There are many things that can produce that "oh I wish I had one of those!" For me, that includes a good barn - and sometimes flat fields.

What might catch your attention and produce that response? Here I share some musings on the theme of barns and how we might use them.

• An overhang to the roof can be really nice, creating a dry shelter outside area that alpacas will just love and make use of.
• enough doorways and access points to create smaller catch pens and a logical and efficient workflow (or animal flow)
• Spae enough to bring them all in and a bit extra for the occasional temporary hospital wing.

You can dream but generally, we need to get good at managing with what we have got. Having said that, I think if we moved house I would have a very different desirable traits checklist for our new house compared to last time. Alpacas will do that to you.

Fortunate to inherit a stable block I have been working in this space with my alpacas for 11 years. I am still trying to perfect the flow-through, given its size and shape. You have no doubt heard the old joke about "If you are trying to get there, I wouldn't start from here". Make do and mend is your best option but just now and again you get the chance to start with a clean slate.

What about you? What would your ideal barn look like? Let me know through by sending me a voice message using the button on the website or here:
Send me a voice message

A full hay store does the heart good.

Alpacas are amazing at fitting into a smaller space than you would expect - they seem to have "friends' and family that they will share space and the food bucket with but others, definitely not. Enough space for feeding and cushing will avoid them getting fractious.

A good barn or stable is a great tool for helping you manage your alpacas but it is amazing what you can achieve with a bit of ingenuity and flexibility. And remember, Thou shalt not covet your neighbour's alpaca barn"!

Have a good week.