Milk recording results of cattle, goats and sheep - France 2019

CATTLE

38,876 herds provided 2,383,539 qualified lactations in 2019. If the first result, with a decrease of 5.2% of the herd number, confirm the trend observed the previous years, the decrease of the number of qualified lactations seems to be slowing down with only -0.4% (-3.8% in 2017). The three main French national breeds (Prim’Holstein, Montbéliarde and Normande) represent henceforth 91.6% of the total of qualified lactations (-0.2% compared to 2017). With 45.1% the percentage of herds with more than 60 qualified lactations increase significantly in 2018 (40.1% in 2017) while the rate of qualified lactations they represent reach 66.9% (63.1% in 2017). With an average milk production for complete lactations at 8,466 Kg, the milk yield is increasing in 2018 (+ 60kg). In the same time the average lactation duration is decreasing to 334 days (-2 days). Mean fat and protein rates are stable with 39.8 g/kg for fat and 32.4 g/kg for proteins. The noticeable improvement in somatic cell count situation observed since some years seems to be stabilizing. The proportion of lactations for which all the test-dates obtain cell counts lower than 300.000 cells and the proportion of lactations having at least 2 test-dates with cell counts higher than 800.000 being stable with respectively 47.8% et 13.6%.

 GOAT

The number of qualified lactations and the number of flocks are decreasing in 2019 to reach 249,579 lactations (-6,516 lactations -2.5%) and 1,492 flocks (-0.7%). In 2019, the main dairy breeds (Alpine and Saanen) represented 96.7% of the overall total of qualified lactations. The proportion of primiparous dairy goats is slightly increasing and reaches 33.8% (+0.8) confirming the trend observed the previous year. With 963 Kg per lactation the milk yield is staying at a comparable level than the one observed in 2018 (-1Kg). This milk yield stability occurs in conjunction with a long lactation duration at 318 days, confirming the increase in lactation duration observed in 2018 that had reached 319 days (312 days in 2017). Meanwhile true-protein and fat rates are increasing and reaches respectively 33.2 g/Kg (+0.2) and 37.5 g/Kg (+0.4).

SHEEP

The total number of ewes present at the lambing period reached 328,980 in 2019, that represents an increase of 2.2% compared to the previous year. Over the last three years the total of ewes in official milk recording has increased by 22,000 ewes. The total number of ewes with lactation calculation reached 280,117 and followed the same trend. 768 flocks are counted up today in Official Milk Recording, which means an increase of 9 flocks compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the average size of flock still progressed in 2018 (428 ewes present at the lambing period in average versus 424 ewes in 2017). In 2018 the average milk yield is increasing for the Lacaune breed (+11.8 liters), is stable for the Corse breed and is slightly decreasing for the pyrénéennes breeds (-3.4 to – 7 liters). At the national level the milk yield reached 284.2 liters in 167 days in milking-only period (+5.6 liters). A simplified milk recording, corresponding to the D recording method in the ICAR nomenclature and not presented in this document, exists in addition to the Official Milk Recording design. It concerns commercial flocks out of the selection nucleus (while the Official Milk Recording is reserved only to breeders involved in the selection program). 1,244 flocks and 542,616 ewes present at the lambing period were submitted to D recording in 2019.