驯鹿农场让它的明星们保持健康

星星眨着睫毛, 摇着头，怒吼着, 但当崇拜的粉丝们拿出一把小颗粒时，他们很快就满意了.  

驯鹿在 莱文沃斯驯鹿农场 可能是名人, but they are still eager to accept willow branches and tasty tidbits from the thousands of admirers who visit them each year in central Washington.  

“They are movie stars now, but they haven’t let it go to their heads,” says farm manager Erika Bowie. “他们仍然像以前一样谦逊.” 

The reindeer are featured in an upcoming Christmas movie and an Amazon Studios romantic comedy, took center stage in the popular online educational show “Blippi” and have auditioned for supporting roles in a FedEx commercial. Farm staff have been busy putting the reindeer through their paces to determine which are most cooperative in front of the camera. 

创建驯鹿农场

莱文沃斯驯鹿农场 is tucked into the Cascade Mountains near Leavenworth, Wash. (population 2,375), which draws visitors from around the world to its Bavarian-style village. 驯鹿第一次来到小镇是在2016年.

汉斯和卡莉·安德森, who raised draft horses to pull carriages for tourists in the town’s tiny downtown, 把他们的马也包括在几年前的节日游行中吗, 但由于下雨，驯鹿吉祥物无法在现场帮助圣诞老人. Hans jokingly told Santa he would make sure real reindeer were there in the future. Bowie, the couple's daughter, recalls her mom got a twinkle in her eye and vowed to make that happen.

The Andersens are of Norwegian descent and had often seen reindeer when they traveled to Norway. They began researching what it would take to bring reindeer to Leavenworth year-round. 

Weather wasn’t an issue, since Leavenworth’s climate is perfect for reindeer. 它与野生驯鹿生活的蒙古处于同一纬度. The biggest challenge proved to be the logistics of bringing reindeer into Washington. Finally, six reindeer took a six-day ferry ride from Palmer, Alaska, to Bellingham, Wash., steering clear of Canadian waters due to shipping regulations regarding reindeer in Canada.

莱文沃思驯鹿农场于2016年11月开业.

“我们不知道是否会有人开车经过我们这条路, 但是在今天结束的时候, 我们有300多人参观了农场,鲍伊说。. “去年，我们有7.5万名游客.”

保持驯鹿健康

莱文沃斯驯鹿农场 is the only reindeer farm in the lower 48 states open to the public year-round, although it closes to visitors in March when reindeer are shedding their antlers and winter coats, which gives the staff time to perform annual farm maintenance during the snow melt. 四月，当第一批幼崽开始出现时，它就会重新开放. 

驯鹿群从最初的6头增加到23头. 大多数都是在农场出生的, but the Andersens have flown several in from Alaska to diversify bloodlines. 

艾尔莎是鹿群的女王，今年8岁半. 鲍伊说，圈养的驯鹿通常能活到12到15岁. 这家人已经把驯鹿卖给了几个州的新主人, 但是非常挑剔, 只以家庭为单位出售驯鹿.

鲍伊说:“驯鹿是一生的纽带。.

莱文沃斯不仅地理位置优越，适合养驯鹿, but the surrounding area has abundant natural food sources for the reindeer. They love to eat fireweed, willow, lichen, moss, birch, aspen, cottonwood, mushrooms and dandelions. Visitors are given willow branches during summer visits to go “fishing” for reindeer. The farm supplements the herd’s diet with reindeer pellets 由CHS动物营养皇冠hga010安卓二维码生产 in its feed mills in Harrisburg and Hermiston, Ore. 他们从 回报®提要 经销商Cyon Livestock Solutions，华盛顿州桑尼赛德.

“莱文沃斯驯鹿农场的首要重点是动物护理,Jena Ozenna说, CHS动物营养销售顾问. “The formulation found in the reindeer pellet aids in that top-level care.” 

The reindeer can't wait for Amy Bossen to open a bag of Payback brand reindeer pellets, 由CHS动物营养皇冠hga010安卓二维码生产.

营养澳门皇冠赌场平台, 遗传学和生物安全对莱文沃斯驯鹿农场至关重要, Bowie says. As owners of the USDA-certified facility, Kari and Hans take the health of their reindeer seriously. 游客只有预约后才能参观农场. Staff members screen visitors to make sure no one has been in contact with sheep or goats 48 hours prior to visiting, 因为绵羊和山羊可能携带一种叫做恶性卡他热的病毒, 哪些对驯鹿来说是致命的. Hand sanitizer is used liberally and all visitors’ shoes are sanitized before they enter reindeer pens.

驯鹿农场的人员配备

The farm has grown from a side hustle into a thriving livestock operation that supports the entire Andersen family plus several local residents. Hans retired from his job as a county sheriff’s deputy to work on the farm full-time. Bowie and her husband moved from Snohomish County in Washington to manage the farm. 鲍伊的妹妹, Kjerstin, 是农场的厨师吗, 为船员提供食物, 在冬季的几个月里，季节性工人的数量翻了一番，达到20人. Bowie’s brother, Kristian, works with the farm’s horse and carriage business. 她的另一个妹妹克里斯蒂娜住在华盛顿州的阿灵顿., and creates candles, wax melts and lip balms to sell in the farm’s gift shop.

Amy Bossen worked in health care before joining the farm crew in 2017 and is a full-time staff member.

“驯鹿太酷了，”她说. “我每天都能从他们身上学到新东西.”

教育是每个农场旅游的重要组成部分. Every visit starts with a presentation on the species’ amazing adaptations.

“People can appreciate reindeer much more if they know more about them,” Kari says. “它们是如此独特的动物.”

Hans adds, “Reindeer are the most highly accessorized creatures on the planet.” 

请查看完整的 2022年冬季C杂志 随着这篇文章和更多.