Jersey cows enhance efficiency and profitability in German dairy

At 44 years old, Thomas Andresen is a true innovator and entrepreneur from Sillereup, in the north of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. In recent years, he has repeatedly launched new projects on his farm, Hof Barslund, including solar and wind energy, directly selling eggs, rewilding, and nature conservation—the list goes on.  

However, the core of his agricultural business is dairy farming. VikingJersey cows have been part of his herd for many years, but the Holstein breed (both black and red) still makes up the majority, along with a handful of red cows. "I just like it colourful," says Thomas with a smile.

As part of Thomas’s takeover of the family farm, a modern and spacious cowshed for 400 milking cows was built in 2008. However, for the lively Jerseys, the barn's equipping for large-framed Holsteins meant they had space to come up with some creative antics. Occasionally, a cow or two would stand backwards in the milking parlour, presenting milkers with open eyes instead of a bulging udder. 

Thomas and his staff initially took the hijinks in good spirits, but ultimately, a matter-of-fact approach was needed to improve efficiency and maximise the Jerseys’ significant economic benefits.

Heifers and cows are initially inseminated twice with X-Vik female sexed semen. The third calvers and leftovers are inseminated with Danish Blue genetics, an offshoot line of the White-Blue Belgian breed, and Thomas is more than pleased with his top-quality crossbred calves: "Danish Blue x Jersey makes fattening really fun again,” he says.

Thomas has no complaints about calving problems with Danish Blue. This is because the bulls are specifically bred to facilitate beef-on-dairy production, where easy calvings and the guarantee of zero caesareans are crucial.

Although 100% sexed semen is used, purebred Jersey bull calves can still occasionally be born. This cannot be completely ruled out when sorting sperm, but a 95% chance of producing a heifer calf is still a huge plus.

"We castrate these calves and let them run with the heifers," explains Thomas. They then need three years before they are slaughtered. "It’s not very profitable, but the meat is great, so we, our family, and friends are happy to have tasty cuts from the steers in our freezers,” he adds, showing that even Jersey bull calves can have some positives.