YPERIOS: The cross that ticks all the boxes

Jacques Passereau, a Holstein breeder in the Sarthe region for 33 years, has been crossbreeding for several years to supplement his income from milk sales. While he used to crossbreed exclusively with BBB, he has now switched to 100% YPERIOS. He tells us how and why the change came about.

GAEC de la Croix Rouge
3 associates
100 ha of UAA
1 1200 m² turkey breeding coop
- 2000 turkeys (sale of fertilized eggs with
  HENDRIX Genetics)

67 VL with an average of 8100 kg
486,000L of milk quota
TP: 35.2 – TB: 44.6
Milk sold 100% to Sodiaal in standard production

“I have a rather atypical system, not very mechanized, self-service with an 8-meter open silo for 67 cows. In winter we use a rather intensive system, and in summer we use meadows, closed silos and dynamic grazing. Calving is grouped from August 20 to November 20, and they are self-sufficient in terms of feed during the summer, so I can take vacations and 1 weekend out of 2. We also don’t hesitate to use salaried workers or replacements. We also organize ourselves according to

personal life. I regularly take part in training courses, and for the past 5 years we’ve been using complementary medicines: acupuncture, aromatherapy, phytotherapy, etc. We’ve done some real in-depth work on health, and at selection level we base our decisions on this health criterion, in particular favoring easy calving in renewals and crossbreeding, but also rates and, a few years back, cells”.

Did you know YPERIOS?

I knew INRA 95 and Excellence Charolais by name, but had never tried them. As I wasn’t totally satisfied with the BBB and on the advice of my inseminator, I tried the experiment first with YPERIOS 95 and now with the whole YPERIOS range. And then I converted my neighbors! When they saw the calves in my field, they called to find out what they were. They tried it and now they’re like me: convinced!

So breeders are convinced, but what about buyers?

A few years ago, calf buyers were pushing the BBB a lot, but now it’s different. They know YPERIOS and the quality of its calves. When I started doing YPERIOS, I mentioned it to the dealer. He agreed, and now he even organizes a separate tour to collect these higher-quality calves, so as not to mix them with the others!

What's so different about YPERIOS?

I’d say it’s a combination of things. First of all, gestation periods. With YPERIOS, I’m 5 or 6 days younger than with BBB on average, and that counts when you’re breeding 60 to 70% crosses. And I find that in BBB, the calves come out soft, not very “physical”. That’s why we started with YPERIOS. Not only does it calve very easily, but the vitality is impressive, and the calves are very toned compared with BBBs. And then, of course, there’s the ease of calving.

I’m a dairy farmer first and foremost, so there’s the vitality of the calves, but there’s also the vitality of the cow!

For the extra €20 or €30 you might earn (and even that’s not certain), it’s not worth taking the risk. In BBB, cows are more tired, and resuming feeding is more complicated. So, with more days of milk, a higher level of production achieved more quickly and healthier cows, when you look at the overall margin including milk, “there’s no contest”, YPERIOS is the safest and most profitable choice, even if the doses are a little more expensive at the outset.

And in financial terms? Do you have any tips for to add even more value to these calves?

We sell 66s for €80 to €100, crossbred males for €250 and females for €170 to €200. Sometimes YPERIOS are kept for an extra 3 days or a week, which can affect the selling price. Here, we refuse to throw milk away. We prefer to keep the calves a little longer if necessary to get the most out of them.

What is your mating and breeding strategy? how do you run your farm?

Today I genotype all my heifers and I follow each mating down to the last AI: who to put for renewal, sexed, conventional, crossbred… and on paper! For the cows, I use conventional for renewal and if it’s a crossbreed, often YPERIOS 95 to start with, then YPERIOS EXC from the 3rd or 4th calving onwards.

How do you choose your bulls?

Instead, we work with the #SECURE segment. I’ve used MODJO, LOCUS or MAGISTRAL a lot. To choose from the catalog, I talk to Jean-François, my inseminator, and we come to an agreement. We use indexes for ease of birth, beef aptitude and €val. This allows us to choose the one that will give us the best value for money.