Mixing the traditional with modern technologies

Reindeer farming is an ancient practice that involves the herding and hunting of reindeer for meat, hides and horns. Janine Ryan looks at a brief history of reindeer farming, and how modern technologies are being used to improve efficiency.

- Janine Ryan

Christine Farr, a permaculture practitioner and researcher, who also writes for AgronoMag, says that while the reindeer is often associated with Christmas

and the image of Santa Claus and his sleigh, the reindeer is culturally and practically far more important. “Reindeer farming has become something that various farmers from all around the world are finding to be appealing because growing reindeer offers the opportunity to capitalise on different aspects,” she writes.

FACTS ABOUT REINDEER

Farr writes that the reindeer were among the first domesticated animals, with large herds of domestic reindeer still being found today in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Siberia.

Reindeer are considered medium-sized deer, with the average male reaching 180cm to 214cm in length. The adult male reindeer tend to reach an average weight of between 92kg and 210kg (depending on the sub-species), says Farr.

However, some adult males have been recorded at above 300kg. Mature adult female reindeer are smaller than their male counterparts, but unlike other deer species, says Farr, the female reindeer also have horns. The reindeer’s fur colour differs depending on area and sub-species.

“The coat is composed of two layers of hair, a dense, woolly layer and an upper layer with long, rough, strong hairs.

“The upper layer hairs are bare in sections and filled with air, specially adapted to the low temperatures or for the moments when the reindeer cross the watercourses.