From: Allison
Would you be kind enough to give a bit of free advice to a backyard breeder?
I have a mare expecting a foal next July--her first and mine as well--and want to construct a small separate barn containing a foaling stall, observation/tack room, hay/straw storage room and shed area (36 x 24 overall).
I am considering a 12 x 24 stall that could later be divided into box stalls. My main questions concern materials. I strongly prefer wood but recognize the need for disinfection. If wood is used, am I better off using plywood treated with 2 - 3 coats of marine-quality varnish? Would prefab metal stall panels be more suitable? What removable partition system works best? Concrete block or precast concrete really aren't options.
This may be the only foal I ever raise. What are my most practical and economical choices, even if these are mutually exclusive?
Thanks in advance for your educated opinion on stall construction.
Allison
The idea of a separate foaling barn is a nice one, but only if you actually need the structure for other purposes. Your plan sounds as though it would make a very nice small barn, and obviously you are looking ahead to converting the foaling stall to box stalls later, so if you want another barn in any case, and this design will meet your long-term needs, I see no reason NOT to build it. It would certainly make a lovely isolation barn for new horses and/or visiting horses! The one suggestion I would make is that you might wish to put the hay/straw storage area on the far side of the shed - in other words, position it just as far from the barn itself as you can, for the sake of your horses' health.
As for materials, there's no reason not to use wood. If you want to make the stall very easy to clean and disinfect, use wood filler on any knots you find in the wood, and then yes, adding several coats of varnish will create a smoother, much less porous, and much more easily-managed surface. Plywood might be easier to varnish, but traditional boards can also be varnished easily, so I think you would be safe to plan to use traditional boards. My advice would be to construct two adjacent 12x12 stalls. If the wall that separates them is made of two-inch-thick boards dropped into channels, you'll be able to convert the two stalls to a single stall quite easily, just by lifting the boards out of their channels. This is a very common arrangement in many barns, as many horse-owners like to have the option of converting two 12x12 stalls into a single 12x24 stall. It's an easy and tidy process if there are no nails or screws involved, and once you've removed the boards, all you'll need is a designated place to store them until the day comes when you want two stalls instead of one double stall.
Foaling stalls should be clean, but it's best not to go overboard with disinfectants - you can cause problems that are as bad as, or worse than, the problems you were trying to avoid. It's a good idea to disinfect the foaling stall, after cleaning it thoroughly, but remember that what you're trying to create is a safe environment for the birth and the foal's next day or two. You'll want a very clean stall, certainly, but not a sterile one. The foal will probably start going outside with its mother on the second day of its life, and all of the bacteria will be right there, ready to be picked up.
Talk to your vet about the disinfectant he recommends for foaling stalls - it will probably be Lysol or some other phenolic compound. Don't use pine oil. It can irritate the foal's respiratory system and eyes, and in any case it isn't much of a germicide - it just smells as though it SHOULD be effective. ;-)
When you bring your mare in, she'll need a water bucket and a feed tub, so be sure to keep those clean - and don't forget to check (and scrub) their undersides. Keep the stall deeply bedded with clean straw (never sawdust or any other bedding that's full of particles); if drainage and absorbency are problems, as they can be sometimes, or if the straw is too slippery, as it can sometimes be when used over rubber mats, you can - with your vet's approval, so ask - use a thin layer of shavings underneath a thick layer of straw.
TIMING matters. It might seem logical to disinfect the stall thoroughly just before foaling, but that's not actually a good idea. Many veterinarians feel strongly that the stall should be disinfected several weeks before the mare foals, and that she should spend a few hours in that stall every day. This will allow her to become accustomed to the stall (always a good plan, especially if she is accustomed to spending all of her time in a field), and it will also expose her to whatever bacteria are in the stall, and give her time to develop any antibodies that she doesn't already have. The foal will receive these through the colostrum. You can't predict exactly which bacteria will appear after you've disinfected a stall, but you can certainly count on the fact that they WILL appear. Disinfecting the stall several weeks before foaling will allow the mare to respond to whichever bacteria are in the stall by building up new antibodies, which the foal will then receive through the colostrum when he first begins to nurse. So, for any number of reasons, don't try to disinfect the stall just before the foal arrives. Do it sooner - and then just keep it clean.
Before your mare foals, and for the day or two that the mare and foal will be in that stall, replace your normal bedding with very clean straw. Sawdust and similar beddings (anything that's full of fine particles) present too much of a risk to the foal. Be sure to have enough straw on hand - if you count on needing straw for just a few days, and you purchase just a few bales, you may run out before your mare gets around to foaling. If you're monitoring your mare carefully and can predict her foaling day with reasonable accuracy, you may be able to get away with changing the bedding the day before the foal arrives, but even experienced broodmares with seemingly regular schedules can fool you, so it's best to have the right sort of bedding in place a few days or even a week early. Even if a mare has had six previous foals and "always" carries her foals for 330 days exactly, get enough straw to last a week or more.
You didn't mention what climate you live in - or even which hemisphere. Since you're expecting a July foal, I'm going to suggest something else, on the assumption that July will be summer where you are! It's nice to have a foaling stall, but your mare and foal will be in it for only a few days - the mare will be there for several days or even for several weeks before she foals (with daily turnout in the field or, nearer her time, in a supervised paddock), so that she can become accustomed to the stall, but the foal will, I hope, be in the stall only for a day or two before the mare and foal are turned out into a field together. A clean grass field or a clean grass paddock (both with foal-proof fencing, of course) is where your mare and foal should spend most of their time after the first few days, and a clean grass paddock with a foal-proof fence is also a very nice place for a foal to be born. A paddock offers lots of space for the mare to move around, lots of room for her to give birth, and much better ventilation than a stall. If your mare's foaling stall opens onto such a paddock, she may make the decision herself unless you shut her into the stall. Since most mares prefer to foal at night, be ready - if your paddock is suitable and the weather cooperates, just be sure to have an outside light or a work light that will make it possible for you and the vet to see what's happening in the paddock.
If you happen to be in Australia and can expect freezing weather and snow in July, then you will need to go to some additional trouble. Maximum air flow is ideal for a paddock or in a stall - in the summer. It's less congenial in winter. Providing excellent ventilation whilst simultaneously avoiding drafts can be a bit of a challenge; know the direction and typical force of your winter winds, and monitor the weather closely so as to avoid unpleasant surprises. If you're reasonably certain that your mare will give birth in the middle of a howling winter gale, a heat lamp or two (placed high, away from the bedding and any possibility of being bumped by the mare or the foal) can raise the temperature of the stall to a more comfortable level. That said, though, the main thing is to provide protection from the wind. Many people go overboard with heat lamps and blankets and such, and if your new foal is strong and healthy, it's unlikely to need those things at all.
Meanwhile, since you have many months in which to prepare for this event, you may as well focus on making your new barn as useful and as versatile as possible. To that end, I suggest that you purchase a copy of "Horse Housing: How to Plan, Build, and Remodel Barns and Sheds", by Richard Klimesh and Cherry Hill, and enjoy the wealth of well-illustrated, practical advice.
Jessica
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