The Border Llama Stables
- Construction
The stables have been designed by us
specifically with the safe and comfortable housing and handling of llamas in
mind. We decided at an early stage to build each of the stables 15' x 15'
so that each group of llamas has enough room to move around when kept inside together. We have
also made sure that each stable has lots of natural light and ventilation whilst at the
same time the 6' overhang ensures that rain cannot enter through the door or
window openings. All electrical wiring and lighting is IP65 rated and positioned so that
it is impossible for the llamas to reach.
The stables have been constructed using 8"
concrete blocks and will be rendered to provide weatherproofing and an aesthetic look
which does not detract from the construction and finish of the house
(also a requirement for planning permission). The insides of the stables
will be finished with a smooth waterproof render which will aid in keeping the
walls clean using non harmful cleaning agents and allow for jet washing. Where
the render meets the floor will be curved so as to prevent corners where dirt
and thus unwanted bacteria can build up.
Each of the stables has 2 x 2mtr clear roof
panels to allow light into the stables. However, each of these panels will
be fitted with a sliding cover which can be pulled over in summer to provide
shade and and keep the stable cool.
We considered installing automatic water
feeders in each stable but decided against this because during winter the
temperatures can get as low as -24 degs and it would then be necessary to
install individual heating elements in each stable which we consider to be a
potential risk. Auto water feeders still need cleaning out and can become
blocked or malfunction. We decided to retain rubber water buts which we
fill using a hose, these are far safer and fit with our policy of filling with
fresh water once or twice daily. emptying and scrubbing clean every 2 days, and
allows us to add selenium or other soluble minerals to the water as required
(not possible with a wall mounted auto feeder). Also, when a female is in
the stable and giving birth, we remove the water butt until the cria is standing
steadily (to prevent the possibility of the cria stumbling and ending up head
first in the water butt).
The feed room is divided into two separate
areas.
* One for the storage of hay and straw
* One for the storage of hard feed which
will be kept in metal storage bins, medications and syringes which will be
stored in a small fridge, and all of the
equipment such as halters, leads, packs, brushes, toe clippers etc.
The indoor training area which is essential
for ensuring that we can continue to train our llamas regardless of weather
conditions and can be divided into two sections to act as additional stables if
required or they can serve as a large indoor birthing area. The indoor training
area will also have fold away sections which can be used to create a small
6' x 6' or 6' x 4' handling pen which we will not only use for halter training but also can act as
a confinement area if necessary for both us or the vet to administer medication.
The installation of wireless CCTV equipment will not
only provide a security function but will also allow us to monitor females that
are due to give birth when they housed in the stables due to inclement weather
conditions and they can also be used to provide feedback to both trainer and
trainees when the indoor training stables are being used.
We will continue to update this page as we
progress with the building of the stables and the installation of electrics,
plumbing and ancillary equipment.
Below are pictures of the ground work for the
stables. These will be updated as build work progresses.
Ground Works
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The area at the rear of the house prior to the arrival of the groundworkers.
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The first peice of heavy equipment arrives. A 26ton Digger.
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Work commences.
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The digger clears the topsoil down to the rock subsurface level.
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It does not take long for a machine of this size to clear the area.
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Using laser levels the team make sure that the whole site is level.
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The truck bring in the hardcore base.
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Now the hardcore base has been tipped and spread the roller starts the leveling and compacting process.
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Good access is essential and the digger completly rips out the old bushes which hinder the new access point where automatic gates will be installed.
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The big digger starts to prepare the new parking area.
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Pouring the hardcore subsurface for the car park.
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The first sections of concrete being poured. The number of vehicles on site starts to increase.
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Here you can see the expansion bars being put into place. A total of 10 expansion strips were used.
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One of the fields was used to house all the heavy plant equipment.
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Total mayhem as even more heavy site equipment arrives. The garden is now a building site.
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As you can see the site needed leveling. This will all be landscaped after the building work is completed and drianeage installed.
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The concrete workers take a well earned break.
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The machine with the 600 ltr concrete mixer attached. Very flexible machine.
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The guys laying the first level of concrete onto which the metal reinforcing mesh is placed before the top layer is poured.
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The water pipes and gail for electrics being put into position and laid at a depth on 1 mtr below ground level.
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The base finaly finished and drying.
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View of the base towards the house. The closest area of the base in the phot is the indoor training area.
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The new car park. Lots of work yet to do but the big digger had to watch out for the underground pipes and the fosse septique. It will be done later.
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The top soil from the base forms a great mound in a field for the llamas to play on. They love it.
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Building the walls
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Work building the walls commences using 20 x 20 x 50 blocks.
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The Iveco Daily 35S12 Van for transporting llamas.
The van is having an EU approved folding rear ramp, colour/sound cameras, aircon/heating, full internal insulation, roof and side panneling for animals and a rubber floor fitted. Then it will undergo and inspection by the French Authorities prior to being authorised as an official commercial llama transporter. |
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Side walls going up.
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Work comming on nicely.
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All walls now completed.
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View showing feed room (left) and training area (right) which can convert into 2 x seperate sables within 2 minutes if needed.
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View showing door and window openings in the stables.
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Inside view of the unde rcover training area.
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Nice large feed room for all that winter hay and straw.
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The Roof
Due to the lengths of wood
required for constructing the roof, we now have a 3 week delay before roofing
starts. The plan is for 7 mtr beams (10 x 220) to sit on each of the
dividing walls, each of these beams will be fixed into the walls using 20mm bars
and each of the bars will be concreted into the walls to a depth of 70cms.
Then 4.5mtr lengths will be run between each of the beams onto which the Profile
6 fibre-cement roofing will be fixed. All the beams running along
supporting walls will also be strapped and screwed into the concrete blocks to a
length of 1 mtr. So a lot of roofing, but once in place it will be able to
withstand the uplift that will be generated from the high winds during the
storms, and weight of snow during winter. In overall build costs, the roof
is second only to the cost of the concrete base.
Well, the good news is that
the roof structure has been going up slowly but surely. The biggest
problem has been the weather constantly changing and preventing work from
proceeding at the pace we would like. The biggest hurdle has now been
overcome when Guy and Simon (friends of ours) came over and we managed to get
most of the large heavy rafters up in one day. This was achieved in far
from ideal conditions as we had a very sever frost overnight and the stables
floor area and scaffolding were covered in thick ice. Since the rafters
went up I have managed to get all of the complex corner cuts done for where the
two roof meet. We are now waiting for 2 more lengths of valley gutter to
arrive and for a break in the weather (it is snowing very heavily at the moment)
so that the final set of rafters can go up, then we can actually start putting
on the roof panels. Once the panels are in place work can continue with
the windows and doors being done regardless of weather.
We have decided that once
the stables have been finished we will publish the costs involved for their
construction with a breakdown of the materials, just in case anyone else may be
interested in building similar stables. One thing that readers will need
to bear in mind is that a lot of items which are readily available in the UK are
not available in France and many UK off the shelf items are only available by
special order here.
The Roof (Latest)
Well it has been some time since we update the site and
the main reason is that the adverse and often changing winter weather caused
numerous delays. However, regardless, we continued as best we could under
the circumstances and we now have a large section of the roof completed which
covered 3 of the stables. As we have females that are due to give birth in
February, we decided to switch to putting up the doors and windows for 3 of the
stables and this would at least allow us to get the llamas inside and out of the
snow and bitterly cold weather we have been experiencing. As it was we
successfully managed this just before a second bout of snow descended on us
yesterday (30th Jan 2010). The roofing has been hard work and at times,
mainly due to the scaffolding and beams being covered in thick ice, extremely
precarious work. We have even continued work on the roof during some quite
heavy snow falls and in temperatures of -9 degs and have so far managed to
complete the roof for one stable per day. It has all been worth it to see
the llamas all snug and warm in their new stables. We should have a 5 day
break in the weather shortly, this will allow us to get the roof completed on
the training area and that will just leave the complicated bit to do for the
corers where they join the valley gutter.
Here are some photos of the roof going on and the windows
and doors.
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Looking good but taking a lot of time to make sure that it all goes up perfectly.
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The handy 2mtr overhang means we can work without get wet.
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The inside of the stable before windows and doors fitted. There is a nice amount of light and fresh air in each stable.
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Mike hard at work on the roof.
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Comming along nicely. Th day after this photo the snows came.
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The windows bars are spaced at intervals which allow the llamas to get a good look outside without risking injury.
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Each metal bar is inserted into the top and bottom of the frame and so cannot be worked lose by the llamas.
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The doors start going in.
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Now starting to look better.
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Yoda (left) and Genny (right) who is due any day now, cushed confortably in a 6" bed of straw.
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The other girls enjoy fresh hay from the corner hay feeder.
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Casper (right) and his girls get to enjoy fresh hay in the comfort of their new stable.
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Mike in the now covered garage area making yet another stable door.
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Sue with 3 of the dogs (Max, Hobbit and Rollo) helping out....well that is what she said she was doing!
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So this is what life behind bars is like...
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Our 3 month old Border Collie puppy 'Rollo' checking that I do the job correctly.
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Another stable completed with corner hay feeder, fresh straw and fresh water.
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Casper checking out the 2 boys in the next stable.
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Phillipe and Felix in their new stable.
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The Roof is finished
After a short break due to Genny giving birth to a lovely
male cria on 14th February 2010, followed by yet more rain and snow, on 19th Feb
the last of the roof panels went on. We spent the 20th clearing up and moving
all the hay, straw and hard feed into the now covered area. Next big
challenge is going to be the guttering and drainage. Further updates soon.
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