7
As with every visit, Nolwenn and Louane have tended to the herd beforehand; the cows are clean, milked, and wearing their halters and bits in their respective stalls. Only Hilda hasn’t been changed or milked. The cow has little doubt that she’s about to have visitors this evening.
The couple arrives at the farm at 7:00 PM sharp, greeted first by Nolwenn, then by Louane and Gwendal.
Neither of them is very talkative; perhaps they’re a little tense.
Everyone quickly heads down to the barn.
The couple’s faces light up when they get their first look at this beautiful, short-haired brown Holstein.
They watch as her diaper is changed. Surprisingly, Hilda doesn’t put up much of a fight.
She seems not so much intimidated as almost incredulous—as if she’s telling herself this isn’t real, that the prospect she’s imagining isn’t actually possible, despite the accounts from Abbie and Alma.
This state of stunned disbelief makes things much easier for the girls during the diaper change and milking.
Once the feed had been put in the trough and Hilda had finished her bottle of cereal mix, the couple headed back up, accompanied by their hosts.
Everyone gathered in the living room to share some cider.
Judica?l: "Hilda is perfect—exactly as we’d imagined her from the photos."
Erel: "Yes, I really see myself in her. She’s the one for us; we’re confirming our choice without hesitation."
The couple signed the contract right then and there, and Erel handed the envelope containing the deposit to Louane, who thanked them for their trust.
The couple left the farm, marking the third sale concluded less than a month and a half after the herd’s first cow had arrived.
The three partners reflected on the colossal amount of work accomplished and rejoiced that their efforts had paid off.
It was also a significant weekend because Gwendal and Louane were entrusting the keys to the house to Nolwenn.
They had planned a weekend getaway at a charming holiday cottage in northern Loire-Atlantique, not far away.
They had full confidence in Nolwenn, though she would be assisted by Lo?c for this first weekend on her own.
More specifically, the fourth partner would spend the weekend at the farm as a precaution, just in case anything unusual happened. It offered greater peace of mind for everyone.
It was Nolwenn who insisted that Gwendal and Louane consider taking a weekend off—from Friday evening to Sunday evening.
Initially, Gwendal and Louane wanted to leave on Saturday morning after the milking, but Nolwenn told them that wouldn't give them a proper break; they needed two full days away from herd duties.
She agreed to let them leave on Friday only after the milking was done, provided they also returned only after the Sunday milking.
That became the plan, with the added task of bringing back dinner for a final weekend meal shared by all four partners.
Louane was fairly easy to convince, though Gwendal took a bit more persuasion.
He comes from a background where farm work is constant—typical of the livestock-rearing world.
Yet, he knows full well that he needs to catch his breath and that it is crucial for the balance of their relationship.
He is also struck by the fact that the women can buy ready-made meals from the village caterer.
That, too, goes against his cultural norms; farm life often involves self-sufficiency—having food available but limited financial means.
The success of their farm now easily affords them such luxuries, though they are all very careful not to display any significant change in their lifestyle to the outside world; consequently, it is usually Nolwenn who handles this and buys the meals in Rennes.
The second half of October marks a lull in the arrival of new cows. Even on the Basque coast, where the season extends longer, Bixente hasn't found any opportunities—save for one, but given the distance, he prefers to make the trip to Brittany with two cows at a time.
Monday, October 15: An important milestone awaits the farm this week.
The breeders will find out if Abbie is pregnant.
Louane and Nolwenn know that urine tests are not reliable enough.
To obtain the scientific data needed to inform couples—whom they cannot afford to disappoint—a blood draw and analysis are required.
Nolwenn’s position at the clinic proves invaluable here as well.
Given the number of couples treated at the clinic, there is a high demand for these blood tests.
To save time—and taking advantage of the available medical staff—the clinic often performs the blood draw itself and sends the sample directly to a laboratory just two streets away.
Nolwenn orders the tests for the couples she manages and receives the results directly.
She plans to draw blood from Abbie on Friday morning and take the sample to Rennes to be analyzed as if it were Morgane’s blood.
If the test comes back positive, it will be added to the young woman’s medical file—the first document in the series for a simulated pregnancy.
Louane and Nolwenn get to work early that Friday, before Nolwenn leaves for her job.
If the herd still harbored any doubts about the purpose of the matings, the news of Abbie’s blood test—which spreads rapidly through the barn—leaves no cow in the dark about their fate.
They are dairy cows, but they will also have to carry calves.
Reactions to the news vary; some cows seem a bit dejected, while others clearly express their anger by being as uncooperative as possible—particularly Hilda, who knows full well she might be the next one to be bred.
After all, she has already been visited by a couple, which is not a good sign for her.
Louane and Gwendal keep their phones close at hand all morning, awaiting the test results.
They have already put the cider on ice. It is 10:00 a.m. when they receive the message during their morning coffee break.
"Abbie is pregnant."
The message is clear. The first mating attempt was a success. Nolwenn undoubtedly sent the same message to the young couple, who knew the test would be performed sometime between today and tomorrow.
Nolwenn is heading home a bit early to have lunch with Louane and Gwendal and celebrate this success with them. Lo?c, who has resumed his studies in Rennes, shares in his partners' joy from afar.
Nolwenn: "There is a bit of bad news attached to this, though. Yann won’t get the chance to mate with Abbie a second time; he might be a little disappointed!"
The remark makes Gwendal and Louane laugh, and the meal continues.
The pause in the herd's expansion—coinciding with the end of the tourist season—is actually welcome, as Nolwenn has no shortage of couples interested in buying a calf.
Home consultations are coming thick and fast.
Nolwenn has scheduled no fewer than three for the week, not counting the one to prepare for Hilda’s mating.
As has become her routine, Nolwenn is meeting Erel—the young German-Breton woman—this Monday to prepare for Hilda’s mating with Judica?l.
It is an important appointment, though one that can hold surprises, as was the case with the first two matings and the somewhat unexpected sexual practices of the couples involved.
In this instance, the unique factor is that Erel announces right off the bat that she will not be present for the mating.
Erel: "We fully stand by the choice we’ve made, but I can’t picture myself watching Judica?l mate with Hilda, even though I know it’s necessary. Judica?l and I have discussed it at length, and he’ll feel more at ease if I’m not there, too."
Nolwenn: "I completely understand your decision. Will you be accompanying Judica?l to the chalet the night before?" ?
Erel: "Yes, absolutely—no problem at all, and I’d be happy to do it. It’s just the actual mating part that I don’t want to witness."
Nolwenn: "Have you discussed the actual mating with Judica?l? How do you envision it happening?"
Erel: "Yes, Judica?l is worried the cow might thrash around too much; he’s afraid it would unsettle him. I told him there were probably ways to restrain her. Actually, we have a bit of a special request."
Nolwenn is used to this by now and is almost bracing herself for another surprise.
Erel picks up her tablet and shows her a stock photo from a German website.
It depicts a young woman, fully clothed, strapped to a sort of wooden frame.
She is standing with her legs spread wide, her ankles tied to the legs of the frame, and her torso leaning forward.
Her wrists and neck are clamped between two vertical wooden planks; each plank has semi-circular cutouts that form circular openings—lined with felt—to lock her wrists and neck in place.
Nolwenn thinks to herself that Gwendal is going to have more work to do and will curse her for it, but that turns out not to be the case.
Erel: "Of course, we’ll order this rather unique frame and supply it to you."
Nolwenn agrees without hesitation, amused at the thought of having more juicy details to share with Gwendal and Louane when she gets back to the farm. Sure enough, they talk about it over dinner that evening.
Louane: "Given Hilda’s temperament, that’s actually a good thing, because we’re all convinced she won’t go along with the mating easily. I just hope that frame is sturdy."
Nolwenn: "Erel ordered it while I was there. It was in stock, and she requested express delivery when I told her the mating date would be next week—the exact day to be confirmed by tomorrow. It’s being delivered straight to the farm on a pallet at the end of the week so Gwendal can assemble it.
The manufacturer is used to requests for discretion; the package won't have any identifying marks."
Gwendal: "I’ll have time to reinforce it anyway if it looks a bit flimsy—no worries there."
Nolwenn: "According to the website, it takes two people to assemble this mounting frame. Erel offered 500 euros in compensation for the assembly work; you won’t be wasting your day, Gwendal, and I think at that rate we can ask Lo?c to help you too—especially if you do it this weekend.