasture after calving. Access to pasture during this period limits dietary changes and reduces metabolic issues, leading to better milk production and persistence.Post-calving management
After calving, a calcium bolus is given systematically to all cows. Additionally, an oral supplement of 300 ml of propylene is provided for five days to all animals to address subclinical ketosis cases identified through performance control analyses. This management approach contributes to the herd's productivity and health.Performance and cost efficiency
The average milk production of the herd, including first-time calvers, is 33 kg of milk in the first 100 days, with a feed cost of 105 € per 1,000 liters. Anaïs Velay, an advisor at Cantal Conseil Élevage, notes that few farmers in high-altitude systems plan for calving preparation. Duclos's method, without resorting to ration acidification, effectively reduces metabolic problems at the start of lactation, enabling performance levels that are uncommon without such preparation.
