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Researchers involved with the project emphasize that although much has been learned about the moose biology, and the techniques for semi-domesticated moose husbandry have been developed, raising animals like this is a not an easy affair. In the interests of the animals themselves, one should not try
291:
It was found early in the course of the moose domestication research that some animals are more attached to the farm than others. Therefore, it is hoped that a multi-generational selection program will result in breeding a domesticated variety of the moose. However, in the conditions of the existing
283:
In the meantime, the mother moose is being milked by the farm's milkmaids; due to a similar imprinting mechanism, the cow moose will soon recognize them as her "substitute children". At this point, it can be released to the forest; it will come back to the farm every day to be milked during the rest
220:
Research quickly showed that being penned in stalls is not conducive to moose biology; the animals' health would suffer in such conditions, possibly because of the lack of certain nutrients that the free-ranging animals can find in wild plants. Moreover, it would be very expensive to supply captive
340:
Resumption of the research work on the farm came only after
January 2002 when the Moose Husbandry Laboratory was re-created, under the Kostroma Agricultural Research Institute and when in 2005 the Kostroma Moose Farm was transferred from the forestry enterprise to the Kostroma Oblast Natural
256:
During a large part of the year, the animals are allowed to roam free throughout the forest. They usually do not go too far, however, because they know the farm (or the winter camp, as the case may be) as the place to get their favorite foods and as a safe place to give birth to their young.
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Over the period from 1972 to 1985 (when the milk production statistics are available), the number of milked moose cows on the farm increased from 3 to 16, the average number over the period being 11. Over those 13 years, 23,864 liters (around 6,000 gallons) of the milk had been produced.
189:
of northern and eastern Russia, which are not particularly suitable for either food crop planting or conventional animal husbandry. If the moose could be farmed, they could be provided with feed practically for free, utilizing the by-products of timber harvesting: tree branches and bark.
287:
In winter, the animals spend much time at the woodlots in the nearby forests where trees are being cut, feeding on the byproducts of timber operations. The abundant supply of forest foods, plus daily rations of oats and salted water keep them around the woodlot even without the fence.
122:
Even the civilized Europe these days has failed to domesticate the moose, the animal that doubtlessly can be of great utility. Our government ought to apply all possible efforts toward the domestication of this animal. This is doable. The reward would be great, and so would be the
326:
In 1985 the Moose
Husbandry Laboratory was transferred from the Kostroma Agriculture Research Station to the Kostroma Forestry Research Station, and due to budgetary cuts was closed altogether in 1992. Also in 1985 the moose farm was transferred to the Kostroma Forestry Enterprise
323:), where the free-range moose ranching techniques described above are used. A Moose Husbandry Laboratory was created at the research station to coordinate research work conducted at the farm, both by the Kostroma zoologists and by researchers from Moscow and elsewhere.
385:
Tourist attraction / novelty value. Although, as at any responsible animal husbandry establishment, access to the farm is strictly controlled by the management, organized tourist groups can visit the facility on tours arranged through the
Kostroma Tourism
312:
Dr. Minaev, whose Cand. Sci. dissertation has to do with using radio monitoring to study the behavior of the moose in the process of domestication, and Luchik the Moose, wearing a collar with a radio transmitter (photo by
Alexander
654:
in
British English. We have chosen the former term to use in this article, as it is less ambiguous and is more commonly used in modern scientific literature in English, including that produced by Russian
864:
260:
The
Kostroma moose give birth to their young in April or May. A farm-born moose calf is taken from its mother within 2–3 hours after birth and is raised by people. It is first bottle-fed with a
217:. Rare photos from that period, one of a moose being ridden and one of a moose pulling a sledge, were included in the 1969 paper "Behavioural changes in elk in the process of its domestication"
739:
A.V. Baranov, V.M. Dzhurovich, N.V. Sokolov. "The
Achievements and Issues in Moose Domestication" (Баранов А.В., Джурович В.М., Соколов Н.В., "Достижения и задачи по одомашниванию лося")
413:
In particular, one is advised not to try to start a moose farm for meat production: the meat output will not cover the costs of production (which could be ten times as high as those of
167:. This experimental work included mounting pistols, spikes, and shields to the antlers of a moose, as well delegating moose labor to tasks of hauling cannons and long range artillery.
147:) and moose breeding centers (лосиные питомники). Experimental work, initiated by Petr Alexandrovich Manteufel (Петр Александрович Мантейфель), took place at a number of locations: in
428:
The farm maintains the database of all animals that have ever been brought to the farm or born there. As of 2006, it listed 842 moose that have lived on the farm during its history.
854:
292:
moose farms the prospects of artificial selection are made somewhat difficult by the fact that in the free-range conditions farm moose cows often mate with wild moose bulls.
351:. The farm's livestock includes around 10-15 milk-producing moose cows. The milk, reported to be rich in vitamins and microelements and to be useful for the treatment of
417:
production), and, besides, free-range moose are not stupid, and they will not be coming back to the farm where their kin are being slaughtered. A couple of operators in
237:
The more feasible technique, adopted first at Yaksha and later at
Kostroma Moose Farm can be called "moose ranching". It is somewhat similar to the semi-domesticated
177:
After the war, the idea of domesticating the moose was pursued again, with the focus on agricultural use. It was thought that the moose, whose very name means
160:
382:, moose antlers can be harvested while they are still soft and covered with velvet, which is used for the manufacture of certain pharmaceutical products.
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21:
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could be efficiently used even in the deep snow. In 1934, the Soviet
Government's Nature Reserve Committee ordered creation of moose reserves (
95:
221:
moose with suitable fodder, as the moose are picky eaters and will not eat branches thicker than some 10 mm (0.4 in) or so.
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811:
793:
775:
764:
Ekaterina M. Bogomolova, Yuriy A. Kurochkin. "The systems organization of the breeding behavior of the moose in its natural habitat"
752:
Agricultural
Research Institute. (Костромской научно-исследовательский институт сельского хозяйства. Лаборатория лосеводства)
809:
Ekaterina M. Bogomolova, Yuriy A. Kurochkin, Alexander N. Minaev. "The study of moose behavior on the Kostroma moose farm"
791:
Ekaterina M. Bogomolova, Yuriy A. Kurochkin, Alexander N. Minaev. "Home ranges and migrations of the Kostroma farm moose"
206:
156:
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135:
The idea of the moose domestication did not get much traction in Tsarist Russia. However, it reappeared in the 1930s’
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Over the first forty years of operation (1963–2003), 770 animals ended their stay at the farm in the following ways:
111:
859:
439:
367:
360:
265:
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To study the behavior of the moose, each animal at Kostroma Moose Farm is equipped with a radio transmitter.
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Kostroma Moose Farm, established in 1963 under the aegis of Kostroma Oblast Agricultural Research Station (
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422:
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210:
51:
356:
185:, could provide an ideal way of improving the utilization of the biomass production potential of the
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to enter this business without appropriate expertise, good capitalization, and access to a suitable
202:
127:
275:
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300:
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63:
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71:
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174:, and when the war came, the entire idea of cavalry as a combat force was swept away.
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This bull moose finds a gate at Kostroma Moose Farm rather narrow for his antlers.
394:
375:
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Alexander N. Minaev. "Use of telemetry to study behavior of domesticated moose"
144:
91:
87:
83:
36:
23:
773:
Ekaterina M. Bogomolova, Yuriy A. Kurochkin. "Parturition activity of moose"
152:
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Middendorf wrote in Russian, and used the word "лось", which refers to the
320:Костромская государственная областная сельскохозяйственная опытная станция
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371:
238:
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370:. A bull moose grows a new pair of antlers every summer. Similar to the
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Over the years, the herd size varied from 4 (in 1965) to 67 (in 1978).
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333:). In these conditions the farm continued to operate, but more like a
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50:
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Some research articles based on the work at Kostroma Moose Farm:
401:
populations, or to those who want to start new dairy moose farms.
397:, wildlife reintroduction projects in areas that have lost their
284:
of her lactation period (typically, until September or October).
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will remain one of its favorite foods for the rest of its life.
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effect makes the growing animal attached to people; the steamed
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A bottle-fed baby moose develops attachment to its caregiver.
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The Moose Husbandry Laboratory page at the official site of
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is kept, primarily for milk production; the farm supplies
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Ivan Susanin Sanatorium (Санаторий имени Ивана Сусанина)
98:
of Kostroma Oblast, some 25 km east of the city of
729:
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Sites and publications about the Kostroma Moose Farm
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As early as 1869, the Russian zoologist and explorer
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Agricultural organizations based in the Soviet Union
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and some other conditions is supplied to the nearby
389:Potentially, sales of farm-raised young animals to
131:Young moose eating steamed oats at the winter camp
463:Died or disappeared (while under 1 year of age)
170:However, the work was not finished in time for
120:
477:Disappeared or escaped (after 1 year of age)
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318:
264:, and later fed from a bucket. The resulting
8:
16:Experimental farm in Kostroma Oblast, Russia
855:Buildings and structures in Kostroma Oblast
205:, was launched in 1949 by the staff of the
201:The first experimental moose farm, led by
445:
425:went out of business trying to do this.
106:Early history of the moose domestication
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344:The main lines of farm's business are:
304:A milkmaid with her favorite moose cow.
241:husbandry pursued by the people of the
438:Immature moose antlers, covered with
7:
139:; it was suggested at the time that
90:. It is located near the village of
841:Supplement 2: pp. 89–92 (2002)
823:Supplement 2: pp. 37–40 (2002)
805:Supplement 2: pp. 33–36 (2002)
787:Supplement 2: pp. 27–31 (2002)
155:Experimental Game Farm, and in the
575:Slaughtered (under 1 year of age)
547:Slaughtered (after 1 year of age)
14:
642:species. This animal is known as
589:Still living on the farm in 2003
695:Russia's elk prove tough to tame
442:, can be harvested every summer.
209:, outside of the settlement of
767:Uspekhi Fiziologicheskikh Nauk
648:in North American English, or
505:Died of a disease or accident
1:
70:) is an experimental farm in
207:Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve
769:. 1995 Oct-Dec;26(4):48-74.
561:Sold (under 1 year of age)
533:Sold (after 1 year of age)
337:than a research facility.
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666:"Moose farming in Russia"
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112:Alexander von Middendorff
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689:(in English and Russian)
519:Died of natural causes
423:Nizhny Novgorod Oblasts
361:Ivan Susanin Sanatorium
68:Костромска́я лосефе́рма
723:(Photos; trip report)
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712:National Public Radio
603:Total over 1963-2003
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341:Resources Committee.
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96:Krasnoselsky District
54:
37:57.67556°N 41.20667°E
686:Kostroma Moose Farm
491:Killed by poachers
183:Algonquian language
60:Kostroma Moose Farm
33: /
870:Experimental farms
832:2012-02-06 at the
814:2012-02-06 at the
796:2012-02-06 at the
778:2012-02-06 at the
744:2015-02-12 at the
714:) (June 28, 2003)
701:, 22 March 2004)
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330:Костромской лесхоз
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78:, where a herd of
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42:57.67556; 41.20667
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357:radiation lesions
296:The Kostroma Farm
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732:(official site)
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721:"Moose Medicine"
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279:Machine milking.
159:Nature Reserve (
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816:Wayback Machine
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349:Milk production
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262:milk substitute
249:herding of the
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165:Orenburg Region
161:Бузулукский бор
118:'s Government:
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72:Kostroma Oblast
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225:Later history
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215:Komi Republic
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449:Disposition
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395:safari parks
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172:World War II
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137:Soviet Union
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86:to a nearby
84:moose's milk
59:
58:
18:
655:biologists.
640:Alces alces
376:New Zealand
366:Harvesting
335:petting zoo
145:zapovedniks
40: /
849:Categories
266:imprinting
179:twig eater
92:Sumarokovo
88:sanitorium
28:41°12′24″E
25:57°40′32″N
626:Footnotes
419:Yaroslavl
374:farms in
245:, or the
153:Serpukhov
151:, at the
830:Archived
812:Archived
794:Archived
776:Archived
750:Kostroma
742:Archived
452:Females
239:reindeer
100:Kostroma
408:habitat
386:Bureau.
380:Siberia
313:Minaev)
251:steppes
213:in the
149:Yakutia
64:Russian
458:Total
455:Males
243:tundra
211:Yaksha
181:in an
123:glory.
76:Russia
838:Alces
820:Alces
802:Alces
784:Alces
645:moose
399:Alces
372:maral
247:sheep
187:taiga
163:) in
80:moose
612:770
609:395
606:375
570:117
486:159
472:257
469:139
466:118
421:and
415:beef
393:and
391:zoos
378:and
270:oats
116:Tsar
699:BBC
651:elk
598:33
592:29
584:54
581:46
567:66
564:51
556:48
553:44
542:24
539:14
536:10
528:11
522:11
514:35
511:12
508:23
500:32
494:28
483:66
480:93
94:in
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525:0
497:4
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697:(
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327:(
62:(
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