Native Tibetan Yak
(black with a grey nose)
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The Tibetan Yak . . .
Yaks have a classic 'old world' appearance, Also known as the Tibetan Bison or the "Grunting Ox". True Native Wild yaks are black with a grey muzzle, the shoulders of a yak are high and humped, horse-like tails, and long 'skirts' of hair that hang down their sides to the ground, and have a broad drooping head. Their short legs have broad hooves and large dewclaws to help them manoeuvre over steep mountainous terrain. The bulls are very large and some bulls attain heights of about 6-7 feet at the shoulder hump, and weigh up to 2000 lbs, and may live more than 20 years. The horns are curved and grow out from the sides of the head and curve upwards. Both male and female yaks have horns, though those of the females are considerably smaller and shorter. The bulls horns can grow up to 95 cm / 38 inches in length. Cows are considerably smaller and weigh 600-800 lbs and can have productive breeding lives of over 20 years. The Yak is found throughout the Himalayan region of south central Aisa, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. Yaks are native to the high country, and can live easily at elevations of over 22,000 feet .The hair of the wild yak is black and short, except on the flanks and tail where it forms a long, shaggy fringe. Their dense coats and thick hides are necessary to protect them from the bitter cold of the high mountains. You do not have to surf the internet to much to see photos of small Asian children riding yaks or yaks being used as beasts of burden carrying a pack. Domestication is easily attained. Yaks can easily be tamed with human attention and care. We spend a lot of time with our breeding animals and they are all very quiet, and easy to handle. Yaks are an ideal animal for a small property owner. They require 1/4 the feed as a domestic cow, so a person can have 4 yak cows for the same feed bill as 1 beef cow. About Yak Meat . . . Yak in North America are typically raised for their lean meat. Yak is a sweet and delicately flavoured red meat, lighter tasting than beef, juicier than buffalo and elk, and never gamey or greasy. The taste of Yak is best described as beef-like, but more delicate in flavour. It is naturally very lean as the fat is located primarily on the outside of the carcass and is easily trimmed off resulting in low marbling which makes yak some of the most heart healthy meat on the market today. Yak must be tasted to truly be appreciated. Yak meat is a dark red meat that is naturally very lean, 95 - 97% fat free. But because of its high Omega 3 oil, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, and Stearic Acid content (35% higher than beef!) it remains very juicy when cooked unlike most game or other exotic meats such as buffalo. Yak meat is higher in protein, minerals, and vitamins than beef while remaining much lower in saturated fats, triglycerides, cholesterol (Lower than even salmon or most other fish). It is lower in calories than beef, bison, elk, or even skinless chicken breast. In addition, yak has a very low, 30% less than beef, percentage of Palmitic Acid which has been found to be harmful to humans. The bottom line; Yak meat is a healthy, delicately flavored red meat! About Yak Fiber . . . The undercoat of the yak is their insulation against the cold in winter, and is the softest of the yak's fibre. Yak's naturally shed their down in spring: it can be collected in the field or 'harvested' from the yak by grooming. Fibre quality and fineness can be compared to angora, cashmere or merino wool. The staple of yak wool is much shorter than sheep wool, making it difficult to spin (unless carded into a roving). Yak wool is often blended with longer-stapled merino wool or silk to produce a soft wearable yarn. One yak can produce 2 to 3 lbs of this soft wool, which, once spun, can sell for $16/ounce. The outer hairs of the yak is more coarse . The yak's "skirt" is even longer and this hair is very coarse. The coarse hair is great for weaving rugs or for making ropes, belts or bags. Yaks For Sale . . . Presently we sell Yak babies that are roughly 6-12 months old. Our herd free ranges on a large area, and although they do receive as much human contact as we can give them, most are not full pets at time of purchase. With time and human contact all Yak's can be used as packing and trekking animals, display animals, meat, wool animals, as well they can be kept as just pets. All our Yak's are quiet and use to humans, it's now up to you "the buyer" to spend the time and do training with them to make them into what you want. Yak's have thousands of years of domestication in their bloodline, and we take special care to ensure that all our yak's offered for sale have the right disposition before they head off to their new home. Acquiring one that has been carefully raised and trained with these attributes is critical for your enjoyment and safety. When you purchase a Yak from us, you can expect to receive a Yak that is: * Healthy, active and socialized to humans. * Born of a free-range natural herd. * All the information you need to ensure a healthy start for your Yak. * Feeding and care instructions and tips. * Follow-up support any time you need it. We keep a waiting list for upcoming babies. Yearling Males & Female calves sell for $2,400.00 each A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your purchase. Interested in owning a Yak? Contact us at steve@silvertine.ca or 306 304 8885  Our pasture for our Yaks is all Hillside, and they thrive on the hard winter grass, keeping the winter feed bill to a minimum. |
 A beautiful 9 month old Native Tibetan Yak calf, one of our babies. 
Hercules displays all the conformational traits we were looking for in a bull, plus his disposition makes him safe to be around. Correct skeletal structure for soundness, like nice straight legs. Strong top line and hindquarters showing heavy and long muscling. An appealing head with characteristic long horns with traditional handlebar horn shape.
Our herd of Tibetan Yaks
 
Three of our Young Heifers.
Hercules on a nice winter day
Meggy Hanna from the Yukon with one of the Yak yearlings she purchased off of us, nice job Meggy, thanks for the Photo!
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For More information on our Native Tiibetan Yaks
Check out our yak website at:
www.yaks.ca
Photos of our Yak Babies and Herd on a Sunny, yet Cold, -20C Day , enjoy . . . they do!
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Our Yaks in April, enjoying the spring . . .
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