More Reindeer Babies

I posted photos of the reindeer and calves at the University of Alaska Experiment Farm last week, and several people were interested in seeing more up-close photos of the reindeer calves.  I took the first batch of photos last Tuesday, and went back again on Wednesday.  One of the reindeer had her calf right up near the fence, but it was sound asleep and not much more than a lump of brown fur.  Mama had been nudging it a bit as her snout was covered with straw.

Mama looked a bit confused.  I believe the reindeer in this section of the farm are all first-time mamas, so they need a little extra attention.

I had taken the photo below of Mama on Tuesday when she was voicing her opinion about something, but at the time I didn't know what.  Looking closer at the photo I see a lump of brown fur at her feet, and perhaps it was not too long after the baby's birth.  They wait at least 24 hours after the birth to tag the baby's ear to allow for bonding with the mother, and I can't see a tag in any of the photos of this baby.  Perhaps Mama is saying "What do I do now?"


I cropped a few of the photos I took on Tuesday to focus more on the calves.  Click on the photos to enlarge them for a better look.

And another shot of the barn from a different angle and one of the grain storage facility.

The Fairbanks Experiment Farm was established in 1906 to conduct research and promote agriculture in Interior Alaska.  In the past they have grown swine, cattle, sheep, and sled dogs.  They got their first reindeer in 1997, and the research is geared toward the nutrition and production of reindeer.  They are studying the effect of different grains on the diet of the reindeer and the taste of the meat.  The program is the only one of its kind in the world.  Although there are huge numbers of caribou in Alaska, there are relatively few domestic reindeer.

The rest of the reindeer at the farm are in pens across the road.  And, yes, they do spend the winter outside.  There are very few cows grown here and the reindeer are much more suited to our climate.

I am linking up with Amy's Barn Collective #28

and

Eileen's Saturday's Critters #70.

Reindeer Barn

This pretty red barn is on the campus of the University of Alaska at the Experiment Farm.  UAF's Reindeer Research Program is working on the development and promotion of the reindeer industry in Alaska. 

The reindeer herd consists of about 70 adult reindeer.


I've shown this barn before, but it's right in the middle of calving season, so I thought I would post it again.  The first calf was born March 29th, and they expect about 30 to be born this year.  Below are two mamas and their babies.  The babies kind of blend in with the dirt, but you can see one on either side of the fence.

I'm linking with Amy's Barn Collective #27.

A Closer View of the Reindeer Barn

Friday we took my granddaughter Sydney to see the reindeer and I got a few closer photos of the barn that I posted last week.  Because there's double fencing around the reindeer pen it always becomes part of the photo.

Although the reindeer were back away from the fence, I had to include at least one photo of a reindeer.  With the hot weather they're a bit scruffy looking right now.  They much prefer the cold weather of winter!

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Hop over to Tricia's Barn Charm for more barn photos!

Far North Cattle Farm

Another barn we saw near Palmer was painted bright red.  I took several drive-by shots.

The farmhouse is painted red too.

There was a nice old wagon sitting out front.

What really gets your attention at this farm though is the reindeer that live here.  Reindeer are sometimes referred to as the "Cattle of the North" and this particular herd was started in 1987 with reindeer imported from Canada.

The farm used to be a dairy farm, but now it is home to about 150 reindeer, 35 elk, 13 horses, 1 bull moose, and 1 bison.  In the summer they do guided tours and you get to go in the pen and pet and feed the reindeer. 

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Check out more old barns at Tricia's Barn Charm

Cruisin'

Sunday the sun was shining and we had an errand to run at Lowes, so we decided to take advantage of the sunny day and take the T-Bird on the last cruise for the year.  Click on the collages for a better view.

After we got what we needed at Lowes, we were after some frozen custard, but unfortunately the stand was closed.  So we drove down Farmer's Loop road, and stopped and took a few photos of the old barn that sits along the side of the road.  I've posted about it before HERE.

Then we drove up in the hills near where we used to live for a view down over the valley and the town.

We headed for home, stopping at the Muskox Farm on the way.  It's not easy to get photos of the muskox because of the series of fences surrounding the muskox, but an animal this size does require sturdy fencing to keep it in.  The white shadow lines running through the photos are the wires of the fencing.  Click HERE to read previous posts.

Our next stop was at the UA Experimental Farm to see the reindeer.  Click HERE and HERE and HERE for previous posts.

Down the hill from the farm are fields belonging to the University.  There have been a lot of Sandhill Cranes feeding in the field over the last few weeks, but they have gone south now.  There were also some Canada Geese in the fields.  The collage below also has some Gray Jays that we saw up at the Muskox Farm.

Then we were back home, and the T-Bird will soon be put in the back of Marty's shop with a cover over it until next spring. It's definitely not a cool weather car!

Reindeer

Here a few shots of some of the reindeer at the experimental farm. The first is a female, and yes, she has only one antler. She will probably lose that one soon too. Cows retain their antlers throughout pregnancy, giving them an advantage during the winter feeding as the large bulls shed their antlers in October. So, those reindeer that pull Santa's sleigh--yup, they've got to be all female. That little black spot to the left is her new calf.

The guys were hanging out in the shade, I'm sure swapping stories.

Life seems to be pretty easy at the farm, much easier than it is for the wild caribou.

Red Barn at the Experiment Farm

This red barn is part on the University of Alaska campus here in Fairbanks.
The USDA established the Fairbanks Experiment Farm in 1906. The land was transferred in 1915 to establish the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. The first student graduated in 1923 and in 1931 the experiment station was transferred from federal ownership to the college, and in 1935 the college was renamed the University of Alaska. The farm includes 260 acres of cropland and 50 acres of forest land for research and demonstration purposes.

Past research focused on swine, sled dogs, sheep, and beef cattle. The current research is primarily with reindeer nutrition and production. So in the pens around the barn you see reindeer instead of the usual cows or sheep. Each spring a calf watch is set up online. So far this year there have been 15 male and 8 female calves born. Suggestions for names for the calves are solicited from the public, so if you'd like to suggest a name you can go to Calf Watch and submit your idea.

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Hop on over to Tricia's Barn Charm to see more old barns.

Tour Time: Muskox Farm, Part 4 Reindeer

The last animal we'll see at the Muskox Farm is a reindeer, and remember to click on the photos to enlarge them. This old gal is in the enclosure with the caribou and she is elderly and overweight. Her status is on the bottom of the totem pole. She waited until the caribou had moved away from the willow branches to make her way down to the fence to get what was left. Reindeer are in a different subspecies than the caribou at the farm. Our tour guide said the difference between the reindeer and the caribou at the farm is that the reindeer are considered to be domestic animals and the caribou are considered tame animals. Reindeer were introduced into Alaska in the late 1800s. Whalers moved along the Bering Sea coasts of Alaska and traded with the Natives. When they left, the marine mammals population had been severely impacted, and the Native people also had developed a dependence on the food and good provided by the whalers. Noting the successful herding of reindeer by Eastern Siberian Natives, in the late 1800s Congress approved the introduction of reindeer in Alaska. The reindeer was used in Nome during the gold rush to haul sleds and for meat. In the 1930s there were 600,000 reindeer in Western Alaska and the Reindeer Act was passed restricting ownership of reindeer to Native Alaskans. Harsh winter conditions, predation by wolves, loss to migrating caribou, and lack of attendance on the herds have caused that number to drop drastically. Today there are some 20,000 reindeer in Western Alaska.

This old gal is very sweet and her chubbiness attests to the fact that she has fared well with regard to to getting her share of food.

Reindeer are short and squat when compared to the caribou. They do not migrate, but some of the herds of reindeer have joined the wild caribou when the caribou have migrated through their range.

There is another facility at the University of Alaska that is doing research on the reindeer. It is called the Reindeer Research Program and is located next to the Georgeson Botanical Garden. Their projects range from herd management and animal health to nutrition and meat quality. In Alaska, there are several places where you can see reindeer. If you are extremely lucky you might even be able to see some of Santa's Reindeer at his North Pole enclave. Only problem, the location is a highly guarded secret.

Curious Reindeer Looking for a Handout

I visited the experimental farm at the University of Alaska a few days ago. They have had 16 reindeer calves born so far this year and expect two dozen more. I didn't get to see any of them, but thought this guy was cute. He came over to the fence to see if I had any food for him, and when I didn't he quickly lost interest.