How CEVEC turns better calf housing into better returns

Calf housing is often the ‘missing piece’ the system. Investing in new buildings is a big decision as the cost is significant, while the benefits – healthier calves, improved work routines, longer-term performance – can feel frustratingly hard to quantify.

That’s why the CEVEC project (Cost Effective Ventilated Environment for Calves) was developed by Galebreaker and Scotland Rural College (SRUC) with funding from Digital Dairy Chain. The project was run as a full commercial trial, tracking costs, labour and performance to build a robust return-on-investment (ROI) picture.

A modular design that fits the herd

The starting point was flexibility. Working with Ross Vance at High Skeog Farm, Galebreaker designed a modular calf building that can be scaled to suit different herd sizes – from 3-pen units for around 150-200 cows to 8-pen systems for 350-450-cow herds.

Each design shares the same core elements:

• Purpose-built steel frame with fabric cover
• Integrated ventilation technology and embedded monitoring systems
  • VentTube positive-pressure ventilation, delivering consistent fresh air even on still days
  • Automated VVS® side curtains and Rollerscreens, maximising natural ventilation but closing against wind and rain
  • Pre-heater for the VentTube, pulsing warm air during cold weather so the system can continue to exchange air without chilling calves
  • Automated LED lighting to create a consistent day length
  • iSeries control and monitoring, tying the whole system together and logging environmental and usage data
• Large group pens, all-in/all-out, with robust plastic partitions
• Central kitchen and feed stations, with room for autofeeders and storage
• Dedicated calf box area for newborns
• Drive-in side access for mucking out and re-bedding

Standardised specifications mean the concept can be replicated, with clear build costs for each configuration. This delivers an environment that is demonstrably more stable than traditional buildings or hutches, reducing cold and heat stress and supporting the improved DLWG and lung health seen in the trial.

Contact the sales team for more information on CEVEC on 015131 637 900.

Capital and running costs for CEVEC

To understand ROI, the team looked at capital outlay, running costs and benefits, comparing the 3-, 4-, 6- and 8-pen CEVEC options to the farm’s existing calf hutch system.

For the 4-pen building (65 calves):

• Capital build cost: ~£217,100 (core package)
• Annual electricity and diesel use (for heating, fans, lights, feed system): approx. 22,553 kWh of electricity and 4,169 litres of diesel
• Straw use was broadly comparable to hutches, with a slight straw saving in smaller buildings and a very modest increase in larger units

Energy costs are partially offset by better utilisation – you’re not trying to heat an old, leaky building; you’re using targeted, automated systems that only run when needed.

Where does CEVEC deliver ROI?

The real financial success story comes from labour, health and performance.

1. Labour savings

Time-and-motion records showed daily labour per calf:

• Hutches: around 15 mins 40 seconds per calf per day
• CEVEC: around 3 mins 30 seconds per calf per day

On a 65-calf, 4-pen system at a labour rate of £12.50/hour, that equates to:

• ~£77,400/year in labour for hutches vs ~£17,300/year in CEVEC – an annual saving of more than £60,000

That doesn’t just cut costs; it also makes staffing more flexible, with less pressure on peak-time routines.

2. Growth and sale value

Improved DLWG in the CEVEC building (0.81 kg/day vs 0.69 kg/day in hutches at the same milk allowance) means calves reach target weights sooner, with potential to:

• Reduce days to weaning and sale
• Increase sale weights
• Or both, depending on system goals

Those gains weren’t modelled as a direct revenue stream in the initial ROI, so they offer extra upside for many farms.

3. Future milk yield and longevity

Using carbon and productivity modelling with AgreCalc, the project explored how better calf performance and reduced mortality could:

• Reduce age at first calving by 1-2.5 months
• Increase lifetime milk yield by 1-5% depending on scenario

Even a conservative 1% yield improvement across the herd creates additional milk income worth several thousand pounds per year on 3-, 4-, 6- and 8-pen herds.

CEVEC’s payback picture

Putting it all together, the 4-pen building showed:

• Payback in around 4.4 years on labour and running cost savings alone
• Payback in around 4.2 years when future milk gains are also included
• An internal rate of return (IRR) of 13% without future gains, rising to 16% when they’re added

Other building sizes showed similar payback times of 4–5 years depending on herd size and options selected.

De-risking the calf housing investment

Because CEVEC is a modular, repeatable design, producers aren’t starting with a blank sheet of paper. The project has:

• Proven environmental performance in a commercial setting
• Captured detailed costings for multiple building sizes
• Quantified labour, health and growth impacts

That combination gives decision-makers a much clearer line of sight from design choices to financial outcomes.

For producers looking at their next capital project, CEVEC shows that investing in a purpose-built calf environment doesn’t just ‘feel right’ – it stacks up on the balance sheet too.

Email the team to find out more about the CEVEC Project – marketsupport@galebreaker.com

Read more in the CEVEC series of blogs:

• Improved health and welfare
• Reduced labour costs
• Better sustainability