| ISSUE 5 | AUGUST 2024 |
THE REINDEER EXPRESS
ANTLER VELVET
Every year both female and male reindeer loose their antlers and regrow a new set. During the growing process, they can grow over an inch per day and their antlers are covered in a layer of protective skin and hair. This layer is referred to as velvet. Antler velvet supplies nutrients and blood to the growing bone underneath. It is only present during the growing phase of the antlers.
Antler velvet is believed to have many health benefits. In traditional Chinese medicine it is believed to support general vitality, improve energy levels, support joint and bone health, boost muscle recovery and performance, improve sexual health and libido, skin health, and immune support to name a few. While antler velvet extract has been used in Chinese medicine, and some products in the US, scientific studies vary on the effectiveness of use. Some sports have banned products using antler velvet extract and classified it as a performance enhancing drug. This product has not been evaluated by the FDA, and they state it is “not generally recognized as safe and effective for the referenced conditions”, but it has been legal to sell within the US in various forms since 2018, as long as its sold with no disease treatment claims attached and is sold as a dietary supplement only.
Most of the worlds antler velvet comes from sitka deer, red deer, and elk. New Zealand is the leading producer of velvet in the world, where they produce anywhere from 450-500 tons of red deer velvet annually. China produces 400 tons annually, coming mainly from sitka deer. Russia, Canada, and the US also produce antler velvet, but at a much lower output, all contributing between 20 to 80 tons each. Most of the time these ranches are raising animals specifically for the production of antler velvet. During the harvest process antlers are cut off when they reach about 2/3 of their full growth and before significant calcification occurs, somewhere in the 60 day range of growth. There are many rules governing this process and is overseen by licensed veterinarians.
We DO NOT harvest any antler velvet from our reindeer at Sawtooth Reindeer. We let them strip all their velvet naturally.
Preparing for the rut
Being our first breeding season with reindeer, there are a lot of unknowns to us. Will our fences hold up, how aggressive will our bulls be toward us, how aggressive will the bulls be with the cows, how difficult will it be to feed and change out waters, are a few things we were thinking about. We talked with many other ranches and tried to gauge what we could expect. Common consensus seemed to be, hope for the best, plan for the worst. When we say this, we are referring to the temperament of our bulls. Once the rut kicks off and testosterone ramps up, this change in hormones flips a switch inside of a bull. The only thing they think about is protecting their cows, keeping them for themselves, and breeding. They can view us as a threat when we come around to feed, so you have to be very careful around the pens and do your best not to upset the bulls during this time.
Between the pre-rut, rut, and post-rut, it could be 3 months where we can’t easily handle the reindeer unless absolutely necessary. So, first order of business was making sure all the reindeer were going into the rut healthy. We collected fecal samples and sent them off to the lab to make sure parasites were under control. We are happy to report everyone, but one, was parasite free. One had low counts of whipworm, which we treated the week leading up to putting them back together, she is free of parasites now as well. We trimmed everyones feet. Halters were removed out of an abundance of caution, not wanting horns to get tangled up in them and cause problems.
We then moved on to putting the finishing touches on our second pen and shelter. The shelter roof was the last thing left to button it up. Both pens were raked out and cleaned. Making sure all poop was picked up, as well as all the rocks. This will ensure that no one gets a leg or foot injury when they run around by twisting something stepping on a rock. Once everything was prepared and cleaned, it was time to reintroduce the deer back together.
It was imperative that we reintroduced the herd while their antlers were still in velvet. They will fight to establish their pecking order once new deer are introduced. Having their antlers in velvet lessens the risk of injury because their points aren’t sharp and their antlers are still tender, so they are less apt to use them on each other. We brought the boys over from their pen to the girls pen and let them loose. It didn’t take long and the establishing dominance began. Overall it was pretty mellow. There was some raring up and pawing at each other, with only a few deer taking some good shots from one another. It only took about 5 minutes for them to calm down and start tolerating each other. Everyone made it through without injury!
After the reindeer were back together for a few days, we split them into their breeding groups. Buckee, Nina, and Diamond were put in one pen and Pepper, Twinkle, Monroe, and Elle were put in the other. We piled up tree branches in both pens for them to strip their velvet on when they were ready to do so. We used horse panels to section off a “safe zone” in each pen. Three panels were connected together between two post to allow us access to a gate for feeding and changing waters. All feeders were placed on the reindeer side of the panels as well as water troughs in close proximity to water spigots. Overall our setup has been working well. We will be adding an extra panel or two to the setup next year to give us a bit more room to work, but it will do ok for this year.
We are working through the pre-rut stage right now. The boys have both stripped their velvet and have gone through a noticeable change in demeanor. Buckee has more of a laid back vibe so far, not being overly protective of his cows yet. He makes sure that he is the first one fed when it comes to grain during feeding time. He also really enjoys flipping the feeders every night in his pen. It’s always a treat to wake up and see where he decided to deposit the feeder and then devise a plan on how to get it back. Pepper is very protective of his cows. He doesn’t want any of us around them. If the girls come to the fence to be loved on, he will be there in a hurry and push them away. He will grunt and bob his head in warning to us that this will not be tolerated. Feeding in Peppers pen can be difficult at times. He often try’s to prevent or hinder the process, making sure that we know who the boss is.
Overall things have been going well so far. No injuries to report. Everyone is just fine and healthy. We will keep you posted as we transition into the peak rut stage.
meet the reindeer: twinkle
Twinkle is an absolute sweetheart. She loves her scratches and is the first to greet everyone that comes to see them. She is a bit jealous at times when the other deer are getting attention and she isn’t. She is always the crowd favorite. You will fall in love with her in a heartbeat when you come to meet her!
Event Notice: city of Eagle
We will be in Eagle this December for the Eagle Country Christmas event. The date for this event is Saturday December 7th and we will be there from 6-8pm. We will have a Christmas display set up with two of our reindeer for you and your family to take pictures. It’s sure to be an event you won’t want to miss! Come by and see us. We look forward to seeing you there. Be sure to share this event with your friends, they won’t want to miss it either!
Clatter Before christmas
We have been busy planning this years Clatter Before Christmas event. There are big plans in the works to make this year bigger. Santa will be here to feed his reindeer again this year, this was a huge hit for children and adults last year. There will be many other photo opportunities available this year as well. Free hot coco and coffee will be available as well as cookies. Stay warm by one of the many fires while you enjoy some quality time with your family in an enchanting setting. Don’t forget to purchase a Reindeer Christmas Ball for your tree at home from the gift shop!
The dates for this years event are December 19th-22nd. We will have Reindeer Experience Tours during the day, and then the Clatter Before Christmas event in the evenings. Tickets are available now on our website. Click the red “BOOK NOW” button to get yours today!
Looking to the future
While the deer are in the rut and the ranch is closed until the 1st of November, it has allowed us some downtime to start building the 3rd pen. Posts are on site, waiting to be put in the ground. Materials have been ordered for the next shelter. Things have been lined out, now it’s time to get to work. The deadline for this pen and shelters completion is November 1st.
We are working on final plans for many other events around the state, so stay tuned for those announcements. We will add a calendar to our website soon showcasing these events to keep everyone notified. They will also be promoted on our social accounts as they get closer to taking place.
We will have some opportunities coming available in November and December for family portraits at the ranch with the reindeer. Great opportunity for a unique twist on your family Christmas cards this year. Stay tuned!
WE ARE NOW OPEN FOR TOURS. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE “BOOK NOW” BUTTON FOR AVAILABLE OPTIONS AND TIMES. WE ARE ALSO TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR REINDEER APPEARENCES FOR 2024. IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT REINDEER FOR EDUCATION OR YOUR EVENT WE WOULD LOVE TO TALK WITH YOU!
| http://www.sawtoothreindeer.com |
| 1-208-721-1459 |
| info@sawtoothreindeer.com |
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