MEET THE CREW

YAK FACTS

The yak is a long-haired bovine that is found throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Siberia. Yaks are more closely related to Bison than to cattle. Yaks are heavily built animals with split hooves and extremely dense, long fur that hangs down lower than the belly and their ‘skirt’ can reach the ground. Yaks have small ears, wide foreheads and smooth rounded horns. Both sexes have horns. Both sexes have a pronounced hump over the shoulders, although this is larger and more visible in males. Males weigh approximately 1,300 pounds reaching heights of 54” with females weighing 600 pounds and only reaching heights of 46”. Their tails are fluffy and horselike which are unlike cattle or bison. Their grunting sound is unlike cattle and so adorable.

Yaks make the perfect pasture pet with their docile temperament, playful personalities and easy care. Yaks eat 1/3 less than a cow, are disease resistant and have easy births. Yaks are a herd animal and like to play so it is best to have more than one.

Unlike cows, yaks produce a down (wool) fiber! It is soft as cashmere, but warmer than wool. It is not itchy, moisture-wicking and odor resistant. The yaks down (under fiber) gets combed during spring and summer and no shearing is involved. Yaks are a hardy animal and can live in environments up to -40 degrees and thrive in high altitudes.