The Reindeer Centre at Capralama Farm

The Reindeer Centre began some 8 years ago with a handful of Reindeer being brought over from Sweden. After a successful breeding programme, the centre now has over 100 Reindeer. The Reindeer are all English bred and farm reared. Some are reared by hand to ensure they are extremely well handled and at ease for their public 'meet and greets'.

Sandra and Mike Fagg have famed for more or less all their lives and already had quite a collection of livestock - goats, pigs, llamas, wallabies, mara, meerkats, sheep, ducks and chickens.

They ran a poultry and waterfowl business but this tended only to be busy in Spring and Summer so they looked to diversify into a business that would keep them busy through out the winter. Much of what they learnt about the Reindeer was through trial and error. No-one in England had much experience of these creatures but Sandra and Mike found they fitted well into their farm.

The Reindeer are not bred for meat or their skins but hired out for personal appearances. And what started as a hobby and small diversification project is now a major part of the farm business.

But it has not all been plain sailing.

Mr Fagg said: “They are high maintenance, their food is more than double the price of sheep feed and we worm them twice as much as our other livestock."

On top of that the Reindeer only pay for their keep during the Christmas weeks when they appear in Santa's grottos and do corporate events and private parties and weddings.

The Reindeer centre based at Capralama Farm is in the heart of the Kent countryside and covers over 40 acres of farmland. The centre has adult males, breeding females, castrated males and calves.

For more information on Capralama Farm and the Reindeer Centre visit http://www.reindeercentre.co.uk