Facilities
The minimum facilities that you will need for reindeer are a field shelter with cool shade and paddock with appropriate deer fencing and gates, 7-8ft high. It is recommend that you keep the reindeer in the field shelter with a small penned area initially to allow thm to settle into their new environment. Electric fencing should not be used under any circumstances as the reindeer can easily get their antlers caught in it.
General Health
Reindeer are not tolerant of heat or flies and should therefore have access to a cool building to escape from both. Pyrethrin based pour on fly repellents have been used successfully on Reindeer. Do not use pour on ivermectic based products on reindeer as this burns their skin and damages their fur permanently.
Sheep can infect reindeer with Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF), to which they are very susceptible, therefore you need to keep reindeer as far away as possible from sheep.
Reindeer are susceptible to most of the internal and external parasites that UK livestock are susceptible to. Namely; most types of worms, lice, mange, ticks and flies. Regular worming with an injectable ivermectin based product will control these parasites. The main diseases that reindeer are susceptible to in Europe include clostridial diseases, tuberculosis, brucellosis, grass staggers, foot and mouth disease and bluetongue. It is very important to give reindeer an annual booster injection for clostridial disease.
Diet
Fresh water much be provided at all times. Reindeer will sometimes paw the water with their feet before they drink - which means their water will need replacing more frequently. It is best to keep feeders and drinking troughs well off of the ground. Reindeer have specific feed requirements and therefore must not have access to any other feed. If any dietary changes are necessary they must be phased in very gradually, i.e. over a period of weeks as they can suffer severe, even fatal, gastric upset if there are any changes in quantity of type of feed. Reindeer are ruminants that chew their cud. Barley straw, hay, an appropriate pellet, minerals and vitamins are the reindeer's main diet in captivity. Grazing reindeer on grass has to be managed very carefully as it can lead to digestive upset.
Registering/Movement Reqirements
There are no licence requirements to keep reindeer, you would need to have a registered holding with Defra with a holding number. The reindeer need to be ear tagged. You should keep a movement book, there is not one specific to deer but you can obtain a book from your local Trading Standards office. When moving reindeer there are movement forms that have to be completed, for further advice contact your local Trading Standards office.
Further Information
There is a book called 'Raising Reindeer for Pleasure and Profit' that is available from a company in the USA called Alternate Livestock Industries (see link below). This will tell you a lot of what you need to know about keeping reindeer.
https://secure.llamaproducts.com/index.php?page=ProductDetails&rowid=6043
