Archipelago Farms

Archipelago Farms Archipelago Farms strives to promote the reindeer industry by means of events, leases, meat production and the occasional sale of breeding stock.

Reindeer for hire by the hour. Lease reindeer for events. Sale of animals for USDA certified meat products. Sale of breeding stock when available.

09/01/2026

The calves are weaned, vaccinated and boostered for a few weeks now. They are very quick to tame down even if a bit suspicious of us at first. It is a good day when the suspicion eases to trust and feeding time becomes the most ideal time to expand on this trust.

Torti did an amazing job today at UAF's Party in the Park kicking off the school year.Number one question of the day was...
08/28/2026

Torti did an amazing job today at UAF's Party in the Park kicking off the school year.
Number one question of the day was what is the difference between a caribou and a reindeer and did we have fun explaining to people all of the differences!

08/20/2026

We are lucky to have an exceptional group of heifer replacements that have proven themselves in performance, comformatiom and disposition. Looking forward to watching Chesney, Reba, Chicks, Trisha, Faith and Sheryl find their place in the herd. Also in this line up is Pancakes, a 2yr old who jives well amongst the heifers.

08/13/2026

Lewis is now 6 yrs old and weighed in at 528 lbs this last week. The shedding of the velvet typically kicks off the rutt (breeding season). In these next 6 weeks reindeer bulls can lose up to a third of their body weight. Intake drastically drops as their focus transitions to the cows in their harem. Their body condition carries them into deep winter as the body metabolizes and catabolizes fat and muscle reserves to hopefully get through the rutt amd live another year.

Lewis weighed in at 528 lbs last week shortly before beginning to shed his velvet. This late Summer weight is the most...
08/13/2026

Lewis weighed in at 528 lbs last week shortly before beginning to shed his velvet. This late Summer weight is the most he will likely weigh before rutt begins to have it's effects on him. In just 6 weeks these bulls can lose up to 1/3 of their body weight!

As the sun gets higher in the sky so do the temperatures. Reindeeer are very good at utilizing evaporative cooling to t...
05/26/2026

As the sun gets higher in the sky so do the temperatures. Reindeeer are very good at utilizing evaporative cooling to tolerate the heat of the day. This is a temporary trough and clearly too shallow to stay clean for very long, but a great example of where Sunny's curiosity and instinct transect.

With every year comes a pile of sheds as both the males and females grow antlers and shed them annually. These eventual...
05/20/2026

With every year comes a pile of sheds as both the males and females grow antlers and shed them annually. These eventually become dog chews, crafts or decorative pieces. Getting them to a covered area makes sure they maintain their integrity. I haven't forgotten about you
Do not forget to look .racks if you are looking for a dog chew!

05/18/2026

Skye is too gentle of a cow for anything outside the calving bell curve. She calved a bit later than most of the others. We squared her calf away with the usual navel dip and making sure they get a good first nursing while we were watching. Stepped away for a couple minutes and an older calf swooped in to take advantage of the situation and was just nursing away on Skye. We moved them to their own pen to make sure the new calf received milk from her own mom as needed and all went well. Soon enough Ricotta and her mom will re join the much older calves when she is good and ready to also rob milk from the other moms.

Thankful for another year with . Always a little adjustment period but it isn't long before this group settles in!
05/12/2026

Thankful for another year with . Always a little adjustment period but it isn't long before this group settles in!

The privilege of raising reindeer in Alaska is possible because of thousands of years of domestication throughout the c...
05/02/2026

The privilege of raising reindeer in Alaska is possible because of thousands of years of domestication throughout the circumpolar north for meat, fiber milk and/or transportation.
A livestock species that thrives in the arctic and can be a source for red meat is one of the many reasons they are so appealing for our climate.
The sustainable reality of the farm and the herd's health include the uncomfortable decisions of necessary harvesting and culling of animals.
Another priveledge never taken for granted...a reindeer loin wrap. Always thankful to these magnificant animals.

Address

Goldstream
Fairbanks, AK
99709

Telephone

+19073473349

Website

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