Zoo database

Reindeer

Rangifer tarandus

Natural diet Reindeer

Grasses
Herbs
Leaves
Lichen

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% of body weight

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, lucerne and other roughages
65% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 2.4 kg = 240 g concentrates
0.25 x 2.4 kg = 600 g grass, lucerne and other roughages
0.65 x 2.4 kg = 1560 g browse

Diet suggestions

Not recommended

Fruits

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).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Lameness

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

Reindeer Lichen

Boskos Browser (10 mm)

Reindeer Pellets

Hazelnut Leaves - 10-20kg bag

Raspberry Leaves - 10-20kg bag

Michiel Derks

Director Petfood & Zoos