2 #6
Louane checks that the system is working properly on her mobile phone.
She can see the four dots representing her cows moving across the map of the pasture and its surroundings.
By adjusting the geolocation settings, she even tests the alarms available in the app.
Initially, she had programmed an alarm to trigger if a cow came within two meters of the hedges—that is, the space between the electric fence and the hedge itself.
To test the system further, she programs a second alarm to go off when a cow gets within two meters of the electric fence.
Seeing the two Holsteins start to circle the pasture, she decides it is the perfect moment to test the system's effectiveness.
It takes less than two minutes for Hilda’s collar alarm to sound, followed closely by Anneliese’s when she gets a little too close to the electric fence.
Everything seems to be working perfectly.
Louane has even programmed each collar with a two-letter code—the first letter of the cow's name and the first letter of its breed (e.g., "SJ" for Sarah the Jersey)—making it easy to immediately identify the moving dots on the map.
Now with four cows, Louane is also testing her ability to herd them.
While she can easily handle moving a single cow—taking it from its stall and bringing it back—she needs to be able to move the group as a whole for milking or trips to the pasture; otherwise, the process will quickly become too time-consuming,
leaving her without enough time for all her tasks as the herd grows.
She had fetched her cows one by one to take them to the pasture, but starting today, she plans to bring them back as a group.
With this in mind, she has left all the doors open—both the small shed door and the stalls for her four cows.
She is allowing herself a bit of extra time now that her herd has doubled in size; at 6:30 PM, she heads over to the cows, who have gathered and are sitting under an apple tree.
Louane: "Time to head inside, my beauties."
Louane has spoken only French to her cows from the start, and the paradox is that the two newest arrivals understand her before Sarah and Alma eventually pick up the language.
They cannot answer with their bits in their mouths, but even if Sarah and Alma don't necessarily understand French, they know it is time to go in for milking.
In fact, their milk-heavy udders serve as the best possible clock for these young cows, who will be relieved of the tension in their udders.
They stay put when Hilda signals to Anneliese with her hoof that they are to remain seated and not move.
Louane isn't bothered by this and guides Sarah and Alma toward the barn.
Next comes the milking parlor, followed by a change of bedding; they will be washed down tomorrow.
Louane finishes by giving them their respective bottles, then heads back to the pasture to check on the two German cows.
It turned out to be a very good idea, for no sooner had she returned to the barn with Sarah and Alma than her phone alarm went off.
The two German cows were already standing by the electric fence at the far end of the field.
Hilda even went so far as to test whether the wires were actually live before quickly jumping back.
Louane deactivated that alarm, keeping only the one monitoring the gap between the electric fence and the hedge, so she could tend to her other cows without unnecessary interruptions.
When Louane returns to the pasture, she finds the two Holsteins still near the electric fence, though in a different part of the field.
She signals that it is time to head back, but Hilda shakes her head "no."
Louane decides against using the stick and leaves the two cows in the pasture, effectively putting them to the test.
She heads back to her living room, having left the doors to the shed and the Holsteins' stalls open.
Naturally, she keeps an eye on her app to see what the two rebellious cows are up to.
Louane figures that the evening chill—and the coming night—will eventually get the better of them.
Events prove her right. Anneliese is the first to decide to return, followed by Hilda, before pitch darkness falls.
Brave but not reckless, the two German cows feel more secure in the gentle warmth of the barn.
Louane goes down to remove their halters so they can drink water if needed, though they are denied a change of bedding and their grain feed.
She then latches their stalls and goes upstairs to join Gwendal.
She had hoped to have all four cows lined up in the milking parlor stalls this evening, but that will have to wait until tomorrow morning; there is no way she is letting them avoid udder stimulation any longer.
The next morning, Louane rises early to welcome Nolwenn, who is arriving to pick up the van for her collection rounds.
The two young women exchange kisses on the cheek, and Louane asks if her friend might have time for a coffee upon returning from Rennes in the early afternoon; she knows there are no appointments scheduled for the afternoon with new recruits looking to sell their surplus milk.
Nolwenn agrees and sets off without delay.
Louane then turns her attention to her herd—though "herd" might have been a stretch for just two cows, the term feels a bit more credible now.
She leads Hilda out of her stall first, using repeated blows from her stick to herd her into the milking parlor stall—specifically, the third one from the ramp leading up to the platform.
Next, she goes to fetch Anneliese. Both cows are wearing halters and bits, as well as new collars with bells.
They cannot communicate, but their movements are now audible—a safety feature that allows Louane to instantly detect any movement by the cows, such as an attempt to charge her.
Once in their respective stalls, the two Holsteins are tethered by the neck and front legs.
They know what to expect, yet they are still annoyed when Louane unzips the front of their suits to expose their udders.
With that done, Louane goes to get Sarah and Alma.
Having been raised on the farm longer, these two cows leave their stalls voluntarily and no longer need prodding to reach the milking stalls.
Once the gates are closed, Louane steps down from the platform to tether the last two cows and expose their udders.
Much to the ladies' displeasure, she uses her mobile phone to snap a photo of the four cows lined up and ready for milking. She then attaches the milking units to Sarah’s udder, followed by Alma’s. Hilda, standing right next to them, watches Louane at work.
She makes a desperate attempt to twist her body away from the milking units Louane is holding for her, but it is futile. Finally, Anneliese is hooked up as well. Louane sets the milking timer and stays to ensure everything goes smoothly. The first two stalls are productive;
the next two hold young cows not yet accustomed to milking, who hope to escape the suction power of the units. However, the cups remain firmly latched onto the Holsteins' udders, refusing to let go.
Louane has high hopes for good yields with this German breed, which is renowned for its milk.
Once milking is finished, it’s time for a change and bottles for everyone; this time, the two Holsteins drink their cereal bottles without hesitation.
Louane heads back to the living room, thinking about how she will speak to Nolwenn when she returns early in the afternoon.
With the arrival of the two Holsteins, the argument that customers are simply dropping off milk directly at the farm will be hard to maintain, given the sheer volume of milk involved.
A breastfeeding mother might have a surplus of at most 200 to 250 ml per day—three to four times less than what Louane’s cows, which have no calves to feed, produce.
Nolwenn has only been working for Louane for a few days, yet she seems delighted.
Moreover, she connects very well with young mothers; so far, she has managed to convert 100% of the leads she has contacted—whether through the website or, more importantly, the referral system.
She was a fantastic midwife—what a professional waste, Louane often thinks.
Nolwenn isn’t an extrovert, but she isn’t shy either; she is simply discreet, always smiling, and efficient.
Louane doesn’t know of her having a boyfriend—she lives alone, in any case—and suspects her friend is likely a lesbian, though this is a non-issue for Louane, who is completely open-minded about such matters.
However, Nolwenn did confide that getting hired by Louane saved her financially; since losing her job at the maternity ward, she had been struggling desperately to pay her rent.
Louane has given a lot of thought to how to approach this with Nolwenn, even discussing it with Gwendal to get his opinion and any suggestions he might have.
She knows a lot is at stake; if Nolwenn refuses to cooperate once she learns the reality of Louane’s milk production, it could be a major problem.
The young woman is a bit stressed; the financial aspect is important to Nolwenn, but will it be enough to make her overlook obvious moral principles?