Numéro #156

Importance and nature of herbage stores in the forage systems of western France

In spite of the diversity of climatic conditions, the forage systems of western France have undergone on the whole the same sequence of grass harvesting and grass conservation systems. According to the importance given to the forage stores, the following 4 strategies are described here :
_ cutting a minimal area of grass and resorting to maize silage in winter and, if necessary, in summer too ; an area of 20-30 a grass is sufficient ;
_ making grass silage in spring (after topping and pre-wilting) in order to fill the "summer gap" ; animals are grazing until the beginning of summer (30-45 a grass/LU) ;
_- harvested grass constitutes one half of the stores ; animals are grazing until the end of summer (45-60 a grass/LU) ; grazing is less intensive ;
_ all the stores are made of harvested grass and the animals are fed exclusively grass ; stores are constituted by hay or wrapped bales ; the lengthening of the grazing period brings about a reduction of the store feed requirements ; grazing is still less intensive.