101 Secrets: Barn Planning

How to make your barn more inviting to both man and beast!
Author: Colonial Thyme Alpacas
Wendy Eaton

Our favorite feature of our barn, without a doubt, is the cathedral ceiling over the alpacas, made of opaque corrugated roofing. This feature floods our barn with light at all times, even on the darkest days! And when there is a moon, it's even lit up at night! We've read that often alpacas don't like to spend time in the barn because it makes them feel closed in and confined. The high ceiling and brightness created from this design makes their space feel open, airy and non-confining. Our animals seem to love being in our barn! Other benefits to the alpacas include: additional exposure to sunlight giving them much needed vitamin D and warmth in the winter, the natural antibacterial properties of the sun help keep bacteria, germs and mold down and the added ventilation/circulation that comes with the high and open ceiling keeps them healthier and cooler in the summer. There are benefits to the humans on our farm as well. Additional lighting makes it easier to see when doing husbandry and clean-up, it's easier to see your animals from the house or other areas of the farm, because the barn is always illuminated as if there were a light on at all times, it's as if there is always a night light on too, making it easier to find the light switch when you have to go out to the barn at night, it's an inexpensive roofing material and it's good for your soul to work and spend time in a place that is bright, sunny and cheerful! Some of you may be thinking that an opaque corrugated roof is not the most attractive thing to look at, especially if it's only in half of the roof (we chose not to put it over the hay loft end because of the potential of added heat and drying from the sun). We agree! This feature is on the backside of our barn where no one can see it. From the front, it looks like a classic colonial style barn. You'd never know it was there!

Wendy Eaton
Colonial Thyme Alpacas

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