How to Raise Reindeer? A Detailed Guide to Feeding and Breeding Techniques

Reindeer (Kangifertarandus) belong to the order Artiodactyla, family Cervidae, and are animals native to the Arctic and subarctic regions. In China, reindeer mainly inhabit the dense forests on the northwestern slope of the Greater Khingan Mountains, with an activity range of 120°15' to 123°35' east longitude and 51°15' to 53°15' north latitude, and they have strong cold resistance. Reindeer have high economic value; their antlers, hides, meat and milk can all be utilized, and because of their peculiar appearance and gentle nature, they also have high ornamental value in zoos. Reindeer have been kept at Harbin Zoo for nearly 20 years, but previously, for various reasons, the feeding and breeding results were not ideal. Since 1995, scientific management methods have been adopted for their feeding and breeding, achieving remarkable results. From 1995 to 1998, a total of 11 reindeer were bred, with a breeding rate of 100% for adult females capable of reproduction and a survival rate of 100% for the young.

1 Feeding Environment and Methods

1.1 Natural Overview

Harbin is located at 125°15' to 127°30' east longitude and 45°20' to 46°20' north latitude, with an average annual temperature of 4.5°C, average precipitation of 581.2mm, sunshine duration of 2461.9 hours, and an average annual wind speed of 3.4m/s. Since reindeer grow in the Arctic and subarctic regions and are suited to life in cold areas, such environmental characteristics are suitable for the growth, development and reproduction of reindeer.

1.2 Feeding Environment and Management Methods

1.2.1 Feeding Environment

The reindeer in our zoo are kept in the Large Deer Enclosure and were introduced from Man'gui, Inner Mongolia. There are 5 in total (3♀, 2♂). The enclosure covers an area of 360 sq m and contains a wind-and-rain shelter facing northeast, with an area of 25 sq m. Tall trees around the enclosure provide shade, and the ground is hard ground paved with red bricks. In the exercise yard there are two cement troughs higher than the ground by 50cm, measuring 100cm x 35cm x 40cm, and two water troughs welded from thick iron plates.

1.2.2 Feeding Standards

In the wild, reindeer mainly feed on reindeer moss throughout the year, followed by the tender branches and leaves of woody plants. Under artificial feeding, environmental conditions have changed greatly; not only is the amount of exercise greatly reduced, but they also cannot freely choose their food. In order to balance their nutritional consumption, a certain amount of concentrate feed must be appropriately supplied, while ensuring an adequate supply of roughage. After years of exploration and practice by scientific and technical personnel, the following reindeer feed standards for Harbin Zoo were formulated: from May to September, each male deer is fed 2.00kg of pelleted feed per day, and each female deer 1.75kg, with Scirpus triqueter or fresh barnyard grass provided in sufficient quantity for free feeding. From October to April of the following year, male deer are fed 2.25kg of pelleted feed and female deer 2.00kg, with dry oak leaves provided in sufficient quantity, and depending on the situation, each deer is given 1.5 to 2.00kg of carrots, kohlrabi or Chinese cabbage. The whole day's feed is given in two feedings, at 8:30 in the morning and 16:00 in the afternoon.

1.2.3 Feeding Management Methods

The raising of reindeer has strict requirements for the hygiene of the enclosure environment, so after starting work each day, the enclosure must first be thoroughly cleaned, and the feed troughs and water troughs washed. Sufficient clean drinking water must be ensured in the water troughs, and the enclosure and feeding utensils must be thoroughly disinfected every 2 weeks. In summer, special attention must be paid to heat protection; when the temperature exceeds 28°C, water can be sprinkled on the ground to cool it down, and the deer can also be given a shower. From mid-September to mid-November each year is the reindeer estrus period. To prevent accidental injuries or deaths among same-sex deer fighting over mates during the mating period, the second set of antlers should be sawed off in mid-to-late August. In winter, the deer enclosure does not need heating; more bedding straw can be added in the wind shelter. In winter, adequate drinking water must be ensured. Winters in the Harbin area are cold, and the water in the troughs quickly freezes solid. To ensure drinking water, warm water can be provided for them to drink, and it should be added and changed frequently. At the same time, some clean snow can be kept in the enclosure for them to lick. In addition, the proportion of salt in the feed can be appropriately increased to encourage drinking.

2 Breeding

2.1 Age of Sexual Maturity

Female deer reach sexual maturity at 1.5 years of age; some well-developed individuals can participate in mating in the same year, and their reproductive capacity is very strong, generally with a reproductive lifespan of up to 14 years. Male deer reach sexual maturity at 2.5 years of age and can participate in mating at 3 years of age. In the Harbin area, reindeer can live to about 20 years of age.

2.2 Estrus

The reindeer estrus period is from mid-September to mid-November each year, with mid-October being the peak. During this period, male deer are unusually fierce, often fighting over mates and actively attacking people. They also show obvious thickening of the neck, chase female deer all day, sniff their genital area, and often bellow "hao, hao," urinate frequently, and eat very little except for increased drinking. After the mating period, male deer become greatly emaciated. The estrus signs of female deer are not very obvious: the vulva is slightly swollen with a small amount of mucus, they actively approach male deer, and changes in food intake are not obvious. After estrus, the conception rate of female deer is relatively high from 13 to 22 days, and the peak of estrus lasts 2 to 4 days.

2.3 Mating

For reindeer mating, healthy male deer should be selected, using a polygynous (one male to multiple females) system. Reindeer mating mostly occurs in the early morning or evening, when the environment is quiet and the weather is cool. Copulation lasts about 20 seconds, and the number of matings per day is variable. During the mating period, some apples and vitamin E should be appropriately added to the feed to increase the conception rate.

2.4 Pregnancy and Birthing

2.4.1 Pregnancy

The gestation period of reindeer is 225 to 240 days. In the early stage of pregnancy, changes in the female deer's feeding and activity are not obvious; in the late stage of pregnancy, feed intake increases, the deer gradually becomes fat, the coat becomes glossy, and the temperament becomes gentle and quiet. During pregnancy, attention should be paid to supplementing vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus and the adjustment of their ratio. In addition, care should be taken not to startle them and to avoid catching the animals as much as possible, so as to prevent miscarriage.

2.4.2 Birthing

Reindeer generally give birth in early May to June, mostly to a single fawn; twins are very rare. One month before birth, the abdominal circumference increases noticeably and the udder is slightly swollen. One week before parturition, the female deer prefers quiet or slow walking, the vulva is slightly swollen with a small amount of mucus discharge, the udder is swollen, and the teats protrude. One to two days before birth, she prefers to lie quietly in the inner shelter, has reduced appetite, and is sometimes restless and frequently raises her tail. During parturition, the female deer is mostly standing, sometimes lying down. Birth mostly occurs at midnight or in the early morning. First the front hooves of the fawn emerge, then the head, and finally the whole body is delivered; the entire process takes 1 to 2 hours. For first-time female deer, it is sometimes slightly longer. After parturition, the female deer licks the fawn, and 10 minutes later has a desire to feed. After 40 to 90 minutes, the placenta is expelled, and it is generally eaten by the female deer herself. After birth, the fawn's coat is soft and fine, coffee-colored, with no coarse hairs.

2.5 Rearing the Young

After birth, the fawn can stand after being licked by the female deer for about 20 minutes, and can consume colostrum after about 2 hours. If the postpartum female deer has insufficient milk, lactation-promoting tablets can be fed to the female deer to increase milk production, at 2 times the human dosage. Some female deer are not strongly maternal with their first pregnancy and do not nurse the fawn; the female deer can be restrained and the fawn forced to suckle, and after several times it generally nurses on its own, but care should be taken to ensure the fawn receives colostrum in time. About half a month after birth, the fawn can play with grass in its mouth, and after 1 month it can eat a small amount of green grass. The young deer has horn marks on its head at birth, and after 7 days velvet buds grow. At 1 month of age, the antlers are 5 to 10cm long; at 2 months of age, they grow to 10 to 20cm; at 4 months of age, the velvet sheds and they become hard antlers.

3 Results and Discussion

3.1 The reindeer is a subarctic animal, cold-resistant and heat-averse. Therefore, when raising them in a zoo, a good living environment must be created for them; in summer, water should be sprinkled to cool them down or a bathing pool should be built.

3.2 In the transition of reindeer from wild to captive rearing, the feed should meet their absorption and metabolic balance as much as possible, with appropriate supplementation of complete-price feed. Feed should be adjusted in a timely manner for different individuals at different stages.

3.3 During the estrus and mating period, the male deer's antlers should be sawed off to avoid injuries or deaths to both animals and people. The reindeer estrus period is from mid-September to mid-October each year; the sexual cycle of female deer is 13 to 22 days, the peak of estrus lasts 2 to 4 days, the gestation period is 225 to 240 days, and the lactation period is 165 to 180 days.

3.4 Reindeer mating and breeding use a polygynous system, and one healthy male deer can form a breeding herd with more than 10 female deer.