New Baby reindeer to my herd

Just silly pocket raiding photo's but as of yesterday decided I need to create rules for our play.. Crunch time yesterday, after several minutes of gently rubbing his itches on those growing antlers. When I stopped he started pawing me, when that didn't work, he jumped up... All very funny while he's little BUT a 220kg Bull running across the paddocks at up to 50 mph and jumping up to say "Hello Mummy" is going to be a road traffic accident for me..
You will see from my Avatar until today (Avatar - Hector about 3 weeks old) yesterday he was 2 months old... Grows and changes So quickly... He is shedding and his adult coat won't be quite so unusual but his new coat (around eyes) is still a lovely apricot colour...

 

He's still a cutie! How is little Lotte doing?

 

Lotte is doing really well too, not quite as tame as Hector (but neither is her mother).
Didn't get a great photo of her yesterday as her mother's antler is in the foreground... Will take a better one today.

 

Glad to see she is doing well!

 

Having major computer melt down... New computer now but having difficulty finding out how to use it.. This picture is in January, Lotte and Hector still only a "twinkle" |But for all who are interested shows the wonderful winter coats

 

They are such beautiful animals and I am not in the slightest bit jealous of the January snow - honest!

 

So excited.. Have received custom made head collars for the babies today... Their previous head collars were made for baby alpacas (crias) but these have been MTM for my baby reindeer!!! AND they fit so well (for now anyway as they grow so quickly)

 

Thank you for sharing photos-- it is a highlight for me in the forum.

 

Katya (Hector's Mother) is putting weight on slowly (she had been "milking off her back").

I thought she was starting to wean Hector but today caught her feeding both calves - no wonder it's a slow process putting the extra pounds on her!
Reindeer milk is very rich, hence the babies grow so quickly (a bit like seal pups) but it can take it out of some mothers. (edit) PS You can tell both babies are getting plenty of milk by their tails "flagging".
Hopefully I will be able to wean the babies in the next couple of weeks to give Katya time to put weight on before the winter, otherwise no rut or baby for Katya next year... Time will tell.

Thanks for posting PnP, that way I can update from time to time...

Sorry I can't rotate picture so you'll have to lay on your desk!!!!!

 

I also am always on the lookout for your pic's!!! This has been a true learning experience for me. I had absolutely no knowledge of reindeer before. Now I'm a huge fan of them....and (from afar) feel like their all of our babies. LOL
Poor Katya....she does look a little forlorn...stuck feeding the Big babies! Lotte & Hector look so fat & healthy! Great job from the mommies and you BohoKaren!!!

 

It is really hard to believe that Hector is only 9 weeks old and Lotte 12 weeks (picture above of yesterday).
Just to show comparison, at birth... this is Lotte 12 weeks ago... So worrying times then, when they were so tiny wee (and she was way too small at birth) and loads of foxes about..
and Hector at birth +1 only 9 weeks ago

 

She seems to have made up for being lightweight at birth! I do like your plan. Best for Katya to regain the weight before the burden of another baby. I don't envy you the task of keeping her away from the rutting buck!

 

Thanks for keeping us updated Karen, I always enjoy the pictures so much Both babies have grown so much. Hector is a chubby little reindeer

 

Sweet - you obviously know about rutting deer... I too am dreading having to keep her away from a rutting bull!!! Hoping she gains the weight before September/October or life will be "difficult"

EDIT - the RUT, keeping a female away from a rutting bull will keep you all amused - IF I am alive to post the pictures... EEEKKK!!! Loads of blurred footage of troughs, drinkers, being tossed over hedges, gates being lifted off hinges, trees being flattened... and that's when my boy has all his girls!!! It's a "fun" 6 - 8 weeks - and then back to cuddles times.... but for those few weeks I feed with shoots over the fences and have auto drinkers, worm, vac, hoof trim etc before rut... dread anyone getting lame, getting sick etc... if they do,then it takes cunning to remove a girl without him noticing... the bull would need a sedative... they really rage (even pretty much stop eating for the entire time)...

 

I'm going to add myself to the BoHoKaren Reindeer Fan Club - I love reading all the updates and seeing the pictures.

 

Mom and I have been to Yellowstone National Park during the rut for the "Elk Bugle". Even though I have a great gas mileage car, we took my 20 year old pickup truck. Higher view (we stood in the back or stayed in the cab) and in case of the remote possibility that any bull charged us, I wasn't as worried about the damage. A few years back, there was a bull that charged so many visitors and their vehicles, that the Park Rangers tranked him and sawed off his antlers. If I can find my pictures (taken with a 400mm lens), I will post.

 

Karen, thank you for taking the time to keep us all updated! This thred has inspired me to research reindeer many times!
I love those babies!!
I can't imagine the stress during the rut! I'll bet there are some pretty comicl moments during his "tantrums" also!
What WOULD you do if Karya has to be segregated??

 

BoHoKaren probably this question seems stupid, but I don't have any ideea about animals except cats and dogs... Why they have to wear head collars?

 

So Santa can steer them when they pull his sleigh

 

Would love to see your pictures, if you can find them.

Labmommy30 - I'll tell you when I get there!! I have several paddocks but whether the fences are strong enough to keep him away from Katya (if needs be) only time will tell.

Bygo-cris - A similar reason for having collars on dogs and cats. They are pets too, that in the main, get regular handing and it's easier (and less stressful to them) to just clip on a lead rope rather than have to put a head collar on each day to work/handle them. Also during the antler growing season they are so fragile it is better not doing anything that could catch on antlers and break them.
I also have two that are still quite wild (Twiglet & Ana) and although I can stand beside them and occasionally stroke, without a head collar on I would need to wrestle them to the ground in order to give them injections or trim their feet and that is way too stressful for all of us... Even with a head collar and lead rope Twiglet can punch very accurately when she sees a needle - I have had thick lips on several occasions!