lundi 21 novembre 2011

Meeting of Raphaël FARRUGIA - October 6th 2011

Breeder sheep in Bonnefontaine (Jura - France)
Livestock called "L'agneau de nos contrées" (The lamb of our country)




Raphael FARRUGIA has a sheep and mainly produces meat. He settled in recent years in Bonnefontaine and suffered for the first time a lynx attack on his flock last spring.

The farmer permits me to get a first overview of the steps a farmer has to do when is attacked:

      
When Raphael found a dead sheep on one of his plots, he contacted ONCFS (National Hunting and Wildlife Agency): an agent then went on site to demonstrate the attack: photos
are taken and a report is completed objectively.
       
Raphael said that, in the case of his farm, one attack does not have much influence: for him it's part of the vagaries of farming and has no significant impact on income.
      
In addition, if the attack is proven, the farmer receives an indemnity for each animal killed in compensation.
In my research, I learned that the amount of compensation depends on the characteristics of the animal's genetic, age, or if the sheep is full or not.

       
To set up a patou (sheeper dog) in such a breeding wouldn’t make sense because it would not be profitable for Raphael (he has very few attacks).
Most of his plots are far from the edge of the forest and close to homes.
Parcel near the forest in Bonnefontaine
 
        Around Bonnefontaine, it would be a young lynx which comes regularly in the commons. A snapshot of this lynx was made by the ONCFS with a camera trap placed next to the remains of the sheep [the lynx does not devour its prey at once but gradually, starting with the sides]. It can be observed also on snapshots, a fox came to take a part of the prey left by lynx.

In the case of the raising of Raphael, the lynx is not a concern because it brings little damage to the breeder but when the lynx attacked repeatedly in a herd, it becomes more complex.

This is for example the case of Alain Revil, breeder and also to Bonnefontaine I meet tomorrow (Tuesday, October 11).

To be continued...

Next Article: Meeting with Yoann Aguer, Chamber of Agriculture of Franche-Comté.

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