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Originally Posted by ak homesteader
Does anyone have experience with yaks, or suggestions for resources on raising yaks, especially on their adaptability and food requirements? Can they eat some browse? How well do they handle deep snow? I've heard that they're pretty tough and very adaptable. We're thinking about getting a few, but haven't been able to find enough information.
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This is what I know about Yaks. I know a guy who kept a pair of steered yaks for a while to train them to be a team of yak oxen.
1. They are built for the cold. They overheated super easily if you asked them to do much in (moderately warm!) maine summer weather. Since you are in alaska this is no big deal I guess.
2. They are small and quiet.
3. They defecate a very runny manure in a weird projectile fashion so don't stand behind them. It looks like diarhea but that is just par for the course with yaks.
4. Their urine has an extremely unusual smell.
I'm just telling you what I was told.
5. They can be milked and the milk is very rich.
6. They are good pack animals. Strong herding instinct so you should have at least a pair.
On the surface it seems like Yaks would be a good fit for Alaska, the only issues would be feeding them through a winter. How would you come by enough hay? I don't know your situation though. Also, if you wanted to raise them you would have to get a male yak. I don't know what kind of behavior issues that would be, are they as dangerous as a bull? Don't know. It seems unlikely that you could AI a yak or would have that ability in Alaska even if the technology has been developed for yaks. Sounds interesting.
good luck
Yak information needed
