INRAE-IEPL is the experimental facility of PEGASE research unit, where experiments are carried out to evaluate and develop new technologies and farming practices to meet the expectations of the industry, consumers and citizens. The installation allows, to make the link between physiological approaches to understand the mechanisms of milk production in dairy cattle and their application through farming practices for animal husbandry. The installation covers 80 ha of temporary grasslands and has access to 60 ha to cultivate maize silage. Its dairy and wintering facilities are adapted for 170 Holstein dairy cows. Dairy cows are milked in a rotary milking parlour of 28 places. INRAE-IEPL-PEGASE offers a quality partnership, adaptable according to user needs and the developments of new research technologies, reliable with the implementation of the quality assurance in research program, at defined by the Inrae repository and concerned about animal welfare and ethics in animal experimentation.
At INRAE-IEPL-PEGASE, 111 Holstein dairy cows can be used in nutritional experiments. The following devices are available for GHG and NH3 studies: a specific stable (Bateffi) to measure gas exchanges (built in 2022), 2 automatic head chambers (GreenFeed®) in another stable, a flux tower (labelled ICOS network) to measure gas exchanges (H2O, CO2, CH4 and N2O) in fields. An adaptable composting device will be available in 2022 to investigate waste and effluent management and improve circular bio-economy. For digestion and metabolism studies, 19 stalls for digestibility and N balance measurements, rumen parameters, digestive and nutrient flow techniques are available. To phenotype and monitor cattle behaviour in relation to animal welfare and health through PLF devices individual feed intake and feeding behaviour can be monitored. A 3D acquisition system for body condition score, a newly developed one shot 3D acquisition, can be used to asses individual traits (volume, body condition score, etc.) on dairy cows. To study drinking behaviour, 24 connected