First reindeer calf signals springtime in Alaska

Herdsman Rob Aikman and Reindeer Research Program Coordinator Melody Cavanaugh-Moen weigh the first calf of the year at Fairbanks Experiment Farm April 1.

The first sighting of geese at Creamer’s Field may indicate the arrival of spring to many Fairbanksans but the first calf born at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm also heralds the much-anticipated season.

A male calf was born in the early morning hours April 1. Nineteen more calves are expected in the next few weeks.

Reindeer Research Program staff visited the reindeer pens Thursday afternoon to assess the situation and found the little black calf gamboling about in the sunshine. The mother, a five-year-old named Honey, was less than amused. While her baby was checked out by humans, she ran around the entourage, frantically snorting and sniffing. The calf, weighing in at seventeen pounds, was given an ear tag and iodine was placed on his umbilical cord to prevent infection.

Children are invited to suggest names for the calves. Some examples submitted so far are Simba, Maxamus, and Buddy for the males and Tootsie Roll, Cinnamon, and Sassy for the females. Children can visit here to send names. Not all submissions are selected, but a sure way to "lose" is to suggest any name affiliated with Santa's reindeer, so leave out Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

RRP has been hosting the naming contest for eight years, with children across the nation participating. Children receive a “birth certificate” with data about the calf they helped name. The calves are referred to by numbers when they are born and receive their names in July after they are weaned from their mothers.

Since 1981, RRP has been developing and promoting the Alaska reindeer industry; UAF's School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences is the only institution in North America doing this work. Research projects include herd management, animal health, nutrition, and meat quality. All the projects have direct applicability to reindeer herders and producers. The mission of RRP is to develop and promote the production of reindeer in Alaska through research and collaboration with producers and local communities.

Further reading:
First newborn reindeer calf is a spring ritual at UAF, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, April 2, 2010, by Jeff Richardson