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More informationReindeer
Rangifer tarandus
Natural diet Reindeer
The reindeer is an intermediate browser/grazer, although browsing is seen more often. Their diets is most variable during the summer compared to the winter, where a large part of their diet consists out of reindeer lichen.
Feeding advice Reindeer
Feed quantity per day
2%
Sample percentage calculation
If an animal weighs 120 kg and eats 2% of its body weight, it will get
120 x 0.02 = 2.4 kg feed in total per day
Feed composition
10% Concentrates
25% Grass, alfalfa, roughage
65% Browse
Proportions (fresh product)
0.1 x 2.4 kg = 240 g concentrates
0.25 x 2.4 kg = 600 g grass, alfalfa, roughage
0.65 x 2.4 kg = 1,560 g browse
Feeding advice Reindeer
Feed quantity per day
2%
Sample percentage calculation
If an animal weighs 120 kg and eats 2% of its body weight, it will get
120 x 0.02 = 2.4 kg feed in total per day
Feed composition
10% Concentrates
25% Grass, alfalfa, roughage
65% Browse
Proportions (fresh product)
0.1 x 2.4 kg = 240 g concentrates
0.25 x 2.4 kg = 600 g grass, alfalfa, roughage
0.65 x 2.4 kg = 1,560 g browse
Diet Suggestions
Recommended
Variety of browse (willow, aspen, birch, rowan)
Reindeer lichen
Lucerne hay
Grass hay
Not recommended
Fruits
Common diseases
An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:
- Lameness
Additional advice
- Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
- Since the reindeer is an intermediate browser/grazer they can be fed with a variety of browse and hay (read more about browsers and grazers).
- Supplement the diet with ad libitum browse and/or hay.
- The browse used in the diet can be a mixture between dried and fresh browse.
- During winter, reindeer lichen should be included in the diet as this forms a large part of their natural winter diet.
- Feeding fruit might lead to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut because of high sugar levels (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
- Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).
Diet Suggestions
Recommended
Variety of browse (willow, aspen, birch, rowan)
Reindeer lichen
Lucerne hay
Grass hay
Not recommended
Fruits
Common diseases
An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:
- Lameness
