The farm in Saint Christophe now has 85 cows and an equal number of young stock. Menut also sells around fifteen young bulls to fellow breeders each year. “I want people to see me as a good breeder, with a genetically high-quality herd,” he says.

The beef livestock farmer has therefore always put a lot of effort into heat detection and fertility management. At midday and in the evening, he took his time checking for animals that were in heat. At night he monitored the herd through a camera in the stall. When the advisor from Elva Novia, the organisation for cattle improvement active in central France, suggested he give the Nedap Heat Detection system a try, he seized the opportunity with both hands.

“My fertility rates were fine, but I wanted to test whether heat detection also worked for beef cattle and if it was possible to boost the figures even higher,” he says. “And it works like a charm.” Menut bought the first collars in the winter of 2013-2014. The cows are outside most of the year. Depending on the weather, he brings them inside in late October or early November. During the winter period, the yearlings and cows are kept in a semi-open straw barn.

“The aim is for all the animals to calve in December and January,” he says. “That makes it a very busy period, with multiple births each day. But it is practical from an organisational standpoint, if I decide to hire extra help. And any medications I use in connection with calving can be purchased in bulk. That keeps the costs down.”

The beef cattle farmer is therefore very complimentary about Nedap Heat Detection.” It gives me greater insight and more control over my livestock,” he says. In April the prominent breeder welcomed groups of visiting colleagues who were interested in hearing about his experience with the system. “I recommend it to everyone,” Menut says. “For heat detection, it works perfectly for beef cattle, both for the cows and the yearlings. And the other big plus is how much time it saves. I really can’t live without it.”