Diversity of flock management in extensive conditions

Management practices in 13 extensively farmed sheep flocks (stocking level less than 1 LU.ha(-1) principal forage surface) in Montmorillonnais (a west -central region of France) were analyzed with attention to three components of the farming projects: autonomous foraging goals (breeding based on gras s), attention to buyers' requests (records of first semester sales) and sim plicity of flock management. Three different farming styles were identified that either limited the amount of concentrate used, encouraged sales early in the year, or that involved both of these factors. In the most autonomic systems, savings in concentrate concern either the ewes and the lambs. A s imple farming style, indicated by a stable grouping of ewes, was observed i n situations where the farmer was the only permanent employee (four out of six cases). The technical and economic performances (gross margin per awe) were more or less equivalent whatever the management style or ewe grouping. Taking into account the spreading of lambing throughout the year, the diff erent ways of grouping ewes and the changes in stocking level during the wi nter all helped to clarify the technical questions associated with extensiv e farming. (C) Elsevier/Inra.