Located in the municipality of Saint Chély d'Aubrac (12), the La Borie de l'Aubrac Station carries out the evaluation annually of close to 140 bull calves.

The station allows the Aubrac bulls to be controlled with respect to a great number of criteria impossible to find elsewhere: (Pelvimetry, post-weaning genetic potential, sanitary guarantees, comparison with contemporaneous cattle from other herds, parentage completely known and verified, etc.)
Its mission is to offer to all cattle raisers young Aubrac reproducers (13-15 months), that will be controlled for 5 months.

Controls carried out: - Sanitary control before arrival - Selection of calves - Breed quality control - Functional and genealogic aptitudes (particularly lactation and reproduction qualities) - Systematic parentage control

- If they come from stations with growth control: Information on weight and conformation of the calves
- If they come from connected stations: genetic data on the animals (FNais, ALait, CRsev, DMsev y DSsev)

A visit from two station operators who are members of the "Breed Orientation" commission from the UPRA Aubrac is made on the day the calves arrive. Their mission consists in verifying that the calves that have arrived correspond to the breed standard (some exclusion criteria: strong beef cattle features, white tail or white spot on coat, white tongue).

PRINCIPLE: evaluation of the genetic potential using the feature measurements made in the station

NON-GENETIC EFFECTS ARE CONSIDERED FROM THE TIME OF ARRIVAL

The cattle are divided in two groups according to age, with a maximum difference of 40 days within each controlled lot, in conformance with the protocol of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA)-Cattle Raising Institute (IE).
The evaluation period as such will only begin after a preliminary phase of "adaptation" whose goal is to diminish the effects of their raising and of the environment with respect to the weight at weaning.

THE ANIMALS ARE THEN EVALUATED IN CONDITIONS AS IDENTICAL AS POSSIBLE TO THOSE FOUND IN A STATION

The effects of the environment are controlled and similar for all the calves, beginning with the feed:
- Systematic annual analysis of all the types of hay purchased and a calculation of the rations
- Rations based on hay (the only fodder distributed) calculated for an Average Daily Weight Gain of 1,100 gr./day
- Control of calves made over a period of 120 days (INRA-IE protocol)

The calves are relocated in the manner most commonly used by the cattle raisers, stabled on screens and without hay (selection of leg strength).

The differences in the qualities observed originate above all
in the genetic potential of the calves and not in the environment.

VERY STRICT SANITARY REGULATIONS

During the time they are present in the station, the calves are subject to multiple controls, vaccinations, and prophylaxis.
This is done in order to offer for sale future reproducer bulls who represent the best sanitary guarantees, to eliminate the negative characteristics caused by disease and to reduce the propagation of these diseases: mucous membrane disease, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Brucellosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD), etc.

ADOPTION OF A RECOGNIZED SYSTEM FOR QUALITY EVALUATION

To determine with the greatest precision possible the genetic potential of the calves evaluated (Determination Coefficient = 0.3). This precision is obtained thanks to the following measurements:

-> Recognized Controlled Reproducer calves are sold in an auction using closed envelopes.
-> Registered Controlled calves are sold directly at the end of the open door days.
-> Insemination Bulls are sold in an auction after the production of a dose of semen.

Even though the methodology applied in the La Borie de l'Aubrac Station is the most technological, serious and efficient, and with irreproachable measurements for the controls carried out, the evaluation of genetic potential made based on on-farm qualities (growth, evaluation) does not allow everything to be known. Nevertheless, within their generation, the yearlings evaluated in the station are without a doubt those that present the best guarantees at all levels (especially genetic, sanitary and parentage).

The La Borie de l'Aubrac Station is, then, the first and indispensable tool for the establishment of an objective and deep selection of the most promising calves from 7 to 10 months. In effect, the evaluation in La Borie provides undeniable advantages. No other structure, no other cattle raiser can gather so much information. And lastly, the La Borie de l'Aubrac Station is the only place where cattle raisers find such a wide offering of AUBRAC reproducer bulls in the same generation:
- Evaluated under the same conditions,
- Known with great precision,
- With respect to a considerable number of criteria.

A very selective recruiting (strict selection based on origin + Genetic level + sanitary results)
- Rigorous and complete control protocol approved by the National Institute of Agricultural Research and the Cattle Raising Institute
- The calves live in the SAME conditions (buildings, feed, medical treatments)
- Thus, the effects of the environment are controlled and therefore attenuated.
- The differences in on-farm qualities originate, then, more than anything, in the genetic potential.
-The La Borie Station has an A rating in IBR.