Yaks in Washington for Dalai Lama Visit
Yaks are native to the high country in the Himalaya Mountains of Asia. The native people in many Asian areas are totally dependent on their yak herd to support their livelihood. They use the long hairs for rope, etc. The soft underdown which sheds annually is spun into cloth or felted to make other products such as their yurts, the native huts or houses. The natives use all of the yak including the horns. They also burn the dung for fuel. They are still used for beasts of burden in areas where trucks aren't practical. Consequently, most yaks are docile animals, especially when handled while they are still young or by having their mothers be very gentle. The milk which is extremely rich in butterfat, around 6% to 7%, is easy to make into butter, cheese, etc. The meat is tasty, tender and very lean. Because yaks evolved in a high, cold climate, their fat is stored on the outside of the cacass so it can easily be trimmed off. Preliminary tests show fat content around 6% to 10%, cholesterol under 50. There is currently more extensive testing underway at Texas A&M with the results to be published this summer. Yaks have small, vigorous calves with no birthing problems. When crossed with yak bulls, first time heifers have less calving problems and stronger, more vital calves. When sold, the yak-cow crosses bring more money. It is becoming a "win-win" situation for a few commercial cattle herds. Feed tests are showing that yaks are extremely efficient feed-converting animals because they evolved in a high (above 14,000 feet), cold climate with sparse vegetation. Yak and yak crosses bring vigorous, very efficient animals to cattle raisers who end up with a lean, healthy meat that can command more money in the marketplace. They are easier to raise than cattle and are very intelligent, with many different personalities. If you like animals, you'll love yaks.
from Thee Farm Yaks are native to northern Tibet and central Asia and were first domesticated in Tibet 900-1,000 years B.C. Docile and powerful, the yak is the most useful of domestic mammals at high elevations and serves as a mount, a beast of burden, and is used for milk and meat as well as wool production. Yaks (Bos grunniens, family Bovidae) will readily breed with the domestic cow. In parts of central Asia the mountain people regularly cross their cattle with yaks in order to produce a hardier and stronger animal with better milk and meat production. This crossbreed is known as a "dzo". In the frontier areas of Tibet, yaks are often crossed with Chinese cattle. Such crossbreeds are in great demand as they are especially strong and good natured animals for ploughing and use in caravans. Crosses between yak and cows also give more milk and better meat and are excellent work animals for carrying loads at moderate altitudes. The male offspring of all breeds crossed with yaks are said to be sterile. Of the possible 600 yaks in North America today, about half are females. The wild yak (Bos grunniens mutus) is listed as an endangered species.
Domestic yaks are about the same size as ordinary cattle. Wild yaks are very much larger and some bulls attain heights of about 1.8 meters (6 feet) at the shoulder hump. The hair of the wild yak is black and short, except on the flanks and tail where it forms a long, shaggy fringe. Their dense coats and thick hides are necessary to protect them from the bitter cold of the high mountain country. When a yak lies down, it tucks its legs under its shaggy coat to keep them warm. Their horns spread outward and upward, and the head is held low like that of the bison. Domestic yaks are colored yellowish-brown, brownish-black, dirty white, or sometimes piebald (black and white) and are used as pack and saddle animals in the plateaus and mountains. Wild yaks are usually black. The hides of both wild and tame yaks provide leather and the tails are valued as fly whisks in India. Domesticated yaks are also kept for milk and beef. The hair from the long fringes of the flanks is used in making cords and rope. The dried dung of the yak is the only obtainable fuel on the treeless Tibetan plateaus. Yaks moult once a year and the wool is made into blankets, tents, and packs. The softer wool of the young animals is made into garments. Yak milk is very rich with a fat content of seven to eight percent. In Tibet, a milk powder is prepared (along with butter and cheese) by a special process of coagulation. The meat is delicious and low in fat and cholesterol and is not marbled. Like other mountain animals, the yak is especially adapted for life in the cold, rarified air. It breathes more slowly than lowland cattle and has more red blood cells in order to help it absorb oxygen from the thin air. Yaks are often used to carry the loads of mountanieer's baggage for climbing the Himalayas. They are very sure-footed on snow and ice. Although they are large and heavy animals, they can scramble up mountain slopes and along dangerous paths almost as nimbly as goats. On a TV documentary about searching for the abominable snowman, natives were shown using a 400 head yak pack string! Yaks make a unique grunting sound more like a pig than a cow and when they run they throw their long tails up over their backs like flags. Wild yaks live in large herds of females, young bulls, and calves, the mature bulls staying together in smaller groups. They graze on grass and require much water. Mating takes place in winter and the calves are born the following autumn. Full size is reached in 6-8 years and maximum longevity is 25 years.
Old World Mystique Yaks are native to the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet, Nepal, and surrounding countries. They were first domesticated by the Tibetan people some 5,000 years ago. Besides providing man with useful products of meat, fiber, milk, and hide, yaks are used as beasts of burden. The distinct Old World appearance of the yak, as well as its compatibility with man, make them a pleasure to raise. New World Opportunity Today, yaks offer a unique opportunity by providing a domesticated livestock with investment potential. Yak meat is low in fat and cholesterol and has a superb, delicate, beef-like flavor. Yaks can be readily cross-bred with cattle. They are spirited yet gentle, making them an enjoyable alternative livestock. Unique Appeal Yaks make a low grunting sound, even the young calves. When running, they bend their long, horse-like tails over their backs. They are especially playful and are enjoyable to watch. Their Old World look adds a mystical element to traditional ranching.
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