Yaks

[fadedpolaris]

I did a whole forum search, and it seems that nobody's talking about yaks.
Anybody own 'em? Meet 'em? Eat 'em?

I just think they're really cool. hah.
I'd like to milk one, but I haven't heard much about people doing it, other than in Tibet and Mongolia.

[opportunity]

I know there is a a lady who used to be on here that has yaks she lived in western Montana and even posted a link to a video of them they looked neat

[BrownYaks]

I have a small herd of them. They are very docile but none of ours are tame enough to milk. To be honest I doubt you would get much milk from them. Their bags are very small.
Although we did have a cow that fed both her calf and a bull that she calved two years previously. Didn't seem to have any problems doing so.
Going into that they are excellent mothers. They don't have any issues calving due to the low calving weights.

Everyone we know with yak bull agree that bull toss calves a couple times after birth. A by toss I mean pick them up with their horns and THROW them. The best explanation I've heard for this is they are testing to see how sturdy the calves are.

After that bulls pretty much ignore the claves.

[fadedpolaris]

Hm, that's interesting about the bulls and calves. Haven't heard that before.

Yeah, I know milk production isn't very high but I'm mainly looking to make butter out of it, anyway. Gotta try my hand at that butter tea, it sounds interesting.

I've heard good things about the meat, but is it worth the hype that other yak breeders tote?

[dlskidmore]

The fiber was going for a pretty penny at Rhinebeck a couple years ago.

[Forest]

Yak butter is DISGUSTING.

Been there, tried the tea. The butter is very intense flavored; somewhere between extremely gamey and rancid. definitely an acquired taste. Yak milk and cheese are much stronger flavored than the corresponding cow products, but palatable (to me). Didn't try the meat.

I was told that they will allow only one person to milk them.

Mind you, these were real yaks, not yak/cow hybrids. Pure yaks live only above a certain altitude. Perhaps hybrids are more mellow in taste and temperament...

[BrownYaks]

Any yak that isn't the natural black with grey nose are the offspring of interbreeding with cattle somewhere along the line. From what I understand dairy cattle were introduced in Tibet and interbred with the yak stock in an attempt for larger milk production.

Meat is very lean and fairly tasty.

I have a dzo (Hereford cross) and she is actually the least docile of the bunch though she is pretty young yet.

Their biggest attribute to me is how little they eat. Ours eat about a 1/3 of what a cow does and put on weight just as easily. They are also pretty willing to eat what ever crosses their path.

Could the taste have stemmed more from the diet and manufacturing than the yaks themselves?

[hercsmama]

Dh and I are getting a pair of Heifers this Spring, so excited!!

[BrownYaks]

You'll enjoy them They are funny animals to have around.

[hercsmama]

We are pretty thrilled to get them!
The Breeder is here in Nebraska, we met them at a Fiber Fair last Summer, very nice people, and we both just fell in love with the Momma and baby they brought along..

[Forest]

Originally Posted by BrownYaks

Could the taste have stemmed more from the diet and manufacturing than the yaks themselves?

I don't think so- this was in Nepal, from Yaks raised on alpine "range", the way they've done it forever. I was warned multiple times by other foreigners not to try the tea, but of course, inquiring minds want to know... also, it would have been rude to decline the invitation

[Forest]

Originally Posted by BrownYaks

You'll enjoy them They are funny animals to have around.

They really are! They enjoy jumping around a lot- picture black giant fuzzy wool balls with horns bouncing around...