étables

Étables are farm buildings used to house livestock, primarily cattle and horses. In English, the term is usually translated as stable or barn. The plural étables refers to more than one such building. They may be standalone structures or part of a larger farm complex and are distinct from a grange, which is a storage barn, and from an écurie, which is specifically for horses.

Typical layouts include stalls or pens along the walls, a central feeding area or manger, and often a loft for hay. Floors are designed for drainage and ease of cleaning, ranging from compacted earth or stone to concrete. Walls may be timber-framed, stone, or brick, with roofs in tile or slate. Adequate ventilation and daylight are important for animal welfare.

Étables serve various functions: housing dairy or beef cattle, calving or rearing calves, and accommodating horses in an écurie. Regional practices in France influence design, with differences in materials and organization shaped by climate and farming traditions.

In modern agriculture, étables are commonly integrated with milking parlours, automated feeding systems, and manure management facilities. Some older étables have been repurposed for other uses, including storage or tourism-related accommodations, while others remain in active livestock production.