Livestock Systems Research Unit | ESA, Higher education and research

Overview

RESEARCH TOPICS TEAM AND ORGANISATION EQUIPMENT KEY WORDS

Objectives of the USC URSE are to produce knowledge, tools and methods to support the transitions of livestock systems in the West part of France. The study of adaptive capacities of livestock systems and animals is central. A particularity is to study these adaptive capacities with a focus on the links between livestock systems management and animal health.

The central question of our team is: How can animal health objectives be integrated into livestock systems management? Animal health is not seen here as the control of pathogens but as the maintenance of animal welfare and the satisfaction of adaptive performance objectives (animal, herd, system).

More precisely we aim:

To produce indicators for the management and assessment of agroecological systems in a context of digital agriculture and precision breeding: that take into account i) the complexity of management based on adaptive animal performance; ii) the complexity of management based on individual and herd animal performance, and iii) that are adapted to the diverse practices of breeders and actors around the breeding activity.
To develop methods and tools to support and prepare for changes in practices i) based on co-design approaches; ii) by integrating multidisciplinary indicators into decision support tools, and iii) for diversity of actors and production models.

Our scientists work on different scales: the animal, the herd or the livestock system. Their expertise and research activities are focused on different species and animal sectors: dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs and poultry. Our methodological skills range from statistical analysis (meta-analysis of large data sets, data from experimental systems or farm surveys, etc.) to qualitative analysis (discourse analysis). Our expertise is based at different themes related to grassland and forage management, animal health, animal welfare, reproduction management, management of the breeding system, animal feed, as well as the quality of animal products.

Our research projects

PRAIDIV EUROPEAN SURVEY

Project URSE : ALONGE

Improving dairy cow’s longevity through improvement of decision making and management for culling and replacement for a successful agro-ecological transition of dairy farms.

Project URSE : Santrav (2019-2023)

Integrated management of animal health through the prism of work: the case of dairy farms in western France.

Project URSE & LARESS (2018-2021): Maraîchine

Promoting the Maraîchine breed to combine quality meat and preservation of coastal environments

Project URSE : CowPILOT

Body condition score management to optimize the reproduction of dairy cows

Project URSE : TRIBAL

Transfer of agro-ecological innovations in dairy buildings.

When considering the construction or adaptation of their dairy buildings, farmers and future farmers can ask themselves many questions: new or renovation? Location? Nature and size of the structure? Investment cost? Operating costs? Working conditions… without forgetting the new challenges: animal welfare, societal expectations, climate change

Project URSE (2021-2025): PRAIDIV

Contribution of grassland diversity to the management of forage systems combining grass-based feeding and ruminant health

Project URSE & LARESS: UnifilAnimHealth

Improving animal health performance

Consultancy Services

Study programmes

TEACHING

Partners

SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS NETWORKS AND COLLABORATIVE GROUPS

Participation in the disciplinary group of zootechnicians of the ACT department
RMT Prairies Demain: This professional and scientific network contributes to a better use of the productive and food potential of the meadow to maintain the maximum of grass areas, strengthen the place of grass in the systems of herbivore breeding and improve the technical and economic efficiency of these structures.
URSE is part of several INRAE scientific networks : SOS Agro (focused on the use of antioxydants in animal nutrition), PlanHleath (focused on the development of links between animal health and plant health)
RMT Travail en agriculture : URSE is part of this national scientific and professionnal network on agricultural Labor and work organization
ESA is a member of the Valorial competitiveness cluster
ESA is a member of the Institut de l’Elevage with the status of participant in research actions
ESA is a member of Lit Ouesterel
ESA is a member of AFPF (Association Francophone pour les Prairies et les Fourrages)…