Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had an idea that you could take the horse stalls in a barn and convert them into "Iguana stalls"...think this would work???

I thought it would be cool but I'm not sure how it could be done effectively.

Well I guess the first thing is the horse stall size would probably be about right at least they were in our old barn. The next thing though is heat. I don't know about your barn but our old barn did not have very good wiring or not much of it. Just enough power or plug ins to hook in a heat lamp maybe. So on first thought you would have to make sure it has enough power outlets. Next the heat. It would either have to have a furnace in it (So probably a new efficient birthing barn but not one of the older thrown together barns) or means to get enough overall heat. Next the humidity would probably be off but I guess one of more good humidifiers would take care of that. Most of the older barns are just good tender boxes and ready to go up in flames without too much provocation but a lot of your newer barns are very efficient and well built so they are heat efficient, power efficient, and safe. This would probably be the main question is it a new or old barn?? And one last thing if the iguana/s are out in the barn how much human contact are they going to get? Is it going to be a problem to go out to the barn to spend a lot of time with the iguana. In the house even if you have to section off a place or build on a place it will be in an area where it will have almost constant human interaction even while you are just walking by their cage/enclosure. I run a rescue and have a huge Morton building with furnace, it's own breaker box and everything.

Sorry I rambled on so and hope this helps!!
Stephanie

Well, it's a work in progress but those are good points to keep in mind...thanks a lot. Probably won't do this anytime soon, but thanks.

It's possible, but there is a LOT of planning and work involved. I recently completed a similar project, but on a smaller scale. We purchased a 12'x8' shed to convert into a reptile house for our rescue. Our basic steps are as follows:

1. Insulate! We filled all the spaces between the studs with fiberglass insulation - walls and ceiling! We also used heavy duty foam insulation on the floor to keep from losing heat there. All wall and floor insulation was covered with plywood.

2. Wiring! This needed a lot of planning. We ran electric out from the house, and had to set it up for 3 separate circuits. Circuit 1 is an 'always on' circuit. Circuit 2 is a timer only circuit. Circuit 3 is a timer and thermostat circuit. We also had to install and wire light fixtures and switches. Our always on circuit runs the major appliances such as the heater and air conditioner. Circuit 2, the timer circuit, is for the UVB lights...they are on the timer set to go on in the morning and off at night. Circuit 3, the timer/thermostat combo is for the heat lights. Not only does it turn them on and off for day and night, but if the temperature rises too much during the day it will turn the lights off until the temperature drops back to a safer level. Because the UVB lights are on a timer only circuit, even if the heat lights go off, they still continue to get their needed UVB. We also hardwired in the timer and thermostat rather than having lots of little ones.

3. Temperature control! Even though we live in NJ where the temperature extremes are not that bad, we still needed to be able to manage the temps during both summer and winter. The heat lights alone are not sufficient. For winter, we have several electric space heaters with tip-over safety shutoffs. For summer, we had to install a small air conditioner to keep it from overheating. We also have a digital thermometer in the shed that is wirelessly connected to a base station in the house. If the temp gets too high or too low, it sounds an alarm.

4. Security! Our shed has a keyed lock, and the key hangs on a hook by the back door, inside the house. This way I don't have to worry about anyone getting into the shed while I am at work. Our shed is also very close to the house. It is right off the back deck, so a few steps out the back door and I am there. It makes it easier to get to during bad winter weather.

We're constantly working on modifications to the design as we go along and discover new quirks and problems. I have a few pics of the process up here if you're interested in seeing it.

Hope this helps.

Meri
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Meri Martin
Scales & Tails Exotic Pet Rescue - http://www.scalesandtails.org
NJ Herp. Society - http://www.njhsonline.com

Oh for sure! If you have pictures...please send them to my e-mail address...cv768@hotmail.com

Thanks a bunch!!

>>Oh for sure! If you have pictures...please send them to my e-mail address...cv768@hotmail.com

hmmm didn't realized that link didn't work the first time....let me try again

Meri
Herp Shed Pics

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Meri Martin
Scales & Tails Exotic Pet Rescue - http://www.scalesandtails.org
NJ Herp. Society - http://www.njhsonline.com