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Contact information

Finland´s Reindeer Trade Co-operative society
Luovontie 809 
FI 90480 Hailuoto

Tel: +358 40 5742 505

Email: 

islandofsilence(at)mail.suomi.net

Jukka A. Siekkinen

http://www.reindeergames-wi.com/Reindeer%20Gift%20Barn.htm

Welcome to Europe's first and only full-service Reindeer Shop site!

The content of these pages has been based on know-how gathered on wintertime reindeer farming obtained over dozens of years in Finland's Reindeer Management Area. 
Additionally, privately funded empirical studies and tests have been performed intensively in Hailuoto since 2001 on the year-round farming of reindeer, including a number of innovations related to the field.

We hope these pages provide you with the basic information you require for establishing your own reindeer farm.
If, however, you are only interested in producing reindeer meat, this is probably not for you…

You could start your own reindeerantler production too. I recommend :-) 

We sell tame reindeer for a number of uses – reliably and reasonably priced – you will definitely get what you order, for about the price of a puppy! 

Get in touch: we are here to serve you in all Reindeer Shop related matters.

Finnish Reindeer

The Finnish reindeer was originally domesticated from the European reindeer. The animal is capable of enduring temperatures in excess of +40 °C during the summertime and freezing temperatures as low as –40 °C in the wintertime!

The reindeer follows an annual rhythm, in accordance with which breeding, maturing, and needs for nutrition emerge with the arrival of spring and early summer. During the wintertime, the reindeer lives on a so-called pilot light. At this time, the need for nutrition and appetite is suppressed.

As a member of the deer family, the reindeer is a ruminant with four stomachs. Being a ruminant means that the reindeer is also capable of digesting, and effectively utilising, vegetation difficult to digest using the microorganisms living and breeding in its first stomach.

The reindeer is a long-legged, four toed deer. A reindeer hoof is called kopara in Finnish.

Both male and female reindeer bear antlers, which are shed each year. The reindeer also sheds its coat each year.

The female reindeer weigh around 60 – 100 kilograms, with the bulls and castrated males weighing in at 90 – 180 kilos. The reindeer has a relatively long life, as the doe can even live up to 18 – 20 years. A healthy doe can calve up to nine times during its lifetime. The reindeer reaches sexual maturity at around the age of eighteen months

The breeding time for reindeer is from October to November, when the majority of mature female reindeer become pregnant. During this breeding time, the bulls gather up a personal harem of around ten female reindeer.

Each year, the female reindeer normally gives birth to a calf weighing approximately 4 – 6 kilos.

Calves are already well developed when they are born. The calf will rise onto its feet after only around half an hour after being born.

Purchasing Reindeer

The Reindeer as a Farm Animal

The Finnish reindeer has been domesticated from Scandinavia 's wild European reindeer family ( Rangifer tarandus tarandus ). Over 220 years ago, in the southern side of Finland 's Reindeer Management Area, the reindeer mixed slightly with the longer-legged reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus fennicus ). 
Reindeer husbandry is a very old livelihood. The first records of reindeer husbandry date back to 892 A.D., when the Norwegian tribal chief Ottar wrote of the 600 reindeer he owned along with six decoy reindeer he used to trap wild reindeer.

In the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia , the peasants, and later the middle class citizens, have owned reindeer in Finland since the fourteenth century. In the end of the eighteenth century it was known that Oulu 's neighbouring municipality of Hailuoto still had hundreds of reindeer owned by the tar merchants and cared for by the peasants of Hailuoto.

It may be said that as the reindeer has interacted with people over a number of centuries, its trust in people has grown steadily.

Domesticating reindeer to become farm animals has progressed significantly for already over forty years. In Finland 's Reindeer Management Area, reindeer are herded for winter feeding in farms for up to half a year, especially during winters with excessive snowfall. The keeping of reindeer in farms has also significantly increased over the past few years with the feeding of gestating does in calving farms right through to the end of May, becoming commonplace practice.

Nowadays, especially in the Reindeer Owners' Association regions located south of the Arctic Circle, the shortest time reindeer are free to roam the countryside for nutrition is the summertime, or for a period of around five months. During this time, the reindeer fatten themselves up quickly, tissue damage received during the wintertime is healed, new fur is grown, milk is produced for nurturing calves, and they also grow new antlers.

NBased on our own experience and the experience of others, the current concept of the “wild and free” reindeer of the Reindeer Owners' Association regions is not that far-flung from the future domestication of animals that fare well and enjoy living in farms throughout the year.

Farm

Farm location

The location of the reindeer farm is something that needs to be carefully considered. The best location for the reindeer farm is one that is in a supervised and peaceful area. 
Reindeer farming attracts all sorts of outside interest from two and four-legged creatures, and unfortunately this interest is not always merely kind curiosity. For instance, a stray dog or the acts of an envious person can cause some terrible harm to the farm.

The faeces of deer, and also reindeer, are very dry and almost odourless, and do not contain any nutrients harmful to the environment. Urine may cause eutrophication if it accesses waterways, or at the very least complaints from people who may live in the vicinity.

The road access to the farm should be kept clear at all times, and accessible by vehicle every day of the year, despite prevailing weather conditions.

Being a ruminant, the reindeer consumes plenty of water, so easy access to water is also an important consideration when thinking of location.

The farms do not necessarily need to have electricity. Some farms may need water for example, for pumping water into the farm.

The farm needs to have sufficient storage facilities. Some small batches of forage may be kept in small huts, shelters, or even merely left on the loading pallet and covered with canvas.

You should also take into account the fact that in the long term, any trees located within the farm will suffer from reindeer farming.

Reindeer of different ages and antlers

When transporting reindeer of different ages in the same vehicle, the young reindeer need to be separated from the adult reindeer.

Reindeer that are already well accustomed with one another, however, may be transported together.

Sick and injured reindeer shall be separated from the other animals. Unfit reindeer may not be transported in the same vehicle as other healthy reindeer, in order to avoid sick reindeer from being trampled by the others during transportation.

Reindeer bearing antlers may not be transported when they have growing antlers covered with highly vascular skin known as velvet, unless such transportation is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the animal.

When transporting reindeer with antlers, care shall be taken to see that the antlers cannot get stuck or jammed anywhere in the vehicle.

It is recommended that reindeer with antlers should be transported separately from reindeer not bearing antlers.

Transportation

Protection of Animals Act

According to the Protection of Animals Act, transportation of livestock should be arranged in such a way that no unnecessary pain or suffering is caused to the animals.

While transporting the animals, they need to be protected against any possible accident or sickness, and the welfare of the animals needs to be maintained throughout the transportation.

Animals shall not be transported with their legs bound, unless such is absolutely necessary due to sickness of the animal or handling difficulties.

Furthermore, according to the Protection of Animals Act, animals may not be pulled by the legs, tail, fur or head, or treated in any other way that may cause unnecessary suffering for the animal.

Reindeer may, however, be pulled by the antlers for the purpose of guiding them, but only when the animal is on its feet.

Reindeer of different ages and antlers

When transporting reindeer of different ages in the same vehicle, the young reindeer need to be separated from the adult reindeer.

Reindeer that are already well accustomed with one another, however, may be transported together.

Sick and injured reindeer shall be separated from the other animals. Unfit reindeer may not be transported in the same vehicle as other healthy reindeer, in order to avoid sick reindeer from being trampled by the others during transportation.

Reindeer bearing antlers may not be transported when they have growing antlers covered with highly vascular skin known as velvet, unless such transportation is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the animal.

When transporting reindeer with antlers, care shall be taken to see that the antlers cannot get stuck or jammed anywhere in the vehicle.

It is recommended that reindeer with antlers should be transported separately from reindeer not bearing antlers.

Reindeer of different ages and antlers

When transporting reindeer of different ages in the same vehicle, the young reindeer need to be separated from the adult reindeer.

Reindeer that are already well accustomed with one another, however, may be transported together.

Sick and injured reindeer shall be separated from the other animals. Unfit reindeer may not be transported in the same vehicle as other healthy reindeer, in order to avoid sick reindeer from being trampled by the others during transportation.

Reindeer bearing antlers may not be transported when they have growing antlers covered with highly vascular skin known as velvet, unless such transportation is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the animal.

When transporting reindeer with antlers, care shall be taken to see that the antlers cannot get stuck or jammed anywhere in the vehicle.

It is recommended that reindeer with antlers should be transported separately from reindeer not bearing antlers.

Vehicle and transporting

The vehicle used for transporting the reindeer should be both safe for transporting the animal, as well as capable of preventing the animals from escaping. The transportation bay for the reindeer shall not have any jutting out parts or sharp edges that may cause harm to the animals.

If reindeer are transported in a trailer pulled by a vehicle, measures shall be taken to ensure no exhaust fumes gain access to the transportation carrying the reindeer.

Reindeer shall not be transported if they prove to be unfit for travel, or if they are not cared for during transportation, or if proper arrangements have not been made to receive the reindeer at the destination.

Any sick or injured reindeer shall be given first aid during transportation at the first possible instance. If necessary, the reindeer in question shall be taken to receive appropriate treatment or put down in such a way that avoids any unnecessary suffering of the animal. 
The vehicle used for transportation shall have all the necessary rescue facilities, such as belts for binding, stun gun and sheath knife for assisting or putting the animal down in any possible case of accident.

Ventilation shall be arranged in the appropriate manner during transportation. Reindeer shall not be transported when the outside temperature is in excess of +18 °C, unless the vehicle is fitted with a mechanical ventilation system. 
The vehicle used for transportation should be one that may easily be cleaned or disinfected, if and when necessary.

If a number of reindeer are to be transported at the same time, the minimum transportation area to be made available per reindeer is 0.4 m2, and the height of the cabin needs to be at least 1.3 metres.

The suitable nutrition for reindeer during transportation is sodden lichen, which will also provide them with the necessary water.

Feeding

Nutrition

As the reindeer is a ruminant, feeding should be regular and frequently available. No sudden feeding changes occurring during a period of less than two weeks may be made. The adjustment of rumen microorganisms to changes in feeding takes time, so reindeer feeding may only be altered as a very gradual process. Feeding should take into consideration the individual needs of the reindeer or the needs of their age group, and care shall be taken to ensure the subordinate reindeer get sufficient access to nutrition.

Most industrial complete feed contains all the nutrients the reindeer require.

The Poroelo complete feed manufactured by Suomen Rehu has also proven to be good for feeding the animals throughout different seasons: 
PORO-ELO 1 is a reasonably priced basic complete feed, and is well suited for feeding with young harvested leafy forage from October right through to April.

PORO-ELO 2 PLUS is a powerful complete feed, that easily provides the reindeer with extra energy as the feed is supplemented with propyleneglycol and vegetable oil. This feed is excellent for feeding with dry hay or at normal times with ensilage.

PORO-ELO 3 complete feed is specially intended for feeding gestating and nursing does from April onwards. Also suitable for feeding other reindeer in special circumstances such as, for instance when the regular straw used for feeding, or late harvested ensilage or rough dry hay have a significant lack of proteins needed for the reindeer to mature.

Feeding spots

The farm should have a sufficient number of feeding spots. If feed is not constantly available for the reindeer, all reindeer should be fed complete feed at the same time in a sufficiently sized feeding area.

It is recommended, for instance, to keep opened ensilage bales as so-called feeding automats in various parts of the farm, and distribute sufficient complete feed for each reindeer (approx. 1 kg per animal) in the mornings and afternoons in the feeding troughs.

Reindeer of different ages and fitness shall be fed separately.

The feeding spots and troughs should be kept clean so that no manure is mixed with the feed given to the reindeer. 
For example, film plywood board troughs are better than troughs made from porous materials, as these are more difficult to keep clean.

Water needs

The farm holding the reindeer should have water available for the animals at all times, if at all possible.

Snow is not the best for satisfying the reindeer's water requirements, as the melting of the snow in the reindeer's digestive system uses a lot of energy gained from feed, and the reindeer, depending on feeding methods, will require up to five kilograms of snow during a twenty-four hour period.

Storing feeds

Feed should be stored in a weather-protected storage facility. When storing, efforts should be made to ensure that no wild animals or other domesticated animals are able to gain access to the reindeer feed.

Contaminated or mouldy feed may not be fed to the reindeer. You should check every batch of feed, and any mouldy or contaminated spots should be removed. If the feed smells a little musty or mouldy, the best policy to take is not to feed such to the reindeer.

Health care

Prevention of Disease

The reindeer farm owner is obliged to check the condition of the reindeer kept at the farm daily. If a reindeer becomes ill or injured, the appropriate treatment shall be given to the animal at the earliest possible time. If a sickness or injury so demands, the animal shall be either put down or slaughtered.

It is worth bearing in mind that the prevention of disease is often a great deal cheaper than treating an already sick animal. 
Good farm conditions, hygiene, and sufficient and correct nutrition form the basis for preventing disease.

“Overcrowding will lead to distress, which will lead to stress and finally sickness!”

You need to keep the number of reindeer as small as possible for the farm. In an overcrowded farm, the subordinate reindeer may become stressed if they are constantly driven away by dominant reindeer. If put under stress, the natural resistance of the reindeer will weaken and it will become ill much easier. In a crowded farm, the reindeer will also come into contact with other reindeer more often, which may make it easier for any possible contagious diseases to be transferred from one animal to another. 
Any reindeer that behaves differently to other reindeer should be separated from other reindeer as soon as possible, in order to avoid any possible diseases being transferred to other reindeer. 
A sick reindeer is often unresponsive and separates itself from other reindeer. Also a poor appetite and no eating are signs that something may be wrong with the reindeer.

New reindeer introduced to the farm should not be mixed with the existing reindeer right away; rather they should be kept separated for a while, in a so-called familiarisation enclosure. In this way, assurances will be made to avoid the new reindeer bringing disease to the existing reindeer.

Reindeer can also catch diseases from other species of animals. Therefore, all contact with other animals should be avoided. For example, you should avoid entering the reindeer farm with boots used that have come into contact with other animals!

It is recommended for the reindeer farm owner to keep a record of all the reindeer in the farm, any possible purchases and transfers, visits of people to the farm (e.g. vets, tourists), as well as feed purchases: with mention of date and inspection of the quality of the feed.

Medicating Reindeer

There are many uses for reindeer, but the following concerns using reindeer for producing meat. Any medicines given to reindeer shall be done under supervised conditions. It should be possible to later identify any reindeer that has been given medication or is under the cautionary period for the medication. The cautionary period for the medication means the time for which the meat of the reindeer receiving the medication may not be used for foodstuffs.

The reindeer farm owner shall keep a record of all medicines given to the reindeer. This record should be a list of all the medication given by vets or the farm owner. This record should also contain information for identifying the reindeer in question, the date the medication was given, the name of the medication, the cautionary period for the medication, as well as details of the medicine vendor. According to law, these records should be kept for a minimum period of three years.

The record keeping will make it easier to treat illnesses and to give medication to the animal, as the record will hold information on what medication the reindeer may have received in the past. The vet is obliged to give the reindeer farm owner a verbal or, if necessary, a written report of the medication given to the reindeer.

Any artificial enhancement of the animal's performance with medicines or corresponding substances and preparations is strictly forbidden.

Establishing a Reindeer Illness

If a reindeer falls ill, and the illness is not known, you may contact the Oulu Regional Unit of the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira) in Finland . 
You can send samples of living animals (e.g. blood samples or exudates), organ samples or deceased reindeer to Evira. The best sample is always the whole reindeer.

The farm owner may themselves send samples to Evira, but it is worth first contacting the local veterinary surgeon, who will define whether the sickness is a question of an animal disease or epidemic that may be eligible for study financed by the state. Prior agreement should always be made with Evira before sending samples.

The samples should be sent with a covering letter including the name of the sender, address and telephone number. Additionally, preliminary information is required on the sickness case, e.g. the number of dead or sick reindeer, the time the symptoms became apparent, what symptoms became evident, what feed was given, the farm owner's own assessment of the quality of the feed (was feed possibly mouldy or unusually odorous), as well as how the animal has been cared for and possibly medicated. Providing good preliminary information will provide a lot of assistance in solving the case.