How do dairy farmers face work problems? Some elements about the adaptation of the technical systems in Central France

International audienceA 30 farms survey was made in Segala (S-W Massif Central, France), with the objective of a better understanding of what means "simplified management" as far as work and dairy herd management are concerned. Six options of simplified management were studied dealing with i) milking: temporal close of the milking parlor (TCM), suppression of the late Sunday milking (13 to 14), once a day milking (1M) and ii) feeding: grazing based management (Past), self service (Self), delegated distribution of the complete diet (CD). The options do not Lead to "better working conditions" in the same ways. They target i) Less daily routine work duration (Self, 1M, CD), ii) more time available for busy periods or family holidays (TCM), iii) a week-end rhythm with a real "out of milking slavery" on Sunday (13 to 14), iv) changes in the indoor - outdoor tasks equilibrium (Past). Radical innovations on milking practices such as once a day milking or suppression of the Late Sunday milking are disturbing the local conceptions of what "to be a good dairy farmer" means. A multiple components factorial analysis was performed with 11 dairy herd management decisions criteria. The projection of each simplification option on the factorial plan shows that some options (TCM, Past) determine a herd management style (herd collective style for TCM and resource use style for Past). At the opposite, Self and CD options can be part of several management styles. 12 to 14 and 1M are intermediary, the first being closer to the maximisation of milk production style management, the second being closer to the resource use style. At the end, "simplifying Livestock management" doen't mean much and must be detailed as far as implications on herd management rules and on working conditions are concerned