Yaklady - Please Tell Us About Yaks!

[Beekissed]

YL, welcome to the show! Good to see you over here and your yaks are both regal and beautiful! I can just see new wave of yak ownership on here......where is Quail? Hey, Aly! You don't have one of these yet.......

Now....here is the million dollar question: How much does a breeding pair of yak cost? Do they do well crossing them with traditional cattle breeds?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes, how much do they cost? I found a place in Oregon (I live in Washington state) that sells them . . . my husband is just shaking his head.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Hey Bee -- I'm back with some information: FAQ about Yaks.

 

[Beekissed]

Great info!

Too rich for my blood but still an interesting animal for homesteading, wouldn't you say?

 

[big brown horse]

Bayak's knock knees are so cute, just like a toddler!

Do some yaks have bangs and longer coats? Did you post that info yet?

I saw that price range DM, I could only afford a faux-yak. :/

I just thought of a cute name for a yak, Cattleyak Jack

 

[Yaklady]

The cost depends on several things. You could get a decent Imperial yearling heifer and yearling bull for about $1000/per head. Royals are a little more, Goldens are alot more. Mature breeding stock would be much more. We chose to roll the dice and get a couple of young bulls that had not bred yet. It was cheaper for us to buy starter herds. We paid about $7,000 for our first eight (at a great discount-right place, right time), which consisted of: The two 2 yr old bulls, a yearling steer, two yearling heifers, a bred 4 yr old cow (who gave us a baby steer), and little Bayak, who is a steer. The second herd was from a farm in Idaho, and consisted of 4 cow/calf pairs. All 4 cows are around 5 years old. 3 had baby steers and one had a baby heifer. That 8 was also purchased from an advertised special, and with transportation they cost about $8,000.

They do cross with traditional beef cattle, but sometimes need to be inseminated since yaks prefer other yaks. If the offspring results in being bulls, the first generation will always be sterile. Female crosses are not sterile. The meat quality is the same, and the feed ratio is not as good as with pure yak, but better than with beef cattle. The general rule of thumb is that you can have 3 times as many yak per acre as traditional beef cattle. The yak/cow cross will be as weather hardy as its yak parent, and more healthy at birth than its cow parent.

 

[Beekissed]

My sis paid more for her Highlands than you did your yaks, so not such a bad deal after all. And it sounds like they are mighty thrifty!

 

[Yaklady]

Bayak's knock knees are so cute, just like a toddler!

Do some yaks have bangs and longer coats? Did you post that info yet?

I saw that price range DM, I could only afford a faux-yak. :/

I just thought of a cute name for a yak, Cattleyak Jack

Hopefully, as we yakkers continue to breed, it will result in the cost becoming more affordable. There just aren't that many out there right now, so they command a premium rate. Like I said, though, if you don't ind waiting for awhile.... you can pick up a couple of calves or yearlings at good prices. They are ready to breed at 18 mos old.

Yes, almost all yaks have curly bangs. Some are just longer than others. In Colorado, there is a ranch that is working on a line of genetics to produce what is called a 'woolly' variety. They just have more hair. In the Fall, their underlayer grows in. In the Spring it falls out, or moults. That stuff is worth $16/oz, so most yak owners brush it out and sell it to spinners. It is compared to cashmere. The outer layer is waterproof and longer. It is what hair extensions are made out of, and is also used to make clown wigs. Some people use it for fly fishing lures. The long 'skirts' that you see on the yak is their outer layer.

You can have alot of fun with yak names. When we first got them, we talked about opening up a sports bar called the Yak Shack. We said that we would serve Rack O'Yak, and a burger called the Big Yak Attack. We also talked about Yako's instead of Tacos, having Yakaroni on the kids' menu, and sending leftovers home in a Yakkie Sack.

 

[big brown horse]

You can have alot of fun with yak names. When we first got them, we talked about opening up a sports bar called the Yak Shack. We said that we would serve Rack O'Yak, and a burger called the Big Yak Attack. We also talked about Yako's instead of Tacos, having Yakaroni on the kids' menu, and sending leftovers home in a Yakkie Sack.

 

[Beekissed]