Homestead interest in Yaks (Bovines)?
 

We have a herd of 21 yaks. Yaks originate from the Himalayas and can be found up to 15,000 foot elevation. Yaks have been domesticated for meat, milk, fiber, and packing, and (sometimes) riding.

Yaks are social animals and need to have at least a second yak for company.
Yaks are horned. (Remember to carry a big stick... they think it is a big horn. A tap on the forehead backs them off. Usually not needed at all.)
Yaks are fun. :hobbyhors Owner's can get attached to yaks, like their dogs.

Yaks are hairy... dual coated fiber for spinners.

They take about 2 - 3 years to get to butcher weight.
They take about 2 - 3 years to get to reproductive age.

Males average about 1500 lbs.
Females average about 800 lbs.

Extremely healthy meat, very lean, one of the best!
Meat is not gamey.
Yaks butcher out at about 40% of live weight.
Butcher fees may be higher... considered exotic (like Elk).
Yak meat sells currently for about $9+/lb. (depending on cut, and part of the country).

Yaks are easy keepers.
Yaks are easy on fences. They don't push into fences like cattle. They'll just jump them if they want on the other side. They know 'home' and tend to come 'home'.
Yaks are fairly intelligent.
Yaks eat about 1/3 the amount of hay as cattle.
Yak stockage rate is 2 to 4 times that of cattle on the same ground.
Yaks are easy birthers. Calves are about 25-35 lbs. (This means I don't have to reach in up to my elbow to pull a calf.)
They do NOT do well in high humidity (so I understand).


Any interest in yaks ownership?
Thoughts?
Questions?

I think you are trying to sell me your yaks. I have looked into them several times will keep my cows. Can sell cows faster when I need to.

Thanks for replying.

I was interested in your feedback. I figure I'd have to sell my yaks locally.

I just assumed that most people don't know much about yaks, so I listed what I knew to see what the interest pros/cons are in this livestock. It's just marketing research. I would have the yaks regardless due to the needs of the ranch. I'm just feeling out the 'real' interest in yaks, versus what yak sellers say.

As I said, thanks for the input! Much appreciated.:happy2: You point is valid, however, I can take them to the stockyard for sale, just like cattle, if I ever find I need to sell in a hurry. I can see that cows would be an easier sale, just because people know what they are... and they're cheaper. Mine are easier and more fun.

I am always interested in finding out more about multi-use animals for my homestead. Yaks seem to be an interesting choice but living in GA and FL probably not practical for me!

So, what does Yak milk taste like? Do you make cheese or soaps out of it?

If I were to sell a yak here at the stockyard I would get noting for it, if they even ran it though I don't think they would they don't like anything with horns, or hair. I have been interested in yak meat haven't been able to try it yet, I have highlands, angus, jersey and herford, and the crosses. There is a fellow homesteader on here who has yaks she posted video of them playing a while back. I do see that they could be easier on the land as they are smaller don't know how much they eat per body weight as there is a huge difference in cows you can't say they eat less then a cow.
I would think the low butcher percentage would be a bad thing, low birth weight can be nice. slow maturing sounds like a bad thing to me

Don't forget about yak milk.

I suppose if one keeps them mostly for dairy and fiber then the butcher weight isn't as big a deal. We eat Dairy goat culls here and yeah they don't dress out to the same percentage as Boers but it does us fine.

I think instead of worrying about market prices, were I to have an animal like that, I'd be marketing the fiber. Collecting it and selling it to spinners. Yeah, it's a niche market but as a homesteader I am largely about niches. ;)

Also... I would be disbudding if they grow horns. No horns allowed on my little farm!

No Disbudding for us. Our herd has run off 3 packs of coyotes! No yak loses! :D We have wolf packs in the area as well. I don't expect any loses from them either. Yaks just hate K-9s. They've learned to accept my Great Pyrenees since she also just circles them and runs off the coyotes as well. She knows not to get closer than 6 feet from the yaks or they'll thump her. However, our 2 bottle fed bulls love our dogs.

We just came in from our evening walkabout, counting yak noses (calves & pregnant mamas), and 2 of the bottle-fed bulls just came up for petting, like cats and dogs, just love to be petted. The rest just grazed and walked along with us.

As to dairy, I haven't milked them yet. I plan on it, but it isn't a top priority. They don't produce lots of milk, but the quality of the milk they produce makes really wonderful butter. I haven't tried it, but that's what they say. I imagine the cheese would be awesome too.

I'm planning on spinning their fiber myself. It'll be an adventure.

We have a small herd of yaks as well. And they do HATE K-9s. Our cow would also chase off barn cats as well.

Just out of curiosity what would you price a Royal heifer at. I have the opportunity to purchase a couple but at the moment I think they are just a tad to rich for my blood.

I'm struggling with pricing as well.
We have some very grand looking stock, and some of it is Registered, related to National Champion lineage.
Ah, but selling price...
There's a lot of variables. I average several calculations. I calculate the sales price by the net if the meat was sold by the pound... I'm guessing about $3200 (800 lb heifer should butcher out at 40% which is 320 pounds of meat. Yak hamburger sells for at around $9/lb. So that'd be about $2880, plus the cost of butcher is $300-ish, so I come up with $3200). You have to at least make that or you aren't making what you could sell her for. It takes a couple of years to raise her, plus the costs of feeds. Finally, you're selling a premium meat product, or premium breedstock. I don't know too many cattle who can survive winter being mostly not fed and just lose 40% of their body weight, but "SURVIVE"! I'm Not into animal cruelty, but it's nice to know that if hay was hard to get, that I'd still have LIVING livestock come spring. I don't know many cattle ranchers who would be in that situation without hay. One local guy was feeding his cattle 4 times the hay/week that we were feeding throughout the winter. Yaks are great at slowing their metabolism and with their insulation, are great winter survivors! :D

Don't price yourself out of the market, but don't undersell yourself. A yak heifer is a rare commodity and extremely healthy for us humans!

I hope this quasi-answer helps. Lemme know your thoughts.

Would it be 2800-300=2500 the 300 is a cost included in the$9 a pound not an additional value?

:smack
That's what I get for watching TV and posting at the same time. You're right.

Just look at what others are selling for online. Compare. Good luck.

Where in WA are you?

Run an ad offering $9.00 Yak burger and see how many orders you get. Like none. Well maybe as a curiosity a few packages.
When a Yak or Highland or Bison lacks marbling, it is always promoted as healthier or lean. Never mention dry, tough and stringy.
I've seen too many long-horned Highland steers sell at auction. Breaks my heart to see them get put in with the worn out dairy cows going for low grade processed meat. That's not what Rodale Press said about them, back when breeding stock was sky high. Likely the same for Yaks. Lots of money to be made if you can generate a belief that there is a big demand for breeding stock. It is all in the salesmanship.

In Michigan, perhaps many other states, you need to butcher your cattle at a facility with a USDA Inspector on site to be able to sell the meat. All the ones I know just do cattle. Doubt they'd do a Yak. Other slaughter facilities that butcher, without an on site USDA Inspector will butcher your home use cattle, pigs, deer, fainting goats and perhaps Yak.

If I were looking for pasture ornaments, I'd pick a Yak over a Belted Galloway, Scottish Highland, Angora Goats or Emu, every time.

You're entitled to your opinion, however...

Markets are different in different parts of the country. I know of regional markets and restaurants which are selling/buying yak meat. It is in demand in these markets. I also know a local USDA Butcher who'll do yak meat, no problem and has already done so for other local yak ranchers.

And, if you fast cook yak meat, yes it'd likely be tough. You wouldn't fast cook elk or bison either. It needs SLOW cooking. It cooks up just fine, you just have to do it right.

I agree, if you're looking for easy marketability & steady markets, get cattle. I you're looking for easy sustainability, and healthier meat, consider yaks. Profitability in yaks is dependent upon individual circumstances.

Here, we grow our own hay. We have plenty of water. We have plenty of pasture.
I know of yak ranchers who have to buy all their hay, and haul all their water for their yaks. These factors affect profitability.

Markets (farmers), restaurants, USDA Butchers, cosmopolitan health conscious consumer access, etc are variables which are regional factors which affect profitability. We're in a good region.

We wanted livestock for keeping the pastures tended, and ultimately profitability. We wanted easy keepers. Yes, yaks are ornamental in that everyone gawks. However, we have found that there is a definite interest in them for meat. I know the other area yak ranchers don't have enough meat to meet demand. I guess it just depends on your area.

Many years ago, there was an unfilled demand for organic brown eggs. The local health food store and Food Co-Op said they'd buy all I could provide. I did my research and provided organic brown eggs. At first I had just two dozen, then 4 dozen. But when I came in two days later, I was told they hadn't sold the eggs from the other day yet and couldn't take anymore. But the expensive organic feed was bought, chickens laying at the rate of 8 dozen a day. And so it is with a small market.

I know of some restaurants that would love to add Yak Burgers to their menu. I'll bet they sell a few. But, like Buffalo Burgers, the thrill quickly wears off and people return to what they know.

An animal that eats a third of what cattle eat, gains a third as fast. Often such promotions also site that they get fat eating weeds and brush, practically take care of themselves. I just re-read your first post, I see you have that covered, too. No winter feeding. Sort of like hibernation standing up?

I can grow healthier meat with cattle, just cut back their feed and don't grain them. Lean meat is healthier. But marbled meat sells.

"Profitability in yaks is dependent upon individual circumstances." That sounds like a disclaimer at the end of a Diet/Exercise ad or following an investment scheme promotion.

Often in such "unique" animals, their high perceived value makes everything "breeding stock", when anyone that has been around livestock knows that deeply culled animals result in greatest improvements.

Having a National Champion somewhere back in the distaff isn't really a big factor. I have no idea the level of competition at the National Yak Championship.

Pricing is always a tough one. I recently had a 4 year old Angus bull. Weighed 2300 pounds. Fed organic hay (non-certified) and non-GMO grain (oats). He'd sell at auction as a cull, about 78 cents a pound. But if I took him to slaughter, I'd get some nice steaks and about 1200 pounds of lean Organic Angus hamburger. I see that sell for $5.00 a pound. But what do I do with that much hamburger? Even at $2.00 a pound, who knows 240 people that would buy 5 pounds of hamburger? Who wants that hassle? So I took him to auction and collected my $1800.

I guess my point is that knowing of a place that claims to pay $9.00 a pound is different from marketing 400 pounds of freshly ground Yak burger. But I think you could do it. You sound like a good salesman and you believe in your product. That is key, salesmanship.

$2500 for a royal yak heifer seems really high. I see them sell for $800-$1200. I've always had an interest in them but they are too little to fit into our herd.

This thread is seriously lacking in photgraphs of the yaks. :)

Mis-interpreted that first statement. That's a "worst case scenario". They get winter feed, but still at a rate of about 1/4 of Angus, even in winter. Yak metabolism does slow down in the winter, which is surprising due to the cold, but their insulation keeps them warm. They aren't as active either.

I am happy for you and your cattle. Good luck with it.

This winter, when everyone sold out of hay, we were the last ones with hay to sell. We'll out of hay for sale now. We are still getting calls from people needing hay. Some have had tough choices selling off animals because they couldn't feed them. Yaks are still a good choice for us.

I'm staying with my yaks. I do know which restaurants actually sell yak meats regularly at their restaurants, and which Farmers Markets/CSA do as well. You can have your opinion and your way of doing business. I will have mine.

I did ask for input and got it. Thank you.

Is it just me or is there a bit of hostility in some of the responses here, lurking beneath the surface? I doubt Yak are for everyone, I can't have them since I live in Georgia and Florida... but I don't doubt that it's an interesting choice for self sufficiency.

And I agree... where are our Yak pictures, hmm?

I don’t intend to be hostile. But I have seen numerous hoaxes perpetrated on unknowing new farmers/homesteaders over the years, so I tend to get the “ here we go again…” feeling.
The first ones I recall would be Amaranth and Scottish Highlands. One is an awful weed that was promoted as a potential feed for livestock or flour the other is a slow growing long horned, long haired cattle breed that was falsely promoted as gentle and survives on brush. Now, the bubble has burst and many had to eat them or auction them at huge losses.
Beefalo was another flash in the pan and to some extent Bison. But when that reached its saturation point, the meat was so cheap, the Michigan prisoners were getting shipments from South Dakota.
Angora Goats and Emu came next. Farmers around here bought expensive breeding stock from Texas and then tried to bale hay and maintain barns to compete with the Texas range. Emu oil cures everything and the meat is lean and healthy. Eggs sold for hundreds of dollar, for awhile. Large Black pigs and Dexter cattle. The feeder pigs were selling at $500 a piece and everyone was on the bandwagon. Litter sizes of 4 or 5 or gilts that wouldn’t breed, all selling as breeding stock. Every sort of unsoundness ignored. Prices have fallen and hopefully there will be some selection for the original large litters, long body and calm nature. The dual purpose cow that often wasn’t much of a beef cow and not much of a milker was the homesteader’s dream. The ones I saw were so wild, you only saw them briefly with a scope. Not all were. I’m sure some are just fine.
A while back we had a company coming through selling giant buckwheat seed and now there is one marketing a summer Spelt from Australia. But through it all, there is a core group that have the ability to promote. They’ll whip up some interest, make wild claims on the return on your investment, tell how little inputs you need and brag at the fantastic ease that it all happens.
But I’ve seen plenty of good folks raise some normal stuff and struggle to market it profitably. Getting something exotic grinds their hopes and dreams to nothing. Sad really. But most of the trouble is marketing hype. Both in believing it in the beginning and in being unable to act like a used car salesman with the stuff they got tricked into buying. Being slow to cheat your neighbor is a lot like being slow in Musical Chairs.
Yaks are interesting creatures. Smaller than cows, so they eat less. They have lived centuries in harsh conditions. They produce a lot of hair.
But before you buy, ask some spinners if they’d buy Yak hair. Find a place that can clean and card Yak hair. Go to an upscale restaurant and see if the owner would buy $9 a pound Yak burger. See if you an get a Yak butchered at a USDA slaughter facility (if you intend on legally selling Yak hamburger). See what is real in your area. There are places where it may sell at those prices.
I recall some guy that drove his beat up car into New York and landed deals with restaurants for his meat (I can’t recall what he was marketing, sheep or pigs, I think). But he has worked on marketing for 20 years and made quite a name for himself. But I think he still lives with his mother and still drives an old car.
Face it, we live in a time when cattle are worth less if they aren’t the right color (black) and you want to raise a complete different species?
If you want something cool to look at or have exceptional marketing talent and live near a major city with an upscale side and can afford to take a loss, go for it.

Thank you for accepting the input you asked for. Sometimes folks ask for input and then want to argue about it.
When you wrote, "I don't know too many cattle who can survive winter being mostly not fed and just lose 40% of their body weight, but "SURVIVE"!" You are telling me an 800 pound cow that thrives on no grain and 1/3 the hay of cattle, puts on very little fat, can eat nearly nothing, drop down to 480 pounds and survive. Is that what I read?

I am glad for your success. You have done a wonderful job in marketing your Yak meat. I think many on here would love to hear some details on your marketing successes. Perhaps if the details of your situation mirrored my location, I might be motivated to develop a similar marketing strategy in my location.

I know a guy who had bison, butchered several per year. One time he had a yak, as well. Big thing, black and white like a long horn x holstein. Took it to a USDA facility with a load of bison. When he was asked what it was, he said holstein, and saved himself the "exotic" inspection fee. Made great meat and really great snack sticks!

I am in Idaho where the market for yak meat is similar.
They do eat much less than regular cattle even in the winter. They actually function fine in our 100+ weather as long as they have access to shade and water. Ours spend a fair deal of their time wading.
I also find their temperaments to be better than most cows. Ours came to us a range cows and were completely wild. We haven't worked with them much but they'll come up and eat out your hand. Even our bull is docile and gentle. A cow yak hybrid (dzo) is actually IMO a very marketable and manageable business venture.

They aren't ideal for everybody and nobody would claim they are a dream species ( I would say breed but they actually aren't the same species as domestic cattle). Ours for instance can jump fences like nobodies business.

They are however a fun animal to raise.

The discussion is good. (I may have gotten defensive. Apologies.) There are lots of interesting points.

As to pics...

Here ya go...

Thanks for the pics! We have a local gal who sells yaks... I always thought they looked very cool, love the heritage breed aspect. They are just so dang pricey! I'm a spinner, am wondering how their hair/wool spins up. Have you tried it?

Yak wool is two layers. It contains long guard hairs which spin up to good rope. Haven't done that yet, but looks quite doable.

The down undercoat is a short staple and spins like cotton. For that reason, it is often blended with longer fibers to spin. However, I don't have any trouble spinning it on a drop spindle and my spinning wheel is ordered/enroute. It is definitely soft!

The biggest issue is getting it dehaired to be that soft. A friend suggested spinning both together and make socks. That's a darn good idea because I hate making socks which wear a hole in a week!

I have a batch of yak fiber at a local mill right now. She's running a sample test batch for dehairing. I've tried dehairing it watching TV. I missed a bunch. It was still awesome to spin, but not something I would use for baby clothing with tiny bits of hair in it. My next effort will be to get some Viking Combs and try dehairing it that way. I've seen that done on Youtube and I believe that'll work.

All the hype about making money off the yak fiber is hype. It IS a wonderful fiber. They just don't make enough of it to make it really profitable. Each yak will only grow 1 to 2 pounds of it a year. One has to comb it out (say "squeeze shoot"; I have tame animals, but they love to butt one another and mount each other, and I never want to be next to one when the horseplay commences!). Wash the fiber. Dehair the fiber. Card the fiber. Then the fiber can be spun. So, to answer your question, yes, yak fiber is wonderful. Enjoy spinning it if get some. The high price of yak fiber is justified, IMHO. On some websites of yak ranchers, they have yak fiber, but they spin it themselves, and it is not for sale. I may find myself in the same boat. I have a lot of yaks, so on the other hand, I may share/swap with my spinning group in town. The group has alpacas, and a variety of sheep breeds. It makes spinning great fun!

Has anyone tried raising yaks in Florida or Georgia? I wonder how they will fair I have seen photos of Tibetan Yaks raised in northern states and Tibet with their hair shaved during the summer or the hotter than normal no snow times. I wonder would that work for raising them in florida/georgia year round? Also would the year round warm weather have any effect on metabolism during winter months allowing the metabolism to stay at the normal active state therefore growing fast than yaks in northern states? I just picked up 24acres in florida 9 of them considered wetlands with alot of tree cover do you think they would strive in this type of environment? Sorry for so many question but there is very little info on raising them in warmer states but alot of comments saying it's bad because of the origins or hearsay.

Thanks in advance

I wouldn't suggest it.

It gets hot where I am at ( 100+) but it is a dry heat. They suffer during those days. They spend a lot of their time wading during that time. The insects also drive them nuts.

The shaved pictures you are mentioning, I would venture to guess, are actually probably dzo or the cross breeds. I have a cross bred as well and although she fairs better than the yaks she is still miserable.

As for the metabolism I doubt it would help. They are animals developed for high altitude steppes. If anything the heat would probably deter them from eating.

My yaks are happiest when is, at a max, 60 out.

A couple years ago I went to Rhinebeck, and yak yarn was selling for a very pretty penny. You could probably support a herd on that alone, but in the other hand it may be the next alpaca, that eventually supply will go up and the price drop, and those buying in late won't be able to pay off foundation stock prices.

Never base a business plan on the price of breeding stock or infinite demand of a product as your operation grows.

Gheez thanks for your replies I would have thought I would have gotten a notice letting me know there are replies. No use working against the grain on thus especially for someone new to the art. Thx for your help

There are notices, but not on by default.

What you breed and raise all depends on what you want out of the work you put into it? Yak, Alligator, Tapia........There is something new that might make a market for its self or might not. I raise dexters because of my small footprint....and I like the other qualities about them and I'm willing to pay for it.

How Many Yaks Per Acre?
 

Hello, I am new to this site. My husband & I are considering raising Yaks, but we need to know how much acreage we would need for 3 or 4 Yaks here in the northeastern part of PA?

I can't tell you for certain since I don't know the stocking rate for your area. Hopefully, someone from your area will be able to help you with that. If not reach out to your extension office to see what the stocking rate for cows is.

We find that our yaks eat about a 1/3 of what a cow does.

Thank You BrownYaks
 

Everywhere I asked this question everyone said what you said, but failed to tell me how to get the answer. Thank you! I will call our extension office to find out the stocking rate for cows. I would have never guessed it was different in different areas.

I don't usually post in this section, as we just keep a few Polled Herefords, nothing worth really discussing, but I would love to get some Yaks!
We actually found a breeder here in Nebraska last year, and were planning on getting a pair of heifers from him.
But the early fall blizzard up in northern Nebraska, and South Dakota, wiped out most of his herd.
So we will wait until next year. He was selling his heifers at 5 months for 800.00 each.
I strictly want them for fiber, as I am a spinner. Can't wait to get mine.
I also agree about the pictures though!
Show off a bit!:happy2:

This discussion reminds me of my neighbors with the herd of water buffalo.

Those are some interesting critters too.

But cattle they aren't.

Just like yaks aren't.

I suppose raising yaks is about as much like raising cattle as raising water buffalo is.

I would suppose that raising yaks is a little bit like raising cattle, but not much.

I find it to pretty much be the same as cows. I've raised both. only differences I noticed is.

1. They are smaller and hairier
2. They eat less and are less picky about what they eat.
3. They can jump fences like nobodies buisness.

But as far as the market- ability youre right. The average rancher isn't going to buy a cow. At an auction they would probably sell for less. They are niche market creatures.

hercsmama- I've just gotten into spinning and am looking forward to getting some down off of them. There are specific lineages that produce more fiber than others. I can't remember the name of them though...I know there are some in Colorado...Odd about the snow storms getting them.
http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/...ps91f9cce9.jpg
http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/...ps25dbc0e9.jpg
http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/...ps67f32ee9.jpg

It was really bad, started out as rain, then the temps plummeted. About a hundred thousand cattle died as well.
It was really, really bad.
Don't recall alot about it on the news though. Poor things literally froze to death over night.
http://www.treehugger.com/sustainabl...-blizzard.html

He is in the process of rebuilding his herd,and will hopefully have a couple little girls for me in a few months now.:happy2: