New Baby reindeer to my herd

Well said BlackCaviar. Good reminder how precious life really is.
Oh BohoKaren..it is such sad news. A loss of life is a terrible thing. Give your soon to be one year old's a hug/cuddle and good wishes for all your mommies.

 

My spotty nosed update...
Mischa is miserable today as she shed both her antlers overnight and even Ana is bossing her about.. How the mighty fall!!!
PS that belly is getting quite large - one!!!! big baby in there or someone needs to go on a diet!

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And Boris lost one too. He doesn't seem bothered yet as he still has one spiky bit to defend his food.. Tomorrow might be a different story.
At least the hunt for bigger antlers didn't need a dog to help me..

 

Poor Mischa, losing both at once! Hoping for a big healthy baby for her. Boris is always handsome, even when he sheds antlers!

 

Another scary... Europe had never had a worry with CWD (Cronic Wasting Disease, it is a major worry in the US) but the very first case has just been diagnosed in Europe, Norway in a free ranging female reindeer. It is transmittable and incurable and will affect all deer species. I believe if it is seen in herd all will have to be have to be destroyed. I found out from reindeer friends on the WWW very quickly so am sharing with UK sources as quickly as I can as it is a serious worry. Anyone else in Europe, please share.

http://cwd-info.org/the-first-detection-of-chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-in-europe/

 

So sorry to hear that it has found it's way to Europe. Keeping good thoughts for your herd.

 

Saying special reindeer prayers that none of this disease hits your precious herd.

 

Antler drop update...
Twiggy has lost one too today...

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At breakfast she still had two but I fed up and started doing chores - getting maternity paddock ready. Had a big bonfire with the brambles I had cut a few days ago... Brambles can be a problem once the reindeer start growing their new antlers. Antlers when "in velvet" are full of blood capillaries, brambles easily make them bleed - not a major problem as such unless it is a hot day and a lot of flies about... Fly strike can be a major problem with growing antlers - maggots under the skin on head is just NOT good. Luckily I have never had this problem BUT don't want it either! Before I went for lunch, Twig had dropped her first.

Boris hasn't lost his second one either... But the little guy HECTOR is starting his new buds.. bless him. He is starting to look scraggy though with the annual moult.

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It sounds like you have a busy time of year. Antler drop, antler growth, baby growth in moms, hopefully safe, healthy baby drops plus all the usual maintenance chores around the farm.

 

Thanks for sharing Karen
Can't wait to see Mr Hector with is new set of antlers How big will they be this time? How many sets will he have to drop and regrow until he will have an enormous and beautiful set like Boris'?
Those antler buds Hector's sportin' sure are strange looking at this stage... kind of like a 2nd set of eyes lol. Does he seem annoyed that he can't poke and jab at things (or you) any more?

 

Guinea, Hector's antlers should get to a fair size this year..
Picture below, is Boris with his second set of antlers on the day he was stripping his velvet (notice the dreadlocks - that is his velvet). Maybe Hector's won't be quite as big as Boris' as Boris was a particularly large baby. EDIT, additional info... also antler size is genetically linked and Hector's mother Katya hasn't got the best set of antlers for a female but Hugo his father did - so time will tell...

Sorry the photo looks a bit yucky but that's how it is at stripping time (August/September) and no it doesn't hurt them ;
PS.. Picture also shows their short/dark summer coat.

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Of course stripping velvet means the rut is coming!

 

LOL ....Boris looks like a Bob Marley reindeer!

 

Thanks for the pic Karen, the first set of big boy antlers will be a huge difference compared to his little set of baby spikes! It's going to be quite a new look for the adorable little Hector. Growing up sooo fast

 

Hubby was in charge today as I had a lovely day off (don't like leaving the herd) but had been invited to judge working dogs & had a ball.. but hubby was presented with 4 lost antlers to find... the funny was Katya's were laying on top of each other, so must have dropped them while asleep...
No pictures of the "bald" reindeer (will update tomorrow) but the haul, so far (minus Hector's which are packaged up for winner of comp)... I have decided on a collective noun... a Plethora of Antlers.. (Please excuse tax return paperwork in background..)

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Time to make a chandelier!

 

Update on the baldies (coat loss, they are starting to look scraggy too) and the little lad that won Hector's antlers - he was so pleased, he is the major reindeer fan but his sister and brother were so pleased for him too

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A little harder to tell who is who at first glance without Antlers!
Cute pic of the kids with the prized set of Hector's Baby Antlers, 3 little camera hams lol

 

So glad those antlers found a good home! As far as the scraggly look, this too shall pass.

 

Wilma my old Ford tractor has been fitted with "Non Standard Parts"....

Her battery was flat, so went to remove it and this is what I found! Lots of reindeer hair woven in too.. Who needs nest boxes when you have a Wilma!

Unfortunately the nest had been abandoned and several eggs broken.... I used Wilma a couple of weeks ago but didn't know she had guests..

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I had to laugh at the bird's nest on your tractor Karen. More than once I went to start getting the combine ready for harvest only to find bird's nests in some strange places.