Reindeer farm keeps its stars healthy

The stars batted their eyelashes, tossed their heads and huffed, but were quickly satisfied when adoring fans offered handfuls of pellets.  

The reindeer at Leavenworth Reindeer Farm might be celebrities, 但他们仍然渴望接受每年成千上万的崇拜者在华盛顿市中心拜访他们的柳枝和美味的花絮.  

农场经理埃里卡·鲍伊说:“他们现在是电影明星了，但他们还没有被电影冲昏头脑。. “They are still as humble as ever.” 

这些驯鹿将出现在即将上映的圣诞电影和亚马逊工作室的浪漫喜剧中, 在热门在线教育节目《皇冠hga010安卓二维码》中占据中心位置，并参加了联邦快递广告配角的试镜. 农场工作人员一直在忙着测试驯鹿的步伐，以确定哪些驯鹿在镜头前最合作. 

Creating a reindeer farm

莱文沃思驯鹿农场坐落在华盛顿州莱文沃思附近的喀斯喀特山脉中. (人口2375人)，吸引着来自世界各地的游客来到这个巴伐利亚风格的村庄. The reindeer first came to town in 2016.

Hans and Kari Andersen, 是谁在这个小镇小小的闹市区养了拉车的马为游客拉车, had included their horses at the holiday parade a few years earlier, but rain prevented the reindeer mascot from being on hand to help Santa. 汉斯开玩笑地告诉圣诞老人，他将来一定要确保那里有真正的驯鹿. 这对夫妇的女儿鲍伊回忆说，她的妈妈眼中闪烁着光芒，发誓要实现这一目标.

安徒生一家是挪威人的后裔，他们在挪威旅行时经常看到驯鹿. 他们开始研究全年把驯鹿带到莱文沃思需要什么. 

天气不是问题，因为莱文沃斯的气候非常适合驯鹿生存. It sits at the same latitude as Mongolia, where reindeer live wild. 事实证明，最大的挑战是将驯鹿运到华盛顿的后勤工作. 最后，六头驯鹿从阿拉斯加的帕尔默坐了六天的轮渡，来到华盛顿州的贝灵汉.由于加拿大对驯鹿的航运规定，他们避开了加拿大水域.

Leavenworth Reindeer Farm opened in November 2016.

“We didn’t know if we would have anyone driving down our road, but by the end of the day, we had more than 300 people visit the farm,” Bowie says. “Last year, we had 75,000 visitors.”

Keeping reindeer healthy

莱文沃斯驯鹿农场是美国48个州中唯一一个全年向公众开放的驯鹿农场, 尽管在3月份驯鹿脱落鹿角和冬衣的时候，它对游客关闭, 这让工作人员有时间在融雪期间进行年度农场维护. It reopens when the first calves start appearing in April. 

The herd has grown from the original six reindeer to 23. Most were born on the farm, 但安徒生一家从阿拉斯加飞来了几只，以使血统多样化. 

Elsa, the reigning queen of the herd, is 8½ years old. Bowie says reindeer usually live to be 12 to 15 years old in captivity. The family has sold reindeer to new owners in several states, but are very selective, only selling reindeer in family groups.

“Reindeer bond for life,” Bowie says.

Not only is Leavenworth well situated for a reindeer farm, 但周边地区有丰富的驯鹿天然食物来源. 它们喜欢吃杂草、柳树、地衣、苔藓、桦树、白杨、棉杨木、蘑菇和蒲公英. 在夏季，游客们会得到柳枝，去“钓”驯鹿. 农场用CHS动物营养皇冠hga010安卓二维码在哈里斯堡和赫米斯顿的饲料工厂生产的驯鹿颗粒来补充牛群的饮食, Ore. They buy the pellets from Payback® feeds dealer Cyon Livestock Solutions, Sunnyside, Wash.

“The number-one focus of Leavenworth Reindeer Farm is animal care,” says Jena Ozenna, CHS Animal Nutrition sales consultant. “驯鹿颗粒中的配方有助于这种顶级护理.” 

驯鹿等不及艾米·博森打开一袋复仇牌驯鹿丸了, manufactured by CHS Animal Nutrition.

Managing nutrition, genetics and biosecurity are critical to the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, Bowie says. 作为美国农业部认证设施的主人，卡莉和汉斯非常重视驯鹿的健康. Visitors are only allowed to tour the farm by appointment. 工作人员会对访客进行筛查，以确保没有人在访问前48小时接触过绵羊或山羊, since sheep and goats may carry a virus called malignant catarrhal fever, which can be deadly to reindeer. 大量使用洗手液，所有游客的鞋子在进入驯鹿圈之前都要消毒.

Staffing the reindeer farm

这个农场已经从一个副业发展成为一个繁荣的畜牧业，养活了整个安德森家族和几个当地居民. 汉斯从县副警长的职位上退休，全职在农场工作. 鲍伊和她的丈夫从华盛顿州的斯诺霍米什县搬来澳门皇冠赌场平台农场. Bowie’s sister, Kjerstin, is the farm’s chef, feeding the crew, which doubles to 20 with seasonal workers over the winter months. 鲍伊的哥哥克里斯蒂安(Kristian)在农场的马和马车生意中工作. Another sister, Kristina, lives in Arlington, Wash.他还制作蜡烛、蜡融化剂和润唇膏，在农场的礼品店出售.

艾米·博森(Amy Bossen)在2017年加入农场工作人员之前从事医疗保健工作，现在是一名全职员工.

“The reindeer are so cool,” she says. “I get to learn something new every single day from them.”

Education is an important part of each farm tour. 每次参观都以介绍该物种的惊人适应性开始.

卡里说:“如果人们对驯鹿了解得更多，就能更欣赏它们。. “They are such unique animals.”

汉斯补充说:“驯鹿是这个星球上最讲究配饰的生物.” 

Check out the full Winter 2022 issue of C magazine with this article and more.