Dairy farmer adopts autumn calving for pasture-based system

Theis Jansen manages a 130-hectare dairy farm in northern Germany, raising 150 Holstein Friesian x Red Holstein cows and 100 heifers. After an internship in Ireland, he adopted autumn calving (September–December) for 80% of his herd to align lactation with peak pasture quality and maintain milk yields of 10,000 litres per cow. The system supports grazing until day 100 of lactation, avoids summer calving when forage is poor, and relies on precise fertility management. The farm is located on raised peatland in Lower Saxony near the North Sea.