New Baby reindeer to my herd

Love the snow photo of the boys!

 

Look who's arrived today...
Meet Eliza and Ivy, our two new very pretty girls.
Better photos to follow when they have settled a little more. At the moment they think I'm a big scary bear.

 

They certainly look like two very pretty young ladies. I hope that they soon settle in well and get on with the rest of the herd. I am sure that as soon as they get to know what a wonderful "mum" you are they will no longer think you are a big scary bear

 

Oh they are very pretty! Which one is Ivy and which one is Eliza? I hope everything goes well with the herd as at some point they all will have to get use to each other!

 

Eliza is the larger (year older girl) and Ivy the pale baby, whose mother is an albino (and so too is Gandalf's mother... ) 50% chance of albino babies in future years, if I can manage to keep Gandalf entire! EEEKKK!!!...

Now, the additional story is that Eliza (maybe shortened to Eli but I'll see) may also be in calf, if so this reindeer Grandmother will be turning grey in May as a potential of 10, yes 10 babies!! Eliza's baby will return to her owner once weaned BUT that means a possibility of 10 in the nursery paddocks with their mothers... If I can't get great footage from May onwards I will be surprised... I will nearly have a full football team!
And I will be boring the backsides off everyone with belly watch next month & and dodgy udder photos in April.

 

Oh my, and the news just keeps getting better! Lots of good things to look forward too! Thanks Karen and "all the Best" for you and your wonderful herd!

 

What gorgeous girls!!!!! Welcome to our virtual farm Ivy & Eliza!!! 10 babies??? I agree with Lilaclady, the girls will quickly come to realize you give out wonderful treats and are their friend and human "mum". I'm so curious how the rest of the herd is reacting to them? When does belly watch officially begin??

 

Broooke - For now and for the next few days I am leaving the two new girls in a paddock on there own in order for them to bond with each other before I introduce them to the main herd who will always bully newcomers but if they have a buddy it makes life for them easier.
Also during in this time I can wean them over to my feed from what they have been eating - hard enough as both new girls are on different diets from each other and my herd too.
I may also do feacal worm counts just in case the wormers they have been given haven't worked but I do trust the herds they have come from. I don't feel I need the quarantine period I did with Frodo as these two are healthy Minor quarantine is only for their bonding process to make life easier for them.

Edit, my sad belly watch has already started but don't expect me shouting for joy until early March as that is the first time I have ever seen a kick so far... BUT I'm watching!

 

Yippie....that's less than a month away!!! I'm already drooling with anticipation for adorable new baby videos!!!! You never bore us with belly or udder watch! The confirmation of a new reindeer is always exciting!!! If you get any boys, will you be able to keep them?

 

The girls are really lovely! Ivy's color is very appealing to me and it's exciting about her albino lineage. I'm already getting excited about the coming baby photos and videos! Blessings for a paddock full of healthy babies this year.

 

You are going to be VERY busy this season!

Do take care, I'm not aware of Equine Influenza crossing species but there is an outbreak in the UK right now.

 

Noelle, all reports say that Equine Influenza doesn't cross species... Fingers and toes crossed.

We have had days of rain which isn't conducive to pictures but today the sun was shining.
Mischa, Tigga and Elsa

 

Looks like those bellies are bigger. Of course it could just be all the spring browse.

 

What beauties!!! Terrific pic of Elsa!!!

 

Lovely! Thanks for starting my day on a happy note!

 

New girls, Eli and Ivy are settling in well, I have weaned them onto our feed, which they are munching happily.
I am still guarding them at feeding times as they are low in the pecking order and have put out 10 "feeding stations", so that the established herd can move around without interfering with my new girls.

 

LOL... I can just picture Boris trying to cozy up to you, looking to see if the newbies have something special.
Eli and Ivy are very pretty.

 

Pleased to hear that Eli and Ivy are settling in well. With all the feeding stations you have it must seem a bit like running a self serve cafeteria!

 

Exciting News - for me anyway. Spring Is On The Way.

I have seen the first baby kicks of the year, in Katya's tummy. Will we have another white stripped baby face (daddy is Gandalf, which also means he is fertile!!)?

First time I have seen kicks in February, I usually have to wait till March, guess I was just lucky watching while baby was awake.
As you can guess I will be watching the other girls more closely now for positive pregnancy diagnosis.

The wonderful thing was I had my Work Experience lad (who is studying Animal Welfare at College) and I was going through anatomy with him. Starting with showing him where hock, stifle, withers, etc were, then moving on to placement of rumen and getting him to watch the natural movement of rumen, explaining to him that kicks were different, which we would be watching for in a couple of weeks (early ones like a pulse, rather than a roll of rumen) and low and behold while I was making him watch rumen - I saw that kick... He didn't, he either blinked or was concentrating on that rumen. So excited I knew calf was awake and lively, so we carried on watching.. The look on his face when he saw the next kick was beyond.

 

Oh Congrats to you Katya, Gandolf and your work experience lad!!!! Sounds like you are an excellent teacher as well as reindeer herder!!!!!!