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Santa's Crew LLC
Today I'm talking with Sara at Santa's Crew LLC. Sara and her dad raise reindeer!
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00:00
You're listening to A Tiny Homestead, the podcast comprised entirely of conversations with homesteaders, cottage food producers, and crafters. I'm your host, Mary Lewis. Today I'm talking with Sarah at Santa's Crew LLC in Wisconsin. Good morning, Sarah. How are you? Good and good morning. How's the weather in Wisconsin this morning? Because it's damn cold in Minnesota. It's very cold here as well. Getting through it. Yeah. um
00:29
I know we shouldn't complain because we had a very long, extended, beautiful fall, but spring can't come soon enough, honestly. Yeah, I don't mind cold weather, but when it's like way, way in the negatives and it causes things to break or have issues, then it's like, okay, now it's maybe a little too cold. Yeah, I am prone to migraines. It runs in my family, and when the temperature drops like this and the air gets dry,
00:56
My head tries to hurt every morning when I get up and I'm like, spring's only a couple months away. I will survive it. Yeah. I would definitely be looking forward to it as well if I were you. Yeah. It's no fun getting up in the morning and you get that little twinge and you're like, okay, so am I going to be down for three days or is this just a few seconds of dry air bothering my nose causing sinus headache?
01:22
It's very frustrating, minor. There are worse things in the world. I'm not worried about it. I just don't enjoy it. So um Sarah talked with me a week or so ago about their dairy farm and she let it slip that she and her dad have a reindeer raising endeavor as well. And I was like, oh, will you come back and talk to me about the reindeer? And she's back. So how in the heck did you guys get involved in raising reindeer?
01:51
Right? It's not something you're, you know, not very common. uh But our neighbor used to have them. And I did go to one of these events one time and, know, it was a lot of fun. I did grow up on a dairy farm. So I grew up around animals and training animals at, you know, going to the fair. So I was familiar with that. And
02:12
we found out he was selling and my dad and I kind of talked. It was kind of spontaneous. It wasn't something like we planned. It was just kind of like the opportunity was there and we're like, let's do it. So we kind of went in partnership. I was 17 at the time. Um, and we started with two baby calves and kind of expand from there was a male and female. So they were calves. We showed them that first year.
02:40
And the following year they would be a breeding pair. So then we had to get another female, um, because during the holiday season is when the males are in rut. So you don't want to bring them out because they're very aggressive. So usually people will bring like females or steers. So then we kind of started with three animals within our first two years. And then, um, the third degree added another one. So then we had three females and kinda, oh um,
03:07
went with that and then we had three breeding females. But yeah, we slowly built it. was, uh yeah, it's very fun. m Reindeer are different than cattle in some ways. They have their similarities but their differences. And growing up with dairy cattle, when I got the reindeer, I'm like, oh, reindeer are much quicker and more nimble than cows. But yeah, it's been a lot of fun.
03:34
And now we've been doing it since 2016, which is crazy to think that time's flying by that fast. do you have a big herd now? We're at eight right now, which is a good size. I don't think we'll get bigger than that um at all. We're pretty with the amount of space we have for them. It seems to work well. It's enough animals for like the holiday season. And then we do have some breeding females.
04:04
So we can kind of get calves. We'll keep a few every once in a while and sometimes we'll sell some to people who don't breed or want, you know, new genetics kind of thing. So other people who have reindeer or want to get into it. we had, let's see, last year we had two, but we were expecting four. We're hoping to have four. We had four breeding females. This year we have five that were in breeding.
04:34
with breeding bulls. And we think the youngest one isn't bred because during the holiday season, we think she was in heat because the steer was kind of trying to jump on her. like, oh, I think she's having a heat. I don't think that one's pregnant. So maybe we'll have four calves. Like, we'll see. um We'll just have to wait and see. How long is gestation for the babies? Oh, two.
05:02
Why am I blanking on the exact? uh Let's see, October is typically when hours are bred and then they calve in springtime around April or May. Why? I'm blanking on the number of days right now though. So like eight, nine months. Yeah, yes. Yep. Around that. Okay. Awesome. And is it set in stone? They only have babies in the spring? Yes. Yep. Because rut.
05:32
For the males, always, usually the end of August is when it kind of starts. So it kind of starts around there. And then they drop their antlers in December or January, which means rut season is done. But we pull the females out of the breeding pen in October because if they get bred any later than that, then they're calving.
05:55
into like late spring and summer and it's really, you know, warm for the baby calves. They usually don't do as well when it's that warm. Once they get older, they're really good with like the warmer weather, but it's just the baby calves seem to take it harder, you know, in their first few weeks. So we just don't want to have any late late calves. So we just pull them in October. oh Okay. I have so many questions for you because I out and did some reading on reindeer this morning and
06:24
Reindeer and caribou are not the same animal. They are cousins. Yes. And reindeer come from Siberia area, right? Yes. Yep. Across seas. They're native over there where caribou are native to North America. Okay. So how did reindeer get to the United States? Do you know? Yes. So, I guess I'll kind of go back and kind of tell people that
06:53
I go to so many events and people say that they're the same thing and they will argue with me and that they think that I'm just lying, I guess, at like Chris said, that I'm like, am not. are completely like, they're separate animals, but they are close cousins. They are the same species, but different subspecies. um Because even like national geographic or prominent zoos in the US will wrongly classify these animals, which is kind of why I think.
07:20
people get confused because you can research it and get different things. But they have done research on the migration patterns of the two of them. they are close cousins, but they are different animals. And reindeer domesticated have been domesticated where caribou aren't. So some people will kind of make the comparison.
07:44
to kind of make it a little easier to kind of understand it as like wolves and dogs, like they're close related, one's domesticated. I guess it's kind of a way to put it in perspective in that way. yeah, so reindeer first arrived in Alaska in 1892 by a boat, obviously, because they weren't.
08:10
Unlike Caribou, they were already here because Caribou basically used the land bridge to kind of come over here and then you know, that's how that worked and they were shipped from Siberia. So you're right there. And they ended up having their peak population here for 640,000 of them around the 1930s, but they say there's only roughly 20,000 of them that are in Alaska today.
08:38
I'm not sure we're in Canada. I know there's some hers in Canada, but I don't know exactly what the numbers are over there. Okay. And I'm going to be bouncing all over the place because stuff's going to pop in from what I read this morning. You and your dad raise reindeer to take them to Christmas things or have people come see them at Christmas, right? Yeah. We travel with them to all different places. We're in Wisconsin, so we...
09:06
basically stay in Wisconsin because there's enough events to fill the mid November through Christmas. It's a very short window to kind of get to all these places and jam pack it all in. So we do a lot of traveling with them and we do two teams. We started with one trailer and we travel with two at a time because they're herd animals. they like to be with another one, seem to do better that way. And so we travel with two of them. We bring a whole display pen. We set it all up.
09:34
get, you know, I'm in there with the, with the reindeer on a, uh, with a lead rope and, know, I'm able to kind of, you know, talk to people, educate them, and they can kind of take photos with the reindeer as well. Um, and then we just, we added a second team a few years ago because there was just so many people wanting the same dates. And so now we travel with two teams on some of the days. So, um
10:00
four animals out at once and my dad will take one team and I'll take the other if we happen to have like double bookings that way. Um, but we will not add a third team. That would be really chaotic and a lot. we're, we're going to kind of two teams is good enough. Okay. And have you guys trained the reindeer to pull a sleigh yet? Not yet, but we have one that we are hoping to or working with. Um, it's a steer.
10:27
So he doesn't have the testosterone like an intact bowl, so he won't go into rut or anything like that. And he's like a big puppy. Your steer is kind of like, you know, even in cattle, your steers are very, very calm, nonchalant. And he's bigger than two in size. And I think he'll be, you know, a really good sleigh puller where the females are usually they should be pregnant during the holiday season. We don't want to have them, you know, being a sleigh puller during that or anything. But we're working with him. He's young.
10:58
He's going to be two this spring and we're working on that. So we'll see how that goes. But that is a goal to have a sleep holder. Fun. So much fun. So I don't want to, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but do people raise reindeer for meat as well or not? Not around here. There's not really a market for that around here, but like in Alaska or like, uh, Norway, Siberia, Siberia over there, it's you.
11:26
They can, or there's a market for it, but down in the lower 48, it's mainly to just kind of have them for either just to have them or to go to events or some people will have um their own farm where people come to them. Kind of like tree farms, some tree farms have them or they just want to have an experience on their own property with them. Okay. I was really curious because we have.
11:53
We eat venison here. I don't love venison. My husband and my kids do. And so we've had venison in the house off and on for years. And I didn't, I really didn't think that reindeer were for that because it's an expensive animal to raise, would assume. Yeah. So it's like where they're more like in Alaska where they have like more herds or
12:19
You know, they raise them more for meat up there. I haven't had any, so I can't speak on how it tastes. Yeah. Haven't had any personal experience tasting it. oh But yeah, we, there's really no market down here for it. Otherwise you probably see it more on menus or in stores. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I figured. Okay. And are they, I don't know how to ask this. Are the reindeer friendly?
12:49
Yes. Well, the bulls when they're in rut, they're not, they're all full of testosterone, but when they lose their antlers, then they're back to like, testosterone's low, they're kind of back to their normal self, they're not as crazy. But yes, they're friendly. Okay. And when the mamas have their babies, are the mamas super protective? Are they good with you being around the babies, but nobody else?
13:16
They're actually usually pretty good with us. We have one female that is a little more iffy on it with us, a little more protective, but for the most part, they are all pretty good. I need to find somebody who's closer than Wisconsin who was raising reindeer. Cause I really want to hold a baby reindeer before I die. They are so cute. They are. They're so tiny. Yeah. 12 pounds on average.
13:43
Yeah, yeah, like 12 to 15 depending. Yeah, yeah, they're, not that big and they're like all legs. It's so funny. And, they start walking pretty soon after they're, they don't like lay, like, you know, some animals you would think like they, they aren't mobile, but they're up and around really soon after and doing zoomies and yeah, they're, it's pretty impressive. So much fun.
14:09
It's amazing to me that they are 12 to 15 pounds at birth because my dog weighs like 36 pounds. So they're about half of what she is right now. Yup. Yeah. When you put it that way. Crazy. Crazy. She would love to have a baby reindeer friend. Maggie would just be the best mama to a baby reindeer for five minutes. It would be amazing. Okay. The other things that I read are the female reindeer keep their
14:37
antlers longer than the males do because they use them to make sure they can get food so they can feed their babies. Yes, yeah, they keep theirs on longer. So when the males lose their antlers, the females are the ruler of the roosts. They have the advantage of, you know, being able to kind of pick on them if they need to and defend their babies. Fabulous. That mama bear energy. It's mama reindeer energy. We do have a few that will
15:05
not often, but there will sometimes be females that'll lose one before they calve. I think we've had one lose both of them before she calved, but usually they keep them on. um Sometimes right after they have the baby, soon after they'll lose them, it just really depends from reindeer to reindeer. But yeah, they do keep them on till spring. um Some males, I know there's like a thing out there where all males lose their antlers in December, and that's not the case. We actually have a bull.
15:33
that still has his antlers on. He is younger and it seems to be when they're younger, they sometimes keep them on maybe a little longer. And our steer still has his antlers on, so it's not always the case. But a lot of males will lose theirs in December, but some of them will keep them till January. Do you do anything with the sheds at all? Right now, we've been just kind of stockpiling them. I tried to do some macrame designs on some.
16:02
Um, but it's just, it takes a lot of time. I enjoy doing it. It's just getting the spare time to do it. Um, and then there are some people who are interested in just having, you know, the sheds, like they're all like, they just like, if we sold them, they just want, you know, a reindeer shed. But we have a big stockpile of them. I think now we're going to try to part with them since we've got a bigger herd now and they grow them every year. So we just keep getting more and more.
16:31
Yeah, I was reading that even the babies within four or five months start growing antlers. Oh, yeah, right away. So they're born with, you know, nothing. And then all of a sudden you'll start seeing little tiny nubs forming and then they just keep getting longer and longer. And some of them will just be little tiny ice picks. Some of them will have a few points, but they're on the smaller side. And then the following year, they just like triple in size. It's crazy how much how big they can get.
17:00
in such a young age from year to year. the racks on caribou and reindeer are just gargantuan. Once they get to be about what, three or four years old, they're just huge. Yeah, yeah, they are big. And the males especially, obviously the males, their antlers are much thicker and larger in size. It's pretty impressive on how big they can get. And we bring some sheds to events.
17:27
um And that's one thing we have to remind people. They look at them and they're like, oh, they assume it's from a dead reindeer that we killed the reindeer or something. I'm like, no, they shed them every year. So those sheds, you know, they fell off. So it's kind of like a, you know, educational point as well for people. Cause some people just don't know that, you know, deer, you know, the species, that's just something that happens.
17:53
ah But yeah, the males, theirs get large real fast. It's very impressive in how fast and sometimes daily when they get really big, you'll just notice a difference daily on how much bigger they're getting. Well, I was reading that they can grow an inch or two a day. I was like, oh my God, that's got to hurt. Yeah. I don't know if the growing process technically hurts on them, but they are very sensitive when they're growing because they're covered in this fuzzy velvet.
18:21
And it's just a bunch of blood flow that's just basically going through them to keep growing. And so like they're very sensitive. They don't use them. They don't want to touch anything with them. And if they even nick it just the littlest, it just bleeds and bleeds and bleeds. It eventually clots, but it's just if you nick it just a little bit, almost like if you cut yourself with like a razor, just doesn't want to stop. And it's just like the smallest little thing. So they're very sensitive and they're just full of blood.
18:51
through that process. then end of August is usually when they harden. Sometimes some of them will be a little later like September. had a steer this year was really late on wanting them to harden and then they just rub all that velvet off. They don't have that feeling and sensation once they harden. I mean, when they're rubbing that velvet off, there's some of that blood left between the velvet and the hard antler.
19:20
And so people think it looks painful when really it's not. It's just a little bit that was just left on top of that hard antler. So it looks like a bloody mess sometimes because they'll just rub their antlers in trees because it's like an itchy feeling for them. They want it off. And it just looks funny because it's just like their antlers will just look kind of bloody at first when they're doing that. And it's just a natural process. It doesn't hurt them.
19:49
Yeah, I was talking with my son like a year or so ago and I made the mistake of calling deer antlers, deer horns. And he said, you know better than that. And I was like, better than what? And he said, antlers are not the same thing as horns. He said, antlers are a living part of the animal up until they start to harden off. He said, horns are not alive. And I said, um
20:18
actually I didn't know that. He said, you're kidding. I said, no, I didn't know that. He said, yeah. He said the horns on a cow or steer, you know, bovine. He said, those aren't the same as antlers. And I was like, oh, I learned something new today. I was schooled on the difference between antlers and horns. Yeah. Yeah. There is a difference. Um, cause obviously with reindeer, they fall off and they grow a new set where horns, just, you know, they, and they grow from the base of like,
20:48
the head of cattle where the antlers, growing from the tips. The tips keep growing because of all that blood flow. So they're not actually growing from the base. yeah, you don't think of that when you're just looking at them, but yeah, they do grow differently and they are different. and getting schooled by my kid is my fault because I'm huge on semantics. And he was like, for a lady who's big on semantics.
21:15
I can't believe you didn't realize that there was a difference between antlers and horns. And I'm like, you can stop now. I have been schooled, now I know you can stop harassing me. And he's just laughing. So it's great when you raise your kids to be smart because then they outsmart you. It's a challenge then for them probably. Yes, exactly. The other interesting thing that I read is that reindeer on their hooves, they have a dewclaw.
21:44
like a dog has a dewclaw or a cat has a dewclaw. And I was like, what is that for? And then I continued to read and it's so they can walk on the snow and ice easier. Yep. And, uh, and it kind of, cause the cows even have dewclaws, I kind of, cause they're hoofed animals, I kind of compare them. Their hooves are different than cows or even horses, but they have that dewclaw and it looks funny cause it looks like they need a hoof trimming, but they don't.
22:14
And we do have trim them. So obviously they can get longer than what they should. But yeah, they are for that traction on snow and ice and their hooves are really big because it accesses no shoes and shovels in the snow even. And if you looked at the bottom side of the hoof, it kind of indents a little bit. So they are really good shovels for the snow and they can dig as deep as three feet. Wow. OK.
22:43
um I was looking at a photo of a reindeer hoof and it reminded me of the chunky platform heels that were in fashion a while ago. was like, oh, they have fancy feet. And they're softer and they say like, not saying super soft, but they kind of are like a little softer in like summer, more spongier.
23:09
And then in winter, they harden up a little like more firmer, you know, for that ice and snow. in summer, so it's easier to do their hoof trimming in summer versus winter because they're very, very hard in winter. Yeah. Do the babies have the same like angel feather thingies on their feet when they're born the eponychium or whatever that's called for cows and horses?
23:38
Angel feather? I'm trying to think of what you're referring to. So that the hooves don't cut the mom when they're coming through the birth canal. Oh, yes. Yeah, their hooves are tiny. They're not like really big when they're first born. But are they soft? Are the bottom of their feet soft? Yes. Yes. Okay. Yeah, they're more rounded, smoother. Okay, because with horses and cows, they look almost like little flaps.
24:07
on their hooves when they're born and it's so that they don't slice mom on the inside of her body. It's so cool. is amazing how she takes care of things. because with our dairy, because I grew up on a dairy farm, yeah, their hooves are softer and then they're hearted and they're just different. it's weird how they're made that way. It's always interesting how things change too so fast in the calves.
24:35
Yeah, they go from being completely defenseless to able to take care of themselves really fast. Yeah, yes. yeah, the reindeer babies. So it's interesting because they are a little different than like cattle. You you feed calves twice a day, bigger amounts, and they get that curd in their stomach and it kind of slowly releases throughout the day. But then you have reindeer babies, they drink
25:03
very often in small amounts. milk is really, really high in fat and protein content as well. So that's also probably why they don't need like a ton at once, but yeah, they drink very often. And reindeer do have four teats, um not like goats where they have two. So they have four and they're really, really tiny. Oh, okay.
25:29
And they usually only have one baby. are occasionally twins, but it's usually one baby per mama, right? Correct. Yes. And we actually had a set of twins. What was that? Not this last year, the year before that. So yeah, twins are very rare. They usually just have a single calf. And when we had the twins, we were kind of calling around a bunch of other reindeer owners who've been in it for
25:57
a while, like did you ever have twins? Did you have to pull them both? So you had to feed them, like did you have to bottle feed them or did they do fine on the mom? And the mom who had it, she's our oldest in our first range. She's always been amazing with all of her calves. And at first we thought she was like pushing one away, the smaller one. The female was more runtier, she was smaller. And then we realized she was making them take turns. So like at night she was trying to let one drink.
26:27
And then she would let the, you know, she was trying to kind of give them turns. So she was, it was very interesting because at first we thought, oh, she's just pushing one away and that wasn't the case. So, and then you have to think, is she going to produce enough for both? You know, you want to make sure they're both getting enough nutrients or is that bigger one going to drink more? And then, you know, when the other one wants to drink, is there going to not just be enough? So we ended up having, we left them on the mom and we would kind of every like,
26:57
So if you ever bottle feed reindeer, we keep ours on the mom because we've just had good luck with that. And our moms have always been really great. You have to feed them like every three hours, almost like a baby human because they drink that often. And so we had to go out there. I had my cousins help me a lot. They were great. I actually just had my newborn son at the time. So I was already feeding my baby every like three hours.
27:26
So they would go over there and help and feed them, the baby twins, and try to make sure, like see if they would drink off the mom. Then they had a little like, you know, syringe, like just to kind of do little, slowly put a little bit in their cheek at a time and kind of see how much they would take and record that every day or every feeding. And then we'd weigh them.
27:55
Yeah, it was it was a very interesting with reindeer every year you learn something new there is And that was something that year I'm like and they live we showed them at shows there that first year with the mom They took turns we always bring the calves to events with the mom They always do you know really well that way and then this last year we brought the twins out together So that was really fun that they were able to kind of go to all these events together awesome
28:24
So yeah, the babies, it's crazy that, oh, and I found what I've been looking for. Cause I'm like, I don't know the percentage of fat and I'm like, I'm just trying to find it in their milk. So this reads here, is it? Reindeer milk is very high in fat compared to milk from other domestic species. Like a Jersey cow is known for its high butter fat content, which is
28:49
which only has about 4 % milk fat, reindeer milk registers at 24 % milk fat. They rank first in fat content among milk consumed, or they rank, yeah, first in fat content among milk consumed by humans. People do not consume reindeer milk in certain parts of the world. some do, like, know, where reindeer are native, there are people, you know, in Norway, like you were saying.
29:19
And Siberia where they rely on these animals and herd them and this is like their food source and, know, they, you know, have to drink their milk too. So, and they use, you know, they butcher them too. And it's crazy how much the fat content in these animals are so high, but they are also native to those really harsh, cold climates too. don't know if that's also why. Probably.
29:48
And what you're telling me is reindeer milk would make excellent ice cream. Yeah, that would be interesting to try. Yeah, it would be the smoothest ice cream ever known to man. Yeah. Oh, and then it does go on to say polar bear milk is 31 % fat. So yeah, it's interesting how like they did this research on all these other animals and the fat content in their mouth and how it really, really varies.
30:16
I mean, even a dairy cows like jerseys just have more just naturally than Holsteins. You know, it's just interesting how that's just how nature works. Did you know that the milk from cats has a very high fat content too? Oh, cats. Okay. I don't know too much about cats. I mean, we have tons of bark cats, Yeah. I was reading about all this stuff this morning and I read the same kind of comparison that you just read. And it said that.
30:43
is that cats have a very high fat content in their milk. And I was like, I am not milking a cat. That would be very hard. I would just frustrate the cat and I'd probably get sliced up pretty good. So no, we're not milking barn cats around here. That seems like a bad plan. Okay. Well, Sarah, I would love to talk to you for days about this because I love it that you're raising reindeer. think that's so fabulous.
31:09
There is just so much to them. It's endless amount of information I could give. Yeah, I have one more question and then we'll wrap it up. When little kids come to the event and they see the reindeer, do they get to actually pet the reindeer or do they just get to ask you a bunch of questions and stare at the reindeer? So for us, we don't allow the petting of reindeer just for biosecurity reasons. For us, um
31:36
and liability, not that our reindeer are aggressive or anything. It's just, it just puts a peace of mind. feel like for us, cause I'm not, we have two teams and if I'm not at the other one, there's other, you know, I have helpers and if something happens, whether there's a person who doesn't understand what they're doing or a PETA person who wants to make a scene, I don't want them to have that on their shoulders. So it's not, I don't.
32:04
I allow it for that reason and just mainly biosecurity too, because you don't know what those people, if they have animals either. There is something that sheep and goats can carry. It's called MCF and they can carry it. doesn't affect them. But if reindeer end up getting it, it's deadly to them. So if I ever have any helpers of mine and they have, there's some who have sheep and goats at home and like you cannot wear any of the clothes or boots that you have that you go out.
32:33
by your sheep and goats because I just don't, it's a big risk. know, it's something that if reindeer get it, it's not a good situation. ah But yeah, the reindeer are very, very friendly. So we let people take photos with them and I do bring antler sheds so people can hold those and touch those. And then yeah, we get lots and lots of questions about them. Nice. Awesome. All right. Where can people find you Sarah for your reindeer business?
33:03
So we do have an Instagram and Facebook. It's called SantasCrew LLC and we also have a website as well. um And there's a page if you just want to learn more just about reindeer in general, there's a ton of information on reindeerowners.com. An abundance amount of information there. um So yeah, it's interesting. um Some states don't allow people to own reindeer, which is really interesting too.
33:31
um So if you are listening and you're looking into wanting them, just, you know, first of all, check with your state's rules and regulations. That's what I would say first before going on and trying to find some reindeer to purchase. Cause that would, you know, you want to make sure you can get them to begin with and then making sure you knowing the facility you need. Some states require double fencing, some don't, you know, all those things, every state's a little different.
33:59
How expensive is it to acquire a reindeer calf? It varies. um It's quite a wide range. It could be 12,000 and I see up to 20,000. It really depends. Bottle raise seems to go for a little higher for some reason. And some people prefer that, which is totally fine. It's just preference. We don't bottle raise. We do work with our animals though, too. um
34:28
So it's just really, really depends on that. And can you even get them from certain farms? So it depends on certain states. um I can't sell to certain states because of their regulations, but I can sell to some others. like, for example, I can sell to the of Texas. Their regulations currently is you can't have a CWD case within a certain mile radius. Yep, chronic wasting disease.
34:58
Yes. Yep. And I meet that requirement. But if someone else in Wisconsin has a case that was just within that radius, even within a mile, they cannot sell a reindeer to that state, which is, which is so crazy. Um, so I can, it can make it hard. There is a state I could sell to and they just change the regulations and now I can't. Um, so it's, it's a really, really interesting market that way, how it's constantly changing and it makes it harder.
35:26
to acquire them or sell them. So yeah, it's very interesting and constantly changing. Well, you're never bored. So that's good. No, no, never. And like I said, we learn something new every year with these animals. So we'll see what happens this year. I mean, if we ever get twins again, we've been through that. So I think it's fascinating. And I'm so, I don't know, I'll use the word impressed. Probably not the right word.
35:54
So impressed that you do this with your dad. think it's great. um As always, people can find me at atinyhomesteadpodcast.com. And if you'd like to support the podcast, you can go to atinyhomestead.com slash support. Sarah, thank you for coming back and talking with me. Oh, of course. Thank you for inviting me back. I loved this conversation and I have not talked with anyone about raising reindeer before. So this was really interesting. Thank you so much. Yeah, you definitely, you're welcome.
36:23
All right, have a great day. You too.
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By Mary E LewisToday I'm talking with Sara at Santa's Crew LLC. Sara and her dad raise reindeer!
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00:00
You're listening to A Tiny Homestead, the podcast comprised entirely of conversations with homesteaders, cottage food producers, and crafters. I'm your host, Mary Lewis. Today I'm talking with Sarah at Santa's Crew LLC in Wisconsin. Good morning, Sarah. How are you? Good and good morning. How's the weather in Wisconsin this morning? Because it's damn cold in Minnesota. It's very cold here as well. Getting through it. Yeah. um
00:29
I know we shouldn't complain because we had a very long, extended, beautiful fall, but spring can't come soon enough, honestly. Yeah, I don't mind cold weather, but when it's like way, way in the negatives and it causes things to break or have issues, then it's like, okay, now it's maybe a little too cold. Yeah, I am prone to migraines. It runs in my family, and when the temperature drops like this and the air gets dry,
00:56
My head tries to hurt every morning when I get up and I'm like, spring's only a couple months away. I will survive it. Yeah. I would definitely be looking forward to it as well if I were you. Yeah. It's no fun getting up in the morning and you get that little twinge and you're like, okay, so am I going to be down for three days or is this just a few seconds of dry air bothering my nose causing sinus headache?
01:22
It's very frustrating, minor. There are worse things in the world. I'm not worried about it. I just don't enjoy it. So um Sarah talked with me a week or so ago about their dairy farm and she let it slip that she and her dad have a reindeer raising endeavor as well. And I was like, oh, will you come back and talk to me about the reindeer? And she's back. So how in the heck did you guys get involved in raising reindeer?
01:51
Right? It's not something you're, you know, not very common. uh But our neighbor used to have them. And I did go to one of these events one time and, know, it was a lot of fun. I did grow up on a dairy farm. So I grew up around animals and training animals at, you know, going to the fair. So I was familiar with that. And
02:12
we found out he was selling and my dad and I kind of talked. It was kind of spontaneous. It wasn't something like we planned. It was just kind of like the opportunity was there and we're like, let's do it. So we kind of went in partnership. I was 17 at the time. Um, and we started with two baby calves and kind of expand from there was a male and female. So they were calves. We showed them that first year.
02:40
And the following year they would be a breeding pair. So then we had to get another female, um, because during the holiday season is when the males are in rut. So you don't want to bring them out because they're very aggressive. So usually people will bring like females or steers. So then we kind of started with three animals within our first two years. And then, um, the third degree added another one. So then we had three females and kinda, oh um,
03:07
went with that and then we had three breeding females. But yeah, we slowly built it. was, uh yeah, it's very fun. m Reindeer are different than cattle in some ways. They have their similarities but their differences. And growing up with dairy cattle, when I got the reindeer, I'm like, oh, reindeer are much quicker and more nimble than cows. But yeah, it's been a lot of fun.
03:34
And now we've been doing it since 2016, which is crazy to think that time's flying by that fast. do you have a big herd now? We're at eight right now, which is a good size. I don't think we'll get bigger than that um at all. We're pretty with the amount of space we have for them. It seems to work well. It's enough animals for like the holiday season. And then we do have some breeding females.
04:04
So we can kind of get calves. We'll keep a few every once in a while and sometimes we'll sell some to people who don't breed or want, you know, new genetics kind of thing. So other people who have reindeer or want to get into it. we had, let's see, last year we had two, but we were expecting four. We're hoping to have four. We had four breeding females. This year we have five that were in breeding.
04:34
with breeding bulls. And we think the youngest one isn't bred because during the holiday season, we think she was in heat because the steer was kind of trying to jump on her. like, oh, I think she's having a heat. I don't think that one's pregnant. So maybe we'll have four calves. Like, we'll see. um We'll just have to wait and see. How long is gestation for the babies? Oh, two.
05:02
Why am I blanking on the exact? uh Let's see, October is typically when hours are bred and then they calve in springtime around April or May. Why? I'm blanking on the number of days right now though. So like eight, nine months. Yeah, yes. Yep. Around that. Okay. Awesome. And is it set in stone? They only have babies in the spring? Yes. Yep. Because rut.
05:32
For the males, always, usually the end of August is when it kind of starts. So it kind of starts around there. And then they drop their antlers in December or January, which means rut season is done. But we pull the females out of the breeding pen in October because if they get bred any later than that, then they're calving.
05:55
into like late spring and summer and it's really, you know, warm for the baby calves. They usually don't do as well when it's that warm. Once they get older, they're really good with like the warmer weather, but it's just the baby calves seem to take it harder, you know, in their first few weeks. So we just don't want to have any late late calves. So we just pull them in October. oh Okay. I have so many questions for you because I out and did some reading on reindeer this morning and
06:24
Reindeer and caribou are not the same animal. They are cousins. Yes. And reindeer come from Siberia area, right? Yes. Yep. Across seas. They're native over there where caribou are native to North America. Okay. So how did reindeer get to the United States? Do you know? Yes. So, I guess I'll kind of go back and kind of tell people that
06:53
I go to so many events and people say that they're the same thing and they will argue with me and that they think that I'm just lying, I guess, at like Chris said, that I'm like, am not. are completely like, they're separate animals, but they are close cousins. They are the same species, but different subspecies. um Because even like national geographic or prominent zoos in the US will wrongly classify these animals, which is kind of why I think.
07:20
people get confused because you can research it and get different things. But they have done research on the migration patterns of the two of them. they are close cousins, but they are different animals. And reindeer domesticated have been domesticated where caribou aren't. So some people will kind of make the comparison.
07:44
to kind of make it a little easier to kind of understand it as like wolves and dogs, like they're close related, one's domesticated. I guess it's kind of a way to put it in perspective in that way. yeah, so reindeer first arrived in Alaska in 1892 by a boat, obviously, because they weren't.
08:10
Unlike Caribou, they were already here because Caribou basically used the land bridge to kind of come over here and then you know, that's how that worked and they were shipped from Siberia. So you're right there. And they ended up having their peak population here for 640,000 of them around the 1930s, but they say there's only roughly 20,000 of them that are in Alaska today.
08:38
I'm not sure we're in Canada. I know there's some hers in Canada, but I don't know exactly what the numbers are over there. Okay. And I'm going to be bouncing all over the place because stuff's going to pop in from what I read this morning. You and your dad raise reindeer to take them to Christmas things or have people come see them at Christmas, right? Yeah. We travel with them to all different places. We're in Wisconsin, so we...
09:06
basically stay in Wisconsin because there's enough events to fill the mid November through Christmas. It's a very short window to kind of get to all these places and jam pack it all in. So we do a lot of traveling with them and we do two teams. We started with one trailer and we travel with two at a time because they're herd animals. they like to be with another one, seem to do better that way. And so we travel with two of them. We bring a whole display pen. We set it all up.
09:34
get, you know, I'm in there with the, with the reindeer on a, uh, with a lead rope and, know, I'm able to kind of, you know, talk to people, educate them, and they can kind of take photos with the reindeer as well. Um, and then we just, we added a second team a few years ago because there was just so many people wanting the same dates. And so now we travel with two teams on some of the days. So, um
10:00
four animals out at once and my dad will take one team and I'll take the other if we happen to have like double bookings that way. Um, but we will not add a third team. That would be really chaotic and a lot. we're, we're going to kind of two teams is good enough. Okay. And have you guys trained the reindeer to pull a sleigh yet? Not yet, but we have one that we are hoping to or working with. Um, it's a steer.
10:27
So he doesn't have the testosterone like an intact bowl, so he won't go into rut or anything like that. And he's like a big puppy. Your steer is kind of like, you know, even in cattle, your steers are very, very calm, nonchalant. And he's bigger than two in size. And I think he'll be, you know, a really good sleigh puller where the females are usually they should be pregnant during the holiday season. We don't want to have them, you know, being a sleigh puller during that or anything. But we're working with him. He's young.
10:58
He's going to be two this spring and we're working on that. So we'll see how that goes. But that is a goal to have a sleep holder. Fun. So much fun. So I don't want to, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but do people raise reindeer for meat as well or not? Not around here. There's not really a market for that around here, but like in Alaska or like, uh, Norway, Siberia, Siberia over there, it's you.
11:26
They can, or there's a market for it, but down in the lower 48, it's mainly to just kind of have them for either just to have them or to go to events or some people will have um their own farm where people come to them. Kind of like tree farms, some tree farms have them or they just want to have an experience on their own property with them. Okay. I was really curious because we have.
11:53
We eat venison here. I don't love venison. My husband and my kids do. And so we've had venison in the house off and on for years. And I didn't, I really didn't think that reindeer were for that because it's an expensive animal to raise, would assume. Yeah. So it's like where they're more like in Alaska where they have like more herds or
12:19
You know, they raise them more for meat up there. I haven't had any, so I can't speak on how it tastes. Yeah. Haven't had any personal experience tasting it. oh But yeah, we, there's really no market down here for it. Otherwise you probably see it more on menus or in stores. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I figured. Okay. And are they, I don't know how to ask this. Are the reindeer friendly?
12:49
Yes. Well, the bulls when they're in rut, they're not, they're all full of testosterone, but when they lose their antlers, then they're back to like, testosterone's low, they're kind of back to their normal self, they're not as crazy. But yes, they're friendly. Okay. And when the mamas have their babies, are the mamas super protective? Are they good with you being around the babies, but nobody else?
13:16
They're actually usually pretty good with us. We have one female that is a little more iffy on it with us, a little more protective, but for the most part, they are all pretty good. I need to find somebody who's closer than Wisconsin who was raising reindeer. Cause I really want to hold a baby reindeer before I die. They are so cute. They are. They're so tiny. Yeah. 12 pounds on average.
13:43
Yeah, yeah, like 12 to 15 depending. Yeah, yeah, they're, not that big and they're like all legs. It's so funny. And, they start walking pretty soon after they're, they don't like lay, like, you know, some animals you would think like they, they aren't mobile, but they're up and around really soon after and doing zoomies and yeah, they're, it's pretty impressive. So much fun.
14:09
It's amazing to me that they are 12 to 15 pounds at birth because my dog weighs like 36 pounds. So they're about half of what she is right now. Yup. Yeah. When you put it that way. Crazy. Crazy. She would love to have a baby reindeer friend. Maggie would just be the best mama to a baby reindeer for five minutes. It would be amazing. Okay. The other things that I read are the female reindeer keep their
14:37
antlers longer than the males do because they use them to make sure they can get food so they can feed their babies. Yes, yeah, they keep theirs on longer. So when the males lose their antlers, the females are the ruler of the roosts. They have the advantage of, you know, being able to kind of pick on them if they need to and defend their babies. Fabulous. That mama bear energy. It's mama reindeer energy. We do have a few that will
15:05
not often, but there will sometimes be females that'll lose one before they calve. I think we've had one lose both of them before she calved, but usually they keep them on. um Sometimes right after they have the baby, soon after they'll lose them, it just really depends from reindeer to reindeer. But yeah, they do keep them on till spring. um Some males, I know there's like a thing out there where all males lose their antlers in December, and that's not the case. We actually have a bull.
15:33
that still has his antlers on. He is younger and it seems to be when they're younger, they sometimes keep them on maybe a little longer. And our steer still has his antlers on, so it's not always the case. But a lot of males will lose theirs in December, but some of them will keep them till January. Do you do anything with the sheds at all? Right now, we've been just kind of stockpiling them. I tried to do some macrame designs on some.
16:02
Um, but it's just, it takes a lot of time. I enjoy doing it. It's just getting the spare time to do it. Um, and then there are some people who are interested in just having, you know, the sheds, like they're all like, they just like, if we sold them, they just want, you know, a reindeer shed. But we have a big stockpile of them. I think now we're going to try to part with them since we've got a bigger herd now and they grow them every year. So we just keep getting more and more.
16:31
Yeah, I was reading that even the babies within four or five months start growing antlers. Oh, yeah, right away. So they're born with, you know, nothing. And then all of a sudden you'll start seeing little tiny nubs forming and then they just keep getting longer and longer. And some of them will just be little tiny ice picks. Some of them will have a few points, but they're on the smaller side. And then the following year, they just like triple in size. It's crazy how much how big they can get.
17:00
in such a young age from year to year. the racks on caribou and reindeer are just gargantuan. Once they get to be about what, three or four years old, they're just huge. Yeah, yeah, they are big. And the males especially, obviously the males, their antlers are much thicker and larger in size. It's pretty impressive on how big they can get. And we bring some sheds to events.
17:27
um And that's one thing we have to remind people. They look at them and they're like, oh, they assume it's from a dead reindeer that we killed the reindeer or something. I'm like, no, they shed them every year. So those sheds, you know, they fell off. So it's kind of like a, you know, educational point as well for people. Cause some people just don't know that, you know, deer, you know, the species, that's just something that happens.
17:53
ah But yeah, the males, theirs get large real fast. It's very impressive in how fast and sometimes daily when they get really big, you'll just notice a difference daily on how much bigger they're getting. Well, I was reading that they can grow an inch or two a day. I was like, oh my God, that's got to hurt. Yeah. I don't know if the growing process technically hurts on them, but they are very sensitive when they're growing because they're covered in this fuzzy velvet.
18:21
And it's just a bunch of blood flow that's just basically going through them to keep growing. And so like they're very sensitive. They don't use them. They don't want to touch anything with them. And if they even nick it just the littlest, it just bleeds and bleeds and bleeds. It eventually clots, but it's just if you nick it just a little bit, almost like if you cut yourself with like a razor, just doesn't want to stop. And it's just like the smallest little thing. So they're very sensitive and they're just full of blood.
18:51
through that process. then end of August is usually when they harden. Sometimes some of them will be a little later like September. had a steer this year was really late on wanting them to harden and then they just rub all that velvet off. They don't have that feeling and sensation once they harden. I mean, when they're rubbing that velvet off, there's some of that blood left between the velvet and the hard antler.
19:20
And so people think it looks painful when really it's not. It's just a little bit that was just left on top of that hard antler. So it looks like a bloody mess sometimes because they'll just rub their antlers in trees because it's like an itchy feeling for them. They want it off. And it just looks funny because it's just like their antlers will just look kind of bloody at first when they're doing that. And it's just a natural process. It doesn't hurt them.
19:49
Yeah, I was talking with my son like a year or so ago and I made the mistake of calling deer antlers, deer horns. And he said, you know better than that. And I was like, better than what? And he said, antlers are not the same thing as horns. He said, antlers are a living part of the animal up until they start to harden off. He said, horns are not alive. And I said, um
20:18
actually I didn't know that. He said, you're kidding. I said, no, I didn't know that. He said, yeah. He said the horns on a cow or steer, you know, bovine. He said, those aren't the same as antlers. And I was like, oh, I learned something new today. I was schooled on the difference between antlers and horns. Yeah. Yeah. There is a difference. Um, cause obviously with reindeer, they fall off and they grow a new set where horns, just, you know, they, and they grow from the base of like,
20:48
the head of cattle where the antlers, growing from the tips. The tips keep growing because of all that blood flow. So they're not actually growing from the base. yeah, you don't think of that when you're just looking at them, but yeah, they do grow differently and they are different. and getting schooled by my kid is my fault because I'm huge on semantics. And he was like, for a lady who's big on semantics.
21:15
I can't believe you didn't realize that there was a difference between antlers and horns. And I'm like, you can stop now. I have been schooled, now I know you can stop harassing me. And he's just laughing. So it's great when you raise your kids to be smart because then they outsmart you. It's a challenge then for them probably. Yes, exactly. The other interesting thing that I read is that reindeer on their hooves, they have a dewclaw.
21:44
like a dog has a dewclaw or a cat has a dewclaw. And I was like, what is that for? And then I continued to read and it's so they can walk on the snow and ice easier. Yep. And, uh, and it kind of, cause the cows even have dewclaws, I kind of, cause they're hoofed animals, I kind of compare them. Their hooves are different than cows or even horses, but they have that dewclaw and it looks funny cause it looks like they need a hoof trimming, but they don't.
22:14
And we do have trim them. So obviously they can get longer than what they should. But yeah, they are for that traction on snow and ice and their hooves are really big because it accesses no shoes and shovels in the snow even. And if you looked at the bottom side of the hoof, it kind of indents a little bit. So they are really good shovels for the snow and they can dig as deep as three feet. Wow. OK.
22:43
um I was looking at a photo of a reindeer hoof and it reminded me of the chunky platform heels that were in fashion a while ago. was like, oh, they have fancy feet. And they're softer and they say like, not saying super soft, but they kind of are like a little softer in like summer, more spongier.
23:09
And then in winter, they harden up a little like more firmer, you know, for that ice and snow. in summer, so it's easier to do their hoof trimming in summer versus winter because they're very, very hard in winter. Yeah. Do the babies have the same like angel feather thingies on their feet when they're born the eponychium or whatever that's called for cows and horses?
23:38
Angel feather? I'm trying to think of what you're referring to. So that the hooves don't cut the mom when they're coming through the birth canal. Oh, yes. Yeah, their hooves are tiny. They're not like really big when they're first born. But are they soft? Are the bottom of their feet soft? Yes. Yes. Okay. Yeah, they're more rounded, smoother. Okay, because with horses and cows, they look almost like little flaps.
24:07
on their hooves when they're born and it's so that they don't slice mom on the inside of her body. It's so cool. is amazing how she takes care of things. because with our dairy, because I grew up on a dairy farm, yeah, their hooves are softer and then they're hearted and they're just different. it's weird how they're made that way. It's always interesting how things change too so fast in the calves.
24:35
Yeah, they go from being completely defenseless to able to take care of themselves really fast. Yeah, yes. yeah, the reindeer babies. So it's interesting because they are a little different than like cattle. You you feed calves twice a day, bigger amounts, and they get that curd in their stomach and it kind of slowly releases throughout the day. But then you have reindeer babies, they drink
25:03
very often in small amounts. milk is really, really high in fat and protein content as well. So that's also probably why they don't need like a ton at once, but yeah, they drink very often. And reindeer do have four teats, um not like goats where they have two. So they have four and they're really, really tiny. Oh, okay.
25:29
And they usually only have one baby. are occasionally twins, but it's usually one baby per mama, right? Correct. Yes. And we actually had a set of twins. What was that? Not this last year, the year before that. So yeah, twins are very rare. They usually just have a single calf. And when we had the twins, we were kind of calling around a bunch of other reindeer owners who've been in it for
25:57
a while, like did you ever have twins? Did you have to pull them both? So you had to feed them, like did you have to bottle feed them or did they do fine on the mom? And the mom who had it, she's our oldest in our first range. She's always been amazing with all of her calves. And at first we thought she was like pushing one away, the smaller one. The female was more runtier, she was smaller. And then we realized she was making them take turns. So like at night she was trying to let one drink.
26:27
And then she would let the, you know, she was trying to kind of give them turns. So she was, it was very interesting because at first we thought, oh, she's just pushing one away and that wasn't the case. So, and then you have to think, is she going to produce enough for both? You know, you want to make sure they're both getting enough nutrients or is that bigger one going to drink more? And then, you know, when the other one wants to drink, is there going to not just be enough? So we ended up having, we left them on the mom and we would kind of every like,
26:57
So if you ever bottle feed reindeer, we keep ours on the mom because we've just had good luck with that. And our moms have always been really great. You have to feed them like every three hours, almost like a baby human because they drink that often. And so we had to go out there. I had my cousins help me a lot. They were great. I actually just had my newborn son at the time. So I was already feeding my baby every like three hours.
27:26
So they would go over there and help and feed them, the baby twins, and try to make sure, like see if they would drink off the mom. Then they had a little like, you know, syringe, like just to kind of do little, slowly put a little bit in their cheek at a time and kind of see how much they would take and record that every day or every feeding. And then we'd weigh them.
27:55
Yeah, it was it was a very interesting with reindeer every year you learn something new there is And that was something that year I'm like and they live we showed them at shows there that first year with the mom They took turns we always bring the calves to events with the mom They always do you know really well that way and then this last year we brought the twins out together So that was really fun that they were able to kind of go to all these events together awesome
28:24
So yeah, the babies, it's crazy that, oh, and I found what I've been looking for. Cause I'm like, I don't know the percentage of fat and I'm like, I'm just trying to find it in their milk. So this reads here, is it? Reindeer milk is very high in fat compared to milk from other domestic species. Like a Jersey cow is known for its high butter fat content, which is
28:49
which only has about 4 % milk fat, reindeer milk registers at 24 % milk fat. They rank first in fat content among milk consumed, or they rank, yeah, first in fat content among milk consumed by humans. People do not consume reindeer milk in certain parts of the world. some do, like, know, where reindeer are native, there are people, you know, in Norway, like you were saying.
29:19
And Siberia where they rely on these animals and herd them and this is like their food source and, know, they, you know, have to drink their milk too. So, and they use, you know, they butcher them too. And it's crazy how much the fat content in these animals are so high, but they are also native to those really harsh, cold climates too. don't know if that's also why. Probably.
29:48
And what you're telling me is reindeer milk would make excellent ice cream. Yeah, that would be interesting to try. Yeah, it would be the smoothest ice cream ever known to man. Yeah. Oh, and then it does go on to say polar bear milk is 31 % fat. So yeah, it's interesting how like they did this research on all these other animals and the fat content in their mouth and how it really, really varies.
30:16
I mean, even a dairy cows like jerseys just have more just naturally than Holsteins. You know, it's just interesting how that's just how nature works. Did you know that the milk from cats has a very high fat content too? Oh, cats. Okay. I don't know too much about cats. I mean, we have tons of bark cats, Yeah. I was reading about all this stuff this morning and I read the same kind of comparison that you just read. And it said that.
30:43
is that cats have a very high fat content in their milk. And I was like, I am not milking a cat. That would be very hard. I would just frustrate the cat and I'd probably get sliced up pretty good. So no, we're not milking barn cats around here. That seems like a bad plan. Okay. Well, Sarah, I would love to talk to you for days about this because I love it that you're raising reindeer. think that's so fabulous.
31:09
There is just so much to them. It's endless amount of information I could give. Yeah, I have one more question and then we'll wrap it up. When little kids come to the event and they see the reindeer, do they get to actually pet the reindeer or do they just get to ask you a bunch of questions and stare at the reindeer? So for us, we don't allow the petting of reindeer just for biosecurity reasons. For us, um
31:36
and liability, not that our reindeer are aggressive or anything. It's just, it just puts a peace of mind. feel like for us, cause I'm not, we have two teams and if I'm not at the other one, there's other, you know, I have helpers and if something happens, whether there's a person who doesn't understand what they're doing or a PETA person who wants to make a scene, I don't want them to have that on their shoulders. So it's not, I don't.
32:04
I allow it for that reason and just mainly biosecurity too, because you don't know what those people, if they have animals either. There is something that sheep and goats can carry. It's called MCF and they can carry it. doesn't affect them. But if reindeer end up getting it, it's deadly to them. So if I ever have any helpers of mine and they have, there's some who have sheep and goats at home and like you cannot wear any of the clothes or boots that you have that you go out.
32:33
by your sheep and goats because I just don't, it's a big risk. know, it's something that if reindeer get it, it's not a good situation. ah But yeah, the reindeer are very, very friendly. So we let people take photos with them and I do bring antler sheds so people can hold those and touch those. And then yeah, we get lots and lots of questions about them. Nice. Awesome. All right. Where can people find you Sarah for your reindeer business?
33:03
So we do have an Instagram and Facebook. It's called SantasCrew LLC and we also have a website as well. um And there's a page if you just want to learn more just about reindeer in general, there's a ton of information on reindeerowners.com. An abundance amount of information there. um So yeah, it's interesting. um Some states don't allow people to own reindeer, which is really interesting too.
33:31
um So if you are listening and you're looking into wanting them, just, you know, first of all, check with your state's rules and regulations. That's what I would say first before going on and trying to find some reindeer to purchase. Cause that would, you know, you want to make sure you can get them to begin with and then making sure you knowing the facility you need. Some states require double fencing, some don't, you know, all those things, every state's a little different.
33:59
How expensive is it to acquire a reindeer calf? It varies. um It's quite a wide range. It could be 12,000 and I see up to 20,000. It really depends. Bottle raise seems to go for a little higher for some reason. And some people prefer that, which is totally fine. It's just preference. We don't bottle raise. We do work with our animals though, too. um
34:28
So it's just really, really depends on that. And can you even get them from certain farms? So it depends on certain states. um I can't sell to certain states because of their regulations, but I can sell to some others. like, for example, I can sell to the of Texas. Their regulations currently is you can't have a CWD case within a certain mile radius. Yep, chronic wasting disease.
34:58
Yes. Yep. And I meet that requirement. But if someone else in Wisconsin has a case that was just within that radius, even within a mile, they cannot sell a reindeer to that state, which is, which is so crazy. Um, so I can, it can make it hard. There is a state I could sell to and they just change the regulations and now I can't. Um, so it's, it's a really, really interesting market that way, how it's constantly changing and it makes it harder.
35:26
to acquire them or sell them. So yeah, it's very interesting and constantly changing. Well, you're never bored. So that's good. No, no, never. And like I said, we learn something new every year with these animals. So we'll see what happens this year. I mean, if we ever get twins again, we've been through that. So I think it's fascinating. And I'm so, I don't know, I'll use the word impressed. Probably not the right word.
35:54
So impressed that you do this with your dad. think it's great. um As always, people can find me at atinyhomesteadpodcast.com. And if you'd like to support the podcast, you can go to atinyhomestead.com slash support. Sarah, thank you for coming back and talking with me. Oh, of course. Thank you for inviting me back. I loved this conversation and I have not talked with anyone about raising reindeer before. So this was really interesting. Thank you so much. Yeah, you definitely, you're welcome.
36:23
All right, have a great day. You too.