In vitro dry matter disappearance using roe deer inocula from summer and winter

In vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) of 12 forages were determined using ruminai inocula from 10 European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) collected in summer and winter. There was significant difference in the ability of winter and summer inocula to digest winter and summer forages respectively. Each of the 6 summer forages had a significantly higher IVDMD in ruminal inocula of animals collected in summer versus winter. However, no significant difference in IVDMD of winter versus summer inocula was observed for each of the 6 winter forages. These results suggest adaption, although limited, by ruminal microorganisms in roe deer to winter forages or a potential problem in standard in vitro laboratory procedures when using animals on a high-fiber diet as inocula donors

Herd composition and slaughtering strategy in reindeer husbandry – revisited

I will review the drastic change seen in herd composition and slaughtering strategy the last decades inthe reindeer husbandry of Fennoscandia (i. e. Finland, Norway and Sweden). Herd composition was traditionally a function of the multipurpose herd, where reproduction of draught power played a major role. Hence, the slaughter scheme was based on adult males, in particular castrates. The herd represented the owner's capital and was viewed as the best insurance for staying in business. Indeed, a big and well composed herd announced social status as well as authority. Historically this has resulted in rises and falls in reindeer numbers. Control of the herd was being emphasized through age and sex composition and selection of behavioural traits and easily recognisable animals which favour handling. A high proportion of adults alleviated control of the herd as it eased the herding and reduced the mortality risk as they were able to withstand the highly stochastic environment. The introduction of the snowmobiles in the 1960s revolutionized the herding and transportation and hence reduced the importance of the male segment of the herd and amplified the ongoing transformation of the modern society into a market based economy. Now, the challenge was to efficiently convert the limited primary plant production into animal product, mainly meat. This is primarily achieved by balancing the animal numbers in accordance to the forage resources. However, also herd composition and slaughtering strategy are essential for maximizing the meat output per area unit. A highest possible proportion of reproductive females combined with a slaughtering scheme based on calves was tested and partly implemented in Soviet-Union already in the 1930s and introduced in the 1960s in Finland. Also in parts of Norway and Sweden this scheme was modified and tested. However, the formal work of refining and testing this new strategy based on modern population theory blended with traditional knowledge, started in Riast/Hylling reindeer herding district in southern Norway in the early 1970s and was completed around 1985. The work was followed up in Ruvhten Sitje (earlier called Tännäs Sameby), the neighbouring herding community of Riast/Hylling on the Swedish side of the border. In its stringent form the modern herd should comprise the highest proportion possible of reproductive females. The stocking rate should be adjusted to allow females to reproduce early; preferably at an age of 1.5 year, and they should be able to raise calves successfully every year. The male segment should be large enough to serve the females successfully during rut. Using 1.5 years old males as breeding bulls means that they can be slaughtered after rut. The culling should primarily aim at calves and removal of females reaching reproductive senescence, normally at around 12 years of age. Only the best female calves are selected as replacement of the senescence females slaughtered and the best male calves are selected as breeding bulls for the next year's rut. Calculations suggest that this new herd composition and slaughtering strategy could increase the meat production per area unit by around 50% compared to a traditional herd composition and off take scheme. However, such a strategy necessitates a strict control of environmental factors, including forage resources, as well as predators and human disturbance. Breeding programme based on selection on autumn calf weight has been proven successful. This work has been carried out in Ruvhten Sitje. The challenge is to establish appropriate breeding objectives in an ever changing environment. Selection for only calf weight may lead to improvement of capacity of growth only, which necessitates improvement of the environment in order to realize the genetic potential. Emphasize on maternal ability may lead to increase efficiency. To secure the genetic improvement in an open nucleus breeding scheme, with partly different breeding goals and different dedication to the breeding work is challenging. As the female part of the herd has been in focus in this research I will evaluate the importance of the male segment for offspring performance and herd productivity based on a 10 years study in the experimental research herd in Kaamanen, Finland. The results confirm basically the findings from Riast/Hylling and Ruvhten Sitje; 10% of 1.5years old males in good shape are sufficient to secure normal pregnancy rate, a synchronous rut and early parturition and hence a decent production output. I will review the "state of the art" and the biological challenges and limitations in applying such a "modern" production strategy. Today herd composition and slaughtering strategies vary and are modifications of the modern strategy developed adjusted according to natural condition, social settings and the production objectives. However, in many areas the variable grazing pressure makes the implementation of the model difficult. New products call for new adaptations. This is seen locally where products related to eco-tourism and so called ecological services (for example keeping up the semi-natural grazing induced vegetation types and serving as prey for the predators). This will call for new compositions of the herd and new slaughtering strategies. Accordingly herd composition has to be put in a historical context.Flokkstruktur og slaktestrategi i reindrifta - et historisk perspektivAbstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag: I denne oversiktsartikkelen vil jeg gjennomgå bakgrunnen for den drastiske omleggingen av flokkstruktur og slaktestrategi som har funnet sted i reindrifta i Fennoskandia de siste tiårene. Tradisjonelt var flokkstrukturen sterkt påvirket av behovet for trekkdyr, og slakteuttaket var i stor grad basert på voksne bukker, spesielt kastrater. Akkumulasjon av dyr var ansett som den beste forsikringen for fortsatt drift og ga status og makt. Dette førte til relativt store svingninger i tamreintallet. Et høyt innslag av voksne dyr sikret kontroll over flokken da de var lettere å gjete og bedre i stand til å takle harde vintre. Det materielle grunnlaget for omleggingen av flokkstruktur og slaktestrategi var innføringen av mekanisert trekkraft; særlig snøskuteren på 1960-tallet, kombinert med en markedsøkonomi basert på kjøttproduksjon. Det biologiske utgangspunktet er en begrenset beiteressurs som må utnyttes optimalt. Dette gjøres primært gjennom å tilpasse beitebelegget til ressursgrunnlaget. Men også flokksammensetningen og en tilpasset slaktestrategi er avgjørende for hvor mange kilo kjøtt en kan høste på et gitt areal. Innen reindrifta var en høy simleandel kombinert med slakt av kalver allerede utprøvd i Sovjetunionen på 1930-tallet og vant innpass i finsk reindrift på 1960-tallet. En slik omlegging ble modifisert og utprøvd også i enkelte områder i Norge og Sverige, og diskusjonen gikk høyt om dens berettigelse. Arbeidet med å utvikle og etterprøve denne nye strategien basert på moderne produksjonsteori og tradisjonellkunnskap startet for fullt i Riast/Hylling reinbeitedistrikt i Sør-Norge i begynnelsen av 1970-tallet og ble avsluttet rundt 1985. Dette arbeidet ble videreført i Ruvhten Sitje (tidligere Tännäs Sameby). I sin rendyrkede form innebærer den nye flokkstrukturen en høyest mulig andel simler i vinterflokken. Disse reproduserer og fostrer årlig opp kalver slik at flest mulig er i live og i godt hold første høst. Antall bukker holdes på et minimum, men høyt nok til å sikre full bedekking. Slaktestrategien tilpasses denne flokkstrukturen ved at de fleste kalvene slaktes; bare de beste settes på til livdyr eller parringsbukker. Dette betyr at simlene utrangeres når aldringen begynner å påvirke reproduksjonen negativt, normalt ved 12 års alder. Bruk av 1,5-årige parringsbukker innebærer at disse kan slaktes etter brunst. Som et resultat blir vinterflokken bestående av produktive simler pluss påsettet av simlekalver til livdyr og bukkekalver til bedekking av simlene neste høst. Beregninger viser at en ved å optimalisere flokksammensetningen etter slike kriterier kan øke slakteuttaket per arealenhet med rundt 50% sammenlignet med en tradisjonell struktur og uttak. Dette krever imidlertid kontroll med miljøet gjennom en god beitebalanse og med andre miljøfaktorer som rovvilt og menneskelig forstyrrelse. Utvalg av framtidige mordyr og avlsbukker, basert på simlekalvenes og bukkekalvenes høstvekt har vist seg å gi en avlsmessig framgang. Dette arbeidet har vært utført i Ruvhten Sitje. Utfordringen i avlsarbeidet er valg av utvalgskriterier i et variabelt miljø. Ensidig vekt på kalvetilvekst kan innebære ensidig avl for kapasitet, noe som krever styrking av miljøet for å kunne realisere det genetiske potensialet. Vektlegging av morsegenskaper kanimidlertid øke dyrenes effektivitet. Å sikre den genetiske framgangen i et åpent system (liten kontroll over hanndyrsegmentet) med uensartede avlsmål og ulik grad av bevisst avlsarbeid blant reineierne er også en utfordring. Siden simlesegmentet har vært i fokus i dette arbeidet, vil jeg vurdere bukkesegmentets betydning for produksjonsresultatet basert på forskning utført i forsøksflokken i Kaamanen de siste ti årene. Funnene herfra samsvarer i all hovedsak med Rørosmodellens anbefalinger om at rundt 10% 1,5-årige bukker i godt hold sikrer full bedekking, en tilfredsstillende synkronisering av brunsten og en tidlig kalving og dermed et godt produksjonsresultat. Særlig en tidlig kalving og konsentrert kalving er avgjørende. Jeg vil gå gjennom disse nye strategiene og de biologiske utfordringer og begrensinger som ligger i dem. Flokkstrukturen og slaktestrategien i reindrifta i dag kjennetegnes av stor diversitet og modifiseringer av Rørosmodellen ut fra naturgitte og sosiale forhold og ulike produksjonsmål. Det er imidlertid klart at misstilpasninger i beitebruken mange steder gjør det vanskelig å gjennomføre modellen. Produksjonsspektret er imidlertid stadig i endring og må tilpasses lokalt. Andre produkter knyttet til turisme og såkalte økologiske tjenester, for eksempel opprettholdelse av det åpne, kulturpåvirkede beitelandskapet i fjellet og mat til rovdyr som storsamfunnet vil ta vare på, vil betinge nye flokkstrukturer og slaktestrategier

Scale-dependent effects of summer density on autumn mass in reindeer

The ongoing dispute about reindeer overabundance in the West Finnmark (Norway) herding region has accentuated the need for an in-depth understanding of the density-dependent and -independent processes driving this pastoral system, as well as the spatial and temporal scale(s) they operate on. Using 20 604 records of individual male reindeer yearlings we assessed the spatial and temporal variation in animals’ performance (measured by their autumn carcass mass), and investigated summer density dependent effects on autumn carcass masses at different scales. We defined three spatial scales; a regional scale represented by the whole summer range of West Finnmark, a sub-regional scale represented by the mainland (14) and the island (11) summer districts, and a fine scale represented by eight individual summer districts. We defined two temporal scales; the whole collection phase (13 years) and a temporal dimension based on the three periods of population growth. We found carcass masses to be higher at island than at mainland and to vary among districts. Effect of period was found at the regional, sub-regional and often at the district scale. The autumn carcass masses were sensitive to density at West Finnmark and mainland scales, but not at island scale, the effect being negative. This suggests intra-specific competition for summer forage due to consistent higher density resulting in reduced range quality at mainland as compared to island. On the finest scale the density effect was highly variable. Response of carcass mass to density appeared to be scale dependent both in space and time at regional and sub-regional scales. These findings underline the importance, for skilful management, of site specific biological understanding of (1) the density dependent processes and (2) the spatial and temporal scales these processes are operating on. Adaptive management strategies for sustainable use of the summer forage resources in West Finnmark have therefore to be district specific.Skala-avhengige virkninger av antallet rein på høstslaktevektene i Vest-FinnmarkAbstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag: Den stadig pågående diskusjon omkring reintall og overbelastning av beitene i Vest- Finnmark krever en bedre forståelse av tetthetsavhengige, så vel som tetthetsuavhengige prosesser som påvirker dette beitesystemet og på hvilke skalaer disse opererer. Vi benyttet 20 604 slaktevekter av varit (1,5 års gamle bukker) før brunst for å undersøke variasjonen i tid og rom i disse, og om sommerbeitebelegget på ulike skalaer påvirket vektene. Vi definerte tre romlig skalaer: 1) hele sommerbeiteområdet i Vest-Finnmark, 2) to underregioner: innlandsdistriktene samlet og øy/halvøydistriktene samlet og 3) det enkelte sommerbeitedistrikt. På distriktsnivå ble bare slaktedata fra 8 distrikt benyttet. Videre ble to tidsskalaer definert: 1) hele perioden samlet, 2) tre perioder basert på utviklingen i reintallet i Vest-Finnmark - økning i periode 1 (1983-87) og i periode 3 (2001-2004) og nedgang i periode 2 (1996 -2000). Slaktevektene var høyere for øy/halvøydistriktene sammenlignet med innlandsdistriktene samlet og varierte mellom distrikt. Periode påvirket også slaktevektene regionalt, subregionalt og ofte på distriktsnivå. Vi fant en negativ tetthetsavhengig effekt på slaktevektene for Vest-Finnmark samlet. Det samme gjaldt for innlandsdistriktene samlet, men ikke for øy/halvøydistriktene samlet. Dette forklares ved fødekonkurranse på innlandsdistriktenes sommerbeiter, sannsynligvis på grunn av at vedvarende høye tettheter har forringet beitekvaliteten, sammenlignet med øy/halvøydistriktene samlet. På distriktsnivå varierte effekten av tetthet. Resultatene tyder videre på skala-avhengige tetthetseffekter i tid og rom, i Vest-Finnmark samlet, så vel som på innlands- og øy/halvøynivå. Tetthet er et mangesidig og komplekst begrep som ikke kan sees uavhengig av skala. Det er derfor viktig å analysere slike prosesser på flere skalanivå for bedre å kunne forstå samspillet mellom vegetasjon og beitedyr. Dette innebærer i praksis at hvert sommerdistrikt (siida), som er den funksjonelle enheten i forvaltningssammenheng, må behandles uavhengig og danne grunnenheten i en fornuftig forvaltning

Highly competitive reindeer males control female behavior during the rut

During the rut, female ungulates move among harems or territories, either to sample mates or to avoid harassment. Females may be herded by a male, may stay with a preferred male, or aggregate near a dominant male to avoid harassment from other males. In fission-fusion group dynamics, female movement is best described by the group's fission probability, instead of inter-harem movement. In this study, we tested whether male herding ability, female mate choice or harassment avoidance influence fission probability. We recorded group dynamics in a herd of reindeer Rangifer tarandus equipped with GPS collars with activity sensors. We found no evidence that the harassment level in the group affected fission probability, or that females sought high rank (i.e. highly competitive and hence successful) males. However, the behavior of high ranked males decreased fission probability. Male herding activity was synchronous with the decrease of fission probability observed during the rut. We concluded that male herding behavior stabilized groups, thereby increasing average group size and consequently the opportunity for sexual selection

Effect of "owners" selection strategies on autumn weight in reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus) calves

Many northern indigenous peoples, including the Sami are dependent on reindeer herding for their livelihood. In view of the socio-cultural and economical importance of reindeer herding, emphasis should be put on appropriate herd structure and selection strategies that maximise marketable products, such as meat (the primary marketable product nowadays). Empirical observations reveal that within a herd, some owners seem to have better productivity in term of carcass autumn weight of calves, than others. We hypothesized that there may be an "owner" effect in reindeer herding, i.e. some owners may be applying particular selection strategies that might be beneficial. We investigated this in three reindeer grazing districts in South Norway, using mixed linear models. We found that autumn carcass weight of calves varied significantly with year and "owner" within herd in all three districts. Consistently some particular owners within a herd had higher average autumn carcass weight of their calves than others. We attributed this difference to "individual selection strategies", meaning that some owners may follow more accurately the sex, age and weight-based recommended strategy and in addition, they may make superior choices when selecting animals for slaughtering. We conclude that individual owners have the capability, through appropriate selection decisions to improve the average annual autumn weight of their reindeer calves. This might be an important aspect of "Traditional Ecological Knowledge", in addition to the recommended modern sex, age and weight-based selection criteria

Mismatch between calf paternity and observed copulations between male and female reindeer: multiple mating in a polygynous ungulate?

publishedVersio

Goats are able to adapt to virtual fencing; A field study in commercial goat herds on Norwegian farms

publishedVersio

Comparative response of Rangifer tarandus and other northern ungulates to climatic variability

To understand the factors influencing life history traits and population dynamics, attention is increasingly being given to the importance of environmental stochasticity. In this paper, we review and discuss aspects of current knowledge concerning the effect of climatic variation (local and global) on population parameters of northern ungu¬lates, with special emphasis on reindeer/caribou (Rangifer tarandus). We also restrict ourselves to indirect effects of climate through both forage availability and quality, and insect activity. Various authors have used different weather variables; with sometime opposite trends in resulting life history traits of ungulates, and few studies show consistent effects to the same climatic variables. There is thus little consensus about which weather variables play the most sig¬nificant role influencing ungulate population parameters. This may be because the effects of weather on ungulate pop¬ulation dynamics and life history traits are scale dependent and it is difficult to isolate climatic effects from density dependent factors. This confirms the complexity of the relationship between environment and ecosystem. We point out limits of comparability between systems and the difficulty of generalizing about the effect of climate change broadly across northern systems, across species and even within species. Furthermore, insect harassment appears to be a key climate-related factor for the ecology of reindeer/caribou that has been overlooked in the literature of climatic effects on large herbivores. In light of this, there is a need for further studies of long time series in assessing effects of climate variability on reindeer/caribou

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) response to feces and urine from sheep (Ovis aries) and reindeer

In many Norwegian alpine and tundra areas sheep and reindeer graze sympatrically. Areas covered with dung or urine may have consequences for reindeer pasture utilization. Experiments were conducted on 5 stall fed male reindeer calves where animals were individually presenred with two troughs (experimental and control) containing 200 g of concentrate. Fresh and dry sheep and reindeer pellets (50 g wet weight) were mixed with the concentrate in the experimental trough and the aversive response was tested against the control. Both fresh sheep (P < 0.0001) and reindeer (P < 0.0001) pellets were associated with aversive response by reindeer. A similar response was found for dry sheep (P = 0.006) and dry reindeer (P = 0.0009) pellets. Similar trials were conducted using sheep and reindeer urine (20 g sprayed evenly on the food) and the aversive response by reindeer was tested against the control (sprayed with 20 g of water). Both sheep and reindeer urine stimulated an aversive response by reindeer {P = 0.03 for both tests). The differences in the aversive response of reindeer ro fresh sheep and reindeer pellets, dry sheep and reindeer pellets and sheep and reindeer urine were also tested. No differences by reindeer were found between sheep and reindeer pellets, either for fresh (P = 0.28) or dry (P = 0.07), or between food treated with sheep and reindeer urine (P = 0.28). Possible habituation to sheep and reindeer pellets was tested using 8 consecutive trials with dry pellets, followed by 2 additional trials when dry pellets were soaked in water. This was done to simulate natural dry periods followed by rain showers. Habituation effects were found in trials with dry sheep and reindeer pellets. Subsequent trials with fecal pellets soaked in water significantly reduced food intake when compared with the last habituation trial with dry pellets (P < 0.05)

Förutsättningar och utmaningar för renskötseln i Norge, Sverige och Finland

This report is based on the book "Reindeer Husbandry and Global Environmental Change - pastoralism in Fennoscandia". The book, which was published in 2022, brings together previous and new research compiled within a Nordic collaboration project, ReiGN (Reindeer husbandry in a Globalizing North), funded by NordForsk during the years 2016 – 2021. Grants from NordForsk also funded this report. The report, published in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi, summarizes some of the main results from the book. In nine chapters it describes how reindeer herding is affected by climate change, the continuous loss of reindeer grazing land and other external factors that together represent large challenges for reindeer, reindeer herders and the reindeer herding community as a whole. The report contains perspectives from many different research areas. Each chapter in the report has one or more references and links to chapters in the above mentioned book, which is freely available online (https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003118565). The chapters in the report cover a range of different topics, like present and historical reindeer herding (Chapter 1), the genetic background of the semi-domesticated reindeer (Chapter 2), how reindeer ranges are used and how they are affected by climate change and expanding industrial development (Chapter 3), possibilities for adaptation to a warmer climate (Chapter 4), impact of large predators (Chapter 5), external and internal governance (Chapter 6), reindeer herding as subsistence (Chapter 7), the role of supplementary feeding (Chapter 8), and reindeer health and diseases in a climate perspective (Chapter 9). The report ends with some reflections over the present situation and future perspectives for reindeer herding. The report is aimed at herders and managers, as well as other land users, authorities and policymakers who deal with natural resource management, climate and environmental issues or other matters related to reindeer herding and the use of land and water within the reindeer herding area. Rangifer Report No 16 is the Swedish version of the report. Reports in Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi are published as following numbers of Rangifer Report.