7 #2
He’ll be back from Rennes by then. One detail: the couple doesn't want the frame back after Hilda’s mating—or matings—so if we can use it again, they’re leaving it with us."
Gwendal: "I’ll see what the frame looks like when it arrives, but I can probably put it in a stall I’ve prepared in advance."
Louane: "We need to put it in an enclosed, soundproofed room—like the changing rooms or washrooms—so that Judica?l and potentially other couples can use it in private."
Gwendal: "I’ll set up the mating room opposite the changing room at the far end of the corridor. It’ll be isolated from our cows' stalls—which are at the near end—so it’s the perfect spot."
Tuesday, October 23: Blood test for Alma this morning.
Nolwenn hands the sample over to the lab under the name Ma?lle, just as she did for Morgane.
Two hours later, the answer arrives via email on her work computer: it’s positive.
Nolwenn immediately informs Ma?lle, who—as an exception—had kept her phone on during class.
She replies with a thumbs-up, signaling that she has received the news.
The next messages are for her business partners.
Nolwenn doesn’t return from Rennes until early afternoon; she meets Louane and Gwendal at the farm for coffee and to celebrate this second pregnancy.
Nolwenn: "You have to admit, Breton bulls are certainly high performers; Brittany is definitely prime livestock country."
The remark makes everyone laugh. Louane and Nolwenn take the opportunity to determine the exact date for breeding Hilda by checking the herd tracking chart on Louane’s computer. According to their calculations, it will be next Tuesday.
Thursday: A message arrives on Louane’s mobile phone notifying her of the delivery of two packages.
She almost overlooks it, thinking it’s spam, but then remembers the easel.
The carrier needs a return call to schedule the delivery date.
Louane confirms to the woman on the line that the two packages can be delivered the very next morning.
She adds that the driver shouldn't hesitate to honk upon arrival, just in case she and her partner are busy with the animals.
The woman confirms that their drivers are used to delivering equipment to farms, so it won't be a problem.
Friday: The next day, the delivery truck—a large vehicle—arrives in the late morning.
The driver tells Gwendal and Louane that they are his last customers of the day, as their town marks the end of his route.
When he opens the doors, the farmers see two pallets topped with large cardboard boxes, all heavily wrapped in plastic film.
The driver lowers the pallets using the liftgate and uses his pallet jack to place them inside the barn exactly where Gwendal indicated.
Louane offers the driver a coffee, which he happily accepts.
After quickly finishing his coffee, he gets back on the road.
Gwendal opens the shipping document taped to the first pallet.
He finds the invoice made out to their clients for the calf, followed by the assembly instructions.
The instructions are in several languages—including French—and, on paper at least, the process doesn't seem complicated to Gwendal.
He immediately uses a utility knife to cut through the thick plastic film wrapping and protecting the boxes.
Louane leaves him to it; she has to go attend to the bookkeeping.
Gwendal then carries the boxes down to the barn, eager to start assembly in the new room he has just finished.
After an hour, when he doesn't come back up, Louane realizes he is already deep into the assembly process.
She prepares a hearty sandwich and a bottle of cold water for him and takes them down to the barn.
Gwendal is on the phone with Lo?c, telling him that he won't actually need his help with the assembly tomorrow—he can manage it alone without any trouble—though Lo?c is still welcome to come to the farm for lunch.
When Louane brings him his meal, he thanks her and confirms that the grooming stand will be fully assembled by this evening.
Gwendal: "It’s not a gimmick at all, contrary to what I’d somewhat feared. It’s made of beautiful wood, and the finish is excellent."
"It looks very sturdy to me, and the base is designed to be anchored to the floor so the mounting stand doesn't move—which is exactly what I’m going to do, of course."
Louane realizes, however, that she’ll need to ask Nolwenn—the stable’s official interior decorator—to plan some décor for the room; otherwise, it will look a bit empty apart from the stand.
This will be especially important for concealing the same mini-cameras used in the chalet, allowing them to monitor what happens inside the room.
Nolwenn has already thought this through; she plans to use her trip to Rennes this afternoon to do some shopping for the project.
She is buying a TV screen to mount on the back wall, directly facing the stand.
She figures this will allow them to play movies or images at the bull's request, which might stimulate him.
She is also choosing a mobile garment rack to hold the cow's removed suit, as well as the bull's bathrobe or clothes during the mating process.
Finally, she is buying a small coffee table and two small armchairs so the wife can watch the mating—even though that won't be happening this Tuesday.
She has made an exception and taken the farm van so she can bring everything back immediately, which is faster than waiting for delivery.
Back at the farm, Gwendal has made good progress assembling the stand.
He and Nolwenn will have time to mount the TV and install the cameras in the room starting tomorrow.
Speaking of cameras and microphones, Gwendal has also installed them in and around the pasture where Louane’s herd grazes.
The cows wear halters and bits as soon as they are in the pasture, so the microphones pick up only the sound of their bells; however, Louane has set up alerts to detect any vocalization,
which would signal the presence of an intruder or indicate that a cow had managed to break free from its halter and was lowing—risking attracting the neighbors' attention.
Over the weekend, they finish decorating the breeding room, and everything is all set to welcome Erel and Judica?l on Monday evening.
The protocol for the couple is the same as for the first two: dinner served in the chalet and an overnight stay on-site.
The next morning, Louane and Nolwenn come to fetch Hilda from her stall earlier than usual.
The young cow knows full well what awaits her.
Sensing that blows from a stick might not be enough—and might risk leaving marks on the cow’s skin—Louane has ordered two electric shock prods from a specialty website.
She hands one to Nolwenn and keeps the other.
It is a new and clearly painful experience for Hilda, forcing her to move toward the milking parlor and then the wash area to be cleaned and dried.
She is then led into the new breeding room.
Nolwenn zips up the back of her suit to free her hind legs.
The two girls then use their electric prods to force Hilda to stand in front of the mounting frame.
They strap her ankles to the frame’s legs.
Once that is done, the girls remove the rest of the jumpsuit and secure her wrists and head between the two planks.
No matter how much Hilda struggles, the frame doesn't budge an inch.
According to Gwendal, it is very well designed and heavy; it rests on a wide base that the carpenter bolted to the room's floor with eight large bolts.
All that remains is for the girls to remove Hilda’s diaper, and she is ready.
Louane heads back to the house while Nolwenn goes to knock on the chalet door to let Erel and Judica?l know.
He steps out of the chalet in a bathrobe, and Nolwenn guides him the short distance to the breeding room.
He didn't want a movie or video on the TV, but rather some classical music—a Mozart concerto.
He enters the room, and Nolwenn closes the door behind him before hurrying back to the house to join Louane.
According to Louane, she hasn’t missed a thing; Judica?l has simply removed his robe and carefully hung it in the closet by the room's left entrance.
From where he stands, all that is visible is the cow’s taut rump, her legs, his own hunched back, and the top of his head whenever she tries to lift her head slightly.
Judica?l steps closer, feels the cow’s rump, and then strokes her genitals with his fingers.
This goes on for a good three or four minutes.
Judging her ready for mating, he moves closer and gently penetrates her. He remains motionless.
Louane: "Not much is going to happen regarding fertilization like that."
Nolwenn: "I think he’s marking his territory—as if to signal to the cow that he’s right at home inside her."
Louane was almost certainly right, for he slowly begins to penetrate her with a highly controlled back-and-forth motion. The rhythm is steady, then accelerates slightly—shifting up a level, then a second, then a third—with great regularity.
Louane: "He’s a mathematician; maybe he’s counting every movement for each stage in his head?"
Nolwenn looks at her, indicating that they’ll have to time it by watching the video again.
Hilda, who had initially moved within the limits of her restraints, now seemed to be largely enduring the thrusts of her "bull" for the day and the weight of his body leaning over her back.
He serviced her with diligence and steady rhythm; only his own pleasure mattered, and he controlled the timing—he was in charge, while his "cow" simply took it as best she could.
He clearly reached climax, though without showing much outward emotion.
He remained inside his "cow" for a moment—strictly following Nolwenn’s instructions—before withdrawing, putting his robe back on, and leaving the room.
Two minutes later, Erel called Nolwenn to let her know the mating was over.
Louane and Nolwenn untied a completely exhausted Hilda, put her diaper and jumpsuit back on, and led her back to her stall.
They then tended to the rest of the herd while the couple took their time having breakfast in the chalet.
The couple enjoyed the chalet for a while before heading back up in the late morning to share their impressions with Nolwenn and Louane.