Interest of forage wrapping on a farm in the Creuse departement (Limousin)

摘要

The 'Masferraud' farm in Creuse keeps 92 suckling cows of the Limousine breed, calving at the end of winter; the store animals are sold at 270-300 kg. The total area is 106 ha and includes two distant portions (32 and 15 ha respectively). Ninety-five per cent of the area is under grass. The stocking rate is 1.6 LU per ha grass. As there is a shortage of buildings, half the herd (5 batches) has to winter in the open. The area undergoing a first cut covers 47 ha, and 30% of this forage is wrapped. Wrapping is carried out by collective means (labour and equipment supplied by a 'CUMA', a co-operative organization for the common use of machinery). Normally the wrapped forage is harvested at the beginning of June, and aftermaths are possible; the wrapped bales are stored on the wintering plots and are easily distributed in a rack. The economic efficiency of the farm is excellent (gross margin: 4 392 F/LU), thanks to the low costs.