Presentation

1960/1962 : settling in, living with shooting exercises, preparing crops

The first contacts between INRA and the army services (ETBS: Établissements d’Expériences Techniques de Bourges), owners and users of the Domaine de Bourges (consisting of a 12,000-hectare test site dating from 1960) were established with visits from various INRA officials, including Jacques Poly, Raymond Février, Bertrand-Roger Lévy 1, and numerous genetic researchers.

Created in 1962 on military land, the Domaine de Bourges has grown over the years to include four experimental farms spread over two areas: in Osmoy, on the Domaine de la Sapinière, and in Avord, on the Domaine de Galle.

Research on sheep is conducted at La Sapinière. For a long time, the main focus was on increasing the number of lambs born and raised per litter. In recent years, the scope of research has expanded to include genetics related to growth, meat quality, and feed consumption, and then to genetics related to disease resistance. The other three livestock farms (pigs, goats, and cattle) are located in Galle:  at the cattle farm, where meat production and maternal qualities are evaluated, research initially focused on comparisons between breeds and optimizing their use, before moving on to the genetic determinism of muscle growth and its relationship with meat quality and breeding qualities.

1964/1965 : Equipment and buildings are developed: experimentation begins

At the Domaine de la Sapinière: Pierre Cattin-Vidal, who was in charge of the department's computer unit, is replaced by Maurice Molenat as “Paris manager.” Pierre Vieillard, a former INRA employee and president of SICAVYL, advises on the management of the estate.

At the Domaine de Galle: A layout plan for the pig and goat units is drawn up, and a equipment shed is erected. The facilities designed for Galle were modeled on those at La Sapinière, but the realities on the ground sometimes contradicted the plans “on paper.”

1965 : After sheep, pigs

At Domaine de la Sapinière: the flock reaches 1,000 sheep, including the four original breeds and crossbreeds. This melting pot of sheep attracts the attention of a young scientist (Jeanne Pujol-Grosclaude) and her technician (Gérard Ruffet), who come to take blood samples from the lambs and ewes for closer study.

At the Domaine de Galle: the Land Works Unit (UTF), an INRA department headed by Paul Puyaubert, built platforms for the goat farm (200 places), the maternity ward, and the pig fattening facility (10 buildings for 120 pigs) in the Galle valley, nicknamed at the time by Professor Charlet as the “Dien Bien-Phu of pigs.”

1966 : Cattle and goats join the sheep and pigs

At the Domaine de la Sapinière: sheepfold C (400 places) is built by the UTF with funding from the DGRST (General Delegation for Scientific and Technical Research).

At the Domaine de Galle: half of the pig maternity ward is built at the pig farm, then a shed and a milking parlor (2 x 10 places) are built at the goat farm.

1967/1968 : construction continues...

At the Domaine de la Sapinière: the current offices and an infirmary for sheep.

At the Domaine de Galle: the goat farm and four staff lodgings.

1969/1970 : With the first research results and the implementation of the Vachotron, the first generation of experiments comes to an end.

2009 : Closure of the pig farm.

2017 : Closure of the Bovine Gall Vachotron

2020/2021 : Construction of the new goat shed and Phenotyping Hall in Osmoy; bringing together all divisions (sheep, goats, plants) on the same site at the Domaine de la Sapinière.

frise historique P3R.pdf