“Doctor in brown coat, putting on boots and smelling dung.” It is with these few words that Dr Toudou introduces himself on Twitter. Behind this profile to some 20,000 subscribers is in fact hiding a young 30-year-old veterinarian practicing in Brittany and specializing in the care of cattle. It is a few kilometers from Rennes that the young man has been exercising a little-known profession for four years, yet essential to the economy of the first French agricultural region. For a little less than two years, Tudual has decided to share part of his daily life on the farms with the objective of popularizing his profession. But also to defend a profession often attacked which he managed to gain the confidence. While the Space, the first livestock show installed until Thursday in Rennes, is looking this year into the issue of animal welfare, 20 minutes asked the famous Dr Toudou.
“I think that the agricultural world suffers from a big lack of communication”. Tudual is not the first to make this observation. Inspired by a few farmers already on Twitter, Dr Toudou regularly posts “short stories” or little anecdotes drawn from his daily life. When his day is over, he also takes the time to write “threads” to share his knowledge on certain technical as well as controversial subjects. “I am committed to defending the agriculture that I see, that I work with. Because French breeding is one of the finest in the world ”.
BREVE D’ETABLE: Epilogue.
Wednesday was my birthday.
Well, not the real one. More like my vet-birthday.
It’s been 4 years since I started working. pic.twitter.com/XPPVEy0uYa– Dr Toudou (@DrToudou) September 3, 2021
Dr Toudou therefore spoke on the sensitive issues of antibiotics in animals, dehorning of young calves or euthanasia. “There is a disconnect between consumers and farmers. We no longer really understand what is happening in our countryside. It is not known why a farmer will spread his manure or use a herbicide. You have to take the time to explain. Lack of knowledge is the biggest disaster in agriculture ”.
“I am not preventing anyone from having convictions”
From the top of his 30 years and his nine years of higher education, the young veterinarian does not try to hide the evils of Breton and French agriculture, often the target of what is called “agribashing”. . “I am not preventing anyone from having convictions, but I believe that it must be done with good arguments. Agriculture has changed a lot and it is still changing. But everything takes time. For me, we have to remain as scientific as possible in our decisions ”. The young veterinarian takes the example of anesthesia in calves before dehorning. “We had to train the breeders, explain it to them. It doesn’t happen in a snap ”.
Falling in love with his profession, Dr Toudou always tries to popularize it. If the boss of his clinic is aware of his activity on Twitter, the breeders know less. After struggling to gain their trust when he started out in the profession, the young bovine veterinarian prefers to avoid “exposing them”. “I don’t want them to feel spied on”.