A Michigan Home Where Reindeer Roam

Do Santa Claus’s reindeer have the run of the house? Probably not – and Mrs. Claus probably doesn’t bottle-feed

the babies, either. Carol Borton does both at her reindeer

ranch in Kalamazoo. She takes newborn reindeer into her warm and cozy house 24 hours after they’re born, then hand feeds them for four months.

So let’s call her Christmas Carol. We can’t resist because that’s what Carol is – a self-created Santa’s helper, transporting her reindeer around the state to spread holiday cheer.

“I have the largest herd in Michigan,” Carol said proudly in an interview late last month at her ranch. She was wearing a reindeer sweatshirt, of course.

Carol has had seven reindeer houseguests. The babies live indoors “almost completely” for a week and “pretty much roam the whole house.” Don’t things get messy? Not really, Carol said. “I lay two rows of carpet protector on the floor by the couch, then I put blankets over the top. That’s where they tend to urinate and it doesn’t get into the carpet.”

RAISING REINDEER“Oh, it’s fun!” she said. “I just love it. I’ll fall

asleep on the couch and one will climb up, snuggle next to me, and fall asleep, too.”

Don’t you wish you had a pet reindeer? We sure did! But reindeer are a lot of work, and Carol and her husband, Gary, had to learn a lot about the species to take care of

them properly. Right now, they have 14 reindeer – and no,

there’s no Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen or Rudolph.

“When they’re on display, then we have a Prancer,” said Carol, laughing. She and Gary will display the herd at 20 holiday events across Michigan this season, though none in the Detroit area. They have two bulls, Bob and Tank. The adult females are Lisa, Nancy, Millie, Oreo, Loosey, Montana, Sissy, Sandy,

Thursday, December 12, 20134 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM

F I E L D T R I P

Photo by Patricia ChargotThese are a few of the Carol and Gary Borton’s 14 reindeer. Reindeer don’t like to be alone. They like to hang out together.

The names of Santa’s original eight reindeer can be found in an 1823 poem, “The Night Before Christmas.” Rudolph first appeared in a 1939 story, which

inspired the song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”