Could Reindeer Be Your Farm’s Next Venture? Here’s What to Know

When people think of reindeer, of course the first thing that comes to mind is Rudolph and company pulling Santa's sleigh. Thanks to their significance during the Christmas season, raising reindeer and renting individuals or small groups for community holiday celebrations and other events can be a profitable venture, especially for farms located near major metropolitan areas. Agritourism is another option, welcoming guests to visit reindeer at the farm.

History of Reindeer

Reindeer were no doubt hunted by humans throughout ancient history, with cave paintings in eastern Russia showing indications of domestication 2,000-3,000 years ago, which would make them the first domesticated hooved animal. In the 9th century, King Ottar of Norway wrote about his herd of more than 600 reindeer.

Despite their lengthy history with humans, there is still much to learn about reindeer and their unique physiology and anatomy. For example, according to the Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association (ROBA), breeding programs including artificial insemination and embryo transfers have had mixed results.

Contrary to what many people believe, reindeer are not the same as caribou; they are different sub-species. Caribou crossed the land bridge to Alaska from Siberia, while ROBA said the first reindeer came to Alaska by boat in 1892. There were as many as 640,000 reindeer in the state in the 1930s, but that number has dwindled to around 20,000 today.

Reindeer were used to transport supplies along an 800-mile route in Russia durring World War II. Before that, Finnish troops used them during the Winter War of 1939-1940.

Raising Reindeer

Daryl Simon raised reindeer in Minnesota for decades, selling calves and renting the animals for holiday displays. He said that while the animals can run up to 50 mph, they don't show much interest in escaping. They are friendly, easy to manage, and can be trained to pull.

"It's interesting you know that reindeer can fly, but they will not jump over a fence," Simon said. "They're more climbers than jumpers so if something was threatening them in a pen, they might go over a four-foot fence." Anything 6 feet or higher should keep them in, he said.

Simon grazed about 50 reindeer on five acres of land and said that was plenty of space. They are cold weather animals and will stay outside through the winter. In the summer and in warmer climates, reindeer need shaded shelters and large bodies of water to wade in and keep cool.

Quick Growth

Both female and male reindeer grow antlers, including in their first year of life. According to ROBA, even though adult reindeer are a little shorter than white-tailed deer, their antlers can grow to around 400 inches long. With 1-2 inches of growth per day, reindeer antlers are some of the fastest-growing animal tissue.

In August and September, once antlers are fully grown, the rut (mating season) begins. Bulls become aggressive until the rut is over and their antlers are shed, usually shortly before Christmas. Female reindeer keep their antlers until after calves are born in the spring, following what is typically a 7 1/2-month gestation.

Reindeer have a negative correlation between breeding date and gestation length, which means a female bred later in the season will have a shorter gestation. According to ROBA, having all calves in a herd born as close to the same time as possible results in fewer losses to predators. Alpacas and wildebeest have a similar gestation schedule.

Reindeer calves are born weighing around 12-15 pounds, but will grow to more than 150 pounds by December. The rapid growth is due to the high fat content in reindeer milk. A Jersey cow, for example, has about 4% milk fat, but reindeer milk has 24% fat.

Reindeer Care

Reindeer do well on grass and alfalfa hay, but they're also fed commercial feed to round out their nutrition.

Since Simon's herd was in Minnesota, where sugar beet pulp can be purchased from local mills, that made up about half of their ration, along with a grain mixture and extruded soybeans for protein.

Even though children love leaving carrots for the reindeer on Christmas Eve, Simon said his reindeer preferred raisins and steam-rolled oats for a snack. "You could go out there with a little pail of steam-rolled oats and they'd be all over you," he said.

Since reindeer are closely related to white-tail and mule deer, they're susceptible to the same diseases, including chronic wasting disease. Because of those concerns, some states don't allow the animals to be transported. Be sure to check local regulations before investing in a herd.