| Yaks |
| Yaks are native to the Himalayan Mountains of Asia, so they thrive in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Yaks are well suited to high altitudes, cold climates and harsh conditions. They have graceful horns and humped shoulders, with long shaggy hair. Yaks can be used for meat, dairy, fiber (felted & spun), leather and they can pack about 300 pounds. |
| Yaks have a lower metabolism than cattle and they are smaller than most breeds which allows them to survive on a percentage of the winter feed most cattle require. Keeping yaks requires fencing and handling facilities similar to cattle. They do jump fences when stressed or in new places. No permits are needed to own them, and they qualify for tax advantages and agricultural status like other livestock. The only sound they make is a soft grunting. Hand raised yaks are friendly and social, yaks born and raised without much human interaction are more wild. Common sense should be used when working around any large animal with large horns. Accidents can happen even with the sweetest yaks. |
` They are protective mothers and easily give birth to 25-35 pound calves in 8 1/2 months. Cows (females) weigh between 500-800 pounds, while bulls weigh 1200-1500 pounds. They can be expected to live 20-25 years. |
| They are double-coated animals with a longer outer coat and a soft downy undercoat, that when brushed out can easily be spun and is the quality of fine cashmere. Their long skirt, that nearly drags the ground, can be braided like horse hair. When they are happy or excited, they run and jump with their tails held high over their backs. They have several colors patterns: black (Imperial), black and white (Royal) and Brown (Golden). We prefer black yaks since they are closer looking to their Asian cousins. |
| Yaks have a great potential to produce income and/or delicious family meat. We sell meat from our ranch and at local farmer's markets. The interest and success we have enjoyed has amazed us. Yak fiber is soft and warm. Hand spinners are willing to pay for cleaned yak undercoat. It also blends nicely with other fibers. Hand raised calves are valuable and desirable to hobby farms or smaller acreage where space is limited. We looked at market trends and consumer demands and found yak's and their meat and fiber to be a perfect fit. |
| Meet our |
| Windkist Ranch Dennis & Elaine Kist PO Box 250 Hartsel, CO 80449 (719) 839-5817 |
