Calf rearing rarely falls apart because farmers don’t care enough. More often, it unravels in the gaps: a pen here, a shed there, second-hand air drifting from older stock, and a daily feeding routine that asks someone to haul milk like it’s a gym subscription.
At High Skeog Farm near Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway, the Vance family decided they’d had enough of those gaps. Their message is simple: “don’t let housing be the missing piece.”
A family business with a long-term view
High Skeog is run by third-generation farmer Ross Vance, alongside his wife Katie, and in partnership with his parents, Ethel and Stewart. The family farms 290 acres and manages a 200-cow Holstein Friesian herd, milking around 170 cows and targeting strong milk quality and longevity. Their milk goes to Lactalis’ Stranraer site for cheese production, where high constituents are rewarded, shaping the farm’s breeding priorities.
Ross says: “We’re aiming for cows that are resilient, that don’t have a lot of health issues. We want to breed well-rounded cows that are going to produce good quality milk.”
Genomic testing and heat detection technology help drive herd improvement, with sexed semen used on top performers before sweeping with British Blue or Angus. But Ross is clear that even the best genetics can be blunted if youngstock don’t get the right start.
The problem: “We knew the environment wasn’t right”
For years, calf housing had evolved in a familiar way – make do, then make do again. Calves were spread across multiple sheds, feeding was time-consuming, and disease had a habit of reappearing.
“We always knew the environment wasn’t helping us. The drainage was poor, the airflow was inadequate, and calves were exposed to second hand air from older animals,” Ross says.
The associated costs weren’t just inconvenient. Medicine purchases told their own story, with significant expenditure on treating pneumonia and scouring calves. This backdrop became a major driver to invest in a new calf shed.
A ‘lightbulb moment’ and the shift to specialist design
Ross credits his nutritionist with helping trigger the change. A visit to Northern Ireland to look at different set-ups flicked a switch and made him realise specialist input would be essential if a new shed was going to work properly.
Soon after, Katie encouraged him to attend a Digital Dairy Chain event focused on innovation. That led a conversation with Galebreaker’s technical team to scope what a modern calf-rearing building could look like on their farm.
From there, the partnership expanded. Galebreaker and the Vance family applied for Digital Dairy Chain grant funding as part of a research project in collaboration with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), with the aim of developing a state-of-the-art calf shed supported by a structured research programme.
Enter CEVEC: housing designed around the calf
That collaboration became CEVEC (Cost Effective Ventilated Environment for Calves).
For Ross, the ‘why’ behind the project is straightforward – design the environment around what the calf needs, then back it up with tangible data insights.
“Our goal was to create the best possible environment for calves, and Galebreaker’s expertise in ventilation and airflow was key to achieving that,” he says.
“The building design that evolved provides consistent ventilation, reduces heat stress, and allows for greater airflow, which are essential for calf health.”
The shed includes individual pens and an automated feeding system, helping bring consistency to nutrition and simplifying daily routines.
The practical win: labour and routine
Ask many dairy farms what they want from new calf facilities and you’ll often hear the same thing – “make it easier to do the right thing, every time.”
For High Skeog, automatic feeders have been a standout benefit. Previously, feeding was physically demanding and time-consuming, with milk being carted around the farm as calves were managed across different locations. Ross notes the new system frees up time for other jobs and helps make calf care more repeatable.
A holistic view of the calf environment
One of the strongest themes that Ross identified is that the building isn’t treated as a single ‘fix’, but as a way to manage multiple environmental levers together.
He highlights five critical factors in the calf environment: fresh air, air speed, temperature, moisture, and hygiene.
“CEVEC introduces a holistic approach that balances all aspects of the environment that can impact animal welfare,” he says.
Meanwhile, SRUC researchers (led by Prof. Carol-Anne Duthie) collected performance and health data including daily liveweight gain (via the feeder), behaviour monitoring (via sensors), lung scanning and treatment records. The aim has been to quantify how the new system compares with previous approaches and identify what drives the best outcomes.
Lessons learned: new buildings don’t replace good management
Even with improved facilities, the transition hasn’t been without challenges. Ross describes a learning curve moving from manual feeding to an automated system, including adjusting feeding rates and balancing the requirements of the research comparison with practical farm goals.
Disease management also remained central. Cryptosporidiosis had been a persistent issue historically, and the family recognised that better housing supports success, but doesn’t substitute robust protocols.
“Even with the best facilities, if the disease isn’t properly managed, you’re still going to have issues,” Ross says.
The bigger point: housing protects your farm’s future
For High Skeog, the CEVEC project is more than having a new shed. It’s led to a shift in mindset that revolves around creating a system that gives calves the best chance, while being able to making continuous improvements based on the evidence the data provides.
Ross sums it up with a clear warning for the wider industry: “You can accelerate genetic gain with tools like genomic testing and sexed semen, but all that work can be undone if the calves don’t receive the right care during their early life.”
For farms weighing up a move to modern calf housing, the CEVEC project offers a grounded takeaway: start with the calf, design the environment to remove the weak links, and let data steer the fine-tuning.
Next in the CEVEC blog series
This post is part of our CEVEC blog series. You can also explore:
