| vivint |
| VIVINT APX Vivint will not terminate services to USAF military member & family after re-locating to a new assignment Provo, Utah |
| 9th of Sep, 2011 by User646435 |
| Vivint is refusing to cancel our home security even after I provided Official USAF PCS orders & supporting documents that Vivint requested. In June 2008, my wife & I were greeted by a salesman, Trevor Moses (Agent Reg#: 32921) who worked for an home security company. Unfortunately we were mislead by his sales tactics & signed an agreement to have APX ALARM (Currently VIVINT) to secure our home. My wife mentioned that I am serving in the military & that we may leave for another AF assignment before our contract expires in 2013. Moses simply stated that all we have to do is call Vivint to cancel our home security services due to my Air Force obligations & that it would not be a problem. Just this past August (3+ yrs later), I was notified of a new assignment, in a different state. My wife made a call to Vivint to request assistance in terminating our home security due to my permanent change of station (PCS). She was told that we have to fax a "NOTICE OF CANCELLATION" form that was provided and a copy of my official AF PCS orders w/ a date (Report no later than date [RNLTD] indicating when I will physically be on my new duty assignment. I wanted me & my family to get a started w/ our move to our new location. I scheduled to have my final outprocessing done on late AUG from my previous duty station. I didn't want to get charged for the month of SEP since we were no longer going to live in our home so my wife called Vivint again to see what we can do to avoid getting billed for the month of SEP. Again my wife was told to fax documents previously stated & to also include a memo of my situation and plans of what we were going to do after AUG. I typed up & signed an official AF memorandum and faxed all supporting documents on late AUG. We were told by Vivint that once all paperwork has been faxed to them, that it will take 24-48 hrs to review all documents & that we will be notified of their decision to cancel our home security by the end of AUG. A few days passed and we called Vivint to follow through w/ our request. When we called, they stated that they did not receive anything. Vivint suggested that I email them all documents to their email address: [email protected]. I did what they suggested but when we called again, they did not receive it. By this time we were staying in a motel that we are still currently staying in, slowly transitioning to base housing. Upset & frustrated, we called & spoke w/ Vivint Rep Justin who worked in Account Resolutions. While on the phone w/ Justin, my wife emailed all documents to him. Within a minute, Justin received it. Justin stated that he was going to forward our request to the "Special Cancelations Dept" and that he was going to contact us to update us on the status. He indicated that if it does not get approved then Vivint will cancel our agreement on my RNLTD, 30 SEP 2011. We never heard from him again. A couple days later I called Vivint again and spoke w/ Paul, ext#: 3452, email: [email protected]. Just like Justin, Paul did the same thing. Paul stated to me that he was going to personally "hand-carry" our paperwork to approving authority and that he was going to contact us once that happens. No calls, no emails, nothing. I called again the following night and spoke w/ Jared Morris. He was giving me the same story and I wasn't having it. I demanded to talk to someone above his position but after 10min of talking to him he miraculously found out on his computer that our request to cancel before SEP 2011 was denied. He also went on and verbally stated that THEIR POLICY was for me to SHOW PROOF that me and my family will live on the military installation and only then will they be able to cancel our contract. I was furious and I demanded to speak to whoever the supervisor was. I was placed on hold & finally Spencer Hutchings answered. It was the same words coming out from his mouth just like the other incompetent employees that work there. I demanded to see their verbal policies on an official document but no one can provide us w/ one. It sounds like they’re making up verbal policies as they go. My wife and I would get different answers from different people in Vivint. This simply shows that Vivint employees are NOT all on the same page and I'm sure that most of them are incompetent. Out of all the calls and Vivint reps we spoke to, Spencer Hutchings was the only one who called back. And this was after my wife and I were furious and upset over the phone. Why did it have to come to this? We have wasted hours of our lives to this fraudulent company. Nothing indicates in writing that military orders needs to be submitted in order to cancel but I did submit my orders anyway. Nothing indicates that Vivint needs some form of document stating the military member is living "on-base." Official military orders should suffice. All their so-called policies are all verbal and BS and all they policies vary from employee-to-employee or should I say "pawn." I've made a BBB complaint and just finished another complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. I will do everything in my power to cut all ties to this terrible, fraudulent company. I will also try to warn others of Vivint, especially to my brothers and sisters serving in the Armed Forces. Military, civilian...whoever, NO ONE should be experiencing what we and so many other are experiencing. Any updates to those who did file a complaint via BBB or FTC? Myself and many others would love to know! |
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The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population. In the 1990s, a concerted effort was undertaken to help save the wild yak population.
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 Taxonomy
3 Physical characteristics
3.1 Physiology
4 Odour
5 Reproduction and life history
6 Wild yaks
6.1 Distribution and habitat
6.2 Behaviour
7 Domesticated yaks
7.1 Sport
8 Hybrids
9 Gallery
10 References
11 External links
[edit]Etymology
The English word "yak" derives from the Tibetan (Tibetan: ????; Wylie: g.yag), or gyag – in Tibetan this refers only to the male of the species, the female being called a dri or nak. In English, as in most other languages which have borrowed the word, "yak" is usually used for both sexes.
[edit]Taxonomy
Yaks belong to the genus Bos, and are therefore closely related to cattle (Bos primigenius). Mitochondrial DNA analyses to determine the evolutionary history of yaks have been somewhat ambiguous. The yak may have diverged from cattle at any point between one and five million years ago, and there is some suggestion that it may be more closely related to bison than to the other members of its designated genus.[2] Apparent close fossil relatives of the yak, such as Bos baikalensis, have been found in eastern Russia, suggesting a possible route by which yak-like ancestors of the modern American bison could have entered the Americas.[3]
The species was originally designated as Bos grunniens ("grunting ox") by Linnaeus in 1766, but this name is now generally only considered to refer to the domesticated form of the animal, with Bos mutus ("mute ox") being the preferred name for the wild species. Although some authors still consider the wild yak to be a subspecies, Bos grunniens mutus, the ICZN made an official ruling in 2003[4] permitting the use of the name Bos mutus for wild yaks, and this is now the more common usage. [1][3][5]
Except where the wild yak is considered as a subspecies of Bos grunniens, there are no recognised subspecies of yak.
[edit]Physical characteristics
Woman and yak at Qinghai Lake
Wild yaks are among the largest bovids, with males standing about 2 to 2.2 metres (6.6 to 7.2 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 1, 000 kg (2, 200 lb) and having a head and body length of 3 to 3.4 m (9.8 to 11 ft). The females weigh about one third of this and are about 30% smaller in their linear dimensions.[6] Domesticated yaks are much smaller, males weighing 350 to 580 kg (770 to 1, 300 lb) and females 225 to 255 kg (500 to 560 lb).[7]
Yaks are heavily built animals with a sturdy frame, short legs, and rounded hooves. They have small ears and a wide forehead, with smooth hollow horns that are generally dark in colour. In males, the horns sweep out from the sides of the head, and then curve forward; they typically range from 48 to 99 centimetres (19 to 39 in) in length. The horns of females are smaller, only 27 to 64 centimetres (11 to 25 in) in length, and have a more upright shape. Both sexes have a short neck with a pronounced hump over the shoulders, although this larger and more visible in males.[3]
Both sexes have long shaggy hair with a dense woolly undercoat over the chest, flanks, and thighs to insulate them from the cold. Especially in males, this may form a long "skirt" that almost reaches the ground. The tail is long, with a large plume of hair over much of its length. Wild yaks typically have black or dark brown hair over most of the body, with a greyish muzzle, although some wild golden-brown individuals have been reported. Domesticated yaks have a wider range of coat colours, with some individuals being white or piebald. The udder in females and the scrotum in males are small and hairy, as protection against the cold. Females have four teats.[3]
[edit]Physiology
Yak physiology is well adapted to high altitudes, having larger lungs and heart than cattle found at lower altitudes, as well as greater capacity for transporting oxygen through their blood[8] due to the persistence of foetal haemoglobin throughout life.[9] Conversely, yaks do not thrive at lower altitudes, [10] and begin to suffer from heat exhaustion above about 15 °C (59 °F). Further adaptations to the cold include a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, and an almost complete lack of functional sweat glands.[8]
Compared with domestic cattle, the rumen of yaks is unusually large, relative to the omasum. This likely allows them to consume greater quantities of low-quality food at a time, and to ferment it longer so as to extract more nutrients.[8]
[edit]Odour
Yaks have some of the strongest odours of any domesticated animal, often[by whom?] described as a combination of cow manure and wet dog. Their thick coat of fur plays a strong role in this, as fecal and urinary odor often becomes "trapped" inside.[citation needed]
[edit]Reproduction and life history
A ten day old yak
Yaks mate in the summer, typically between July and September, depending on the local environment. For the remainder of the year, many males wander in small bachelor groups away from the large herds, but, as the rut approaches, they become aggressive and regularly fight amongst each other to establish dominance. In addition to non-violent threat displays, bellowing, and scraping the ground with their horns, male yaks also compete more directly, repeatedly charging at each other with heads lowered or sparring with their horns. Like bison, but unlike cattle, males wallow in dry soil during the rut, often while scent-marking with urine or dung.[3] Females enter oestrus up to four times a year, and females are receptive only for a few hours in each cycle.[11]
Gestation lasts between 257 and 270 days, [8] so that the young are born between May and June, and results in the birth of a single calf. The female finds a secluded spot to give birth, but the calf is able to walk within about ten minutes of birth, and the pair soon rejoin the herd.[8] Females of both the wild and domestic forms typically give birth only once every other year, [3] although more frequent births are possible if the food supply is good.
Calves are weaned at one year and become independent shortly thereafter. Wild calves are initially brown in colour, and only later develop the darker adult hair. Females generally give birth for the first time at three or four years of age, [12] and reach their peak reproductive fitness at around six years. Yaks may live for more than twenty years in domestication or captivity, [3] although it is likely that this may be somewhat shorter in the wild.
[edit]Wild yaks
Yak at a zoo in Syracuse, New York
Wild yaks (Bos grunniens mutus or Bos mutus, Tibetan: ??????; Wylie: 'brong) usually form herds of between ten and thirty animals. They are insulated by dense, close, matted under-hair as well as their shaggy outer hair.[13] Yaks secrete a special sticky substance in their sweat which helps keep their under-hair matted and acts as extra insulation.[citation needed] This secretion is used in traditional Nepalese medicine.[citation needed] Many wild yaks are killed for food by hunters in China; they are now a vulnerable species.[14]
The diet of wild yaks consists largely of grasses and sedges, such as Carex, Stipa, and Kobresia. They also eat a smaller amount of herbs, winterfat shrubs, and mosses, and have even been reported to eat lichen. Historically, the main natural predator of the wild yak has been the Tibetan wolf, but brown bears and snow leopards have also been reported as predators in some areas.[3]
Thubten Jigme Norbu, the elder brother of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, reported on his journey from Kumbum in Amdo to Lhasa in 1950:
Before long I was to see the vast herds of drongs with my own eyes. The sight of those beautiful and powerful beasts who from time immemorial have made their home on Tibet's high and barren plateaux never ceased to fascinate me. Somehow these shy creatures manage to sustain themselves on the stunted grass roots which is all that nature provides in those parts. And what a wonderful sight it is to see a great herd of them plunging head down in a wild gallop across the steppes. The earth shakes under their heels and a vast cloud of dust marks their passage. At nights they will protect themselves from the cold by huddling up together, with the calves in the centre. They will stand like this in a snow-storm, pressed so close together that the condensation from their breath rises into the air like a column of steam. The nomads have occasionally tried to bring up young drongs as domestic animals, but they have never entirely succeeded. Somehow once they live together with human beings they seem to lose their astonishing strength and powers of endurance; and they are no use at all as pack animals, because their backs immediately get sore. Their immemorial relationship with humans has therefore remained that of game and hunter, for their flesh is very tasty.
—Thubten Norbu, Tibet is My Country[15]
[edit]Distribution and habitat
Wild yaks are found primarily in northern Tibet and western Qinghai, with some populations extending into the southernmost parts of Xinjiang, and into Ladakh in India. Small, isolated populations of wild yak are also found farther afield, primarily in western Tibet and eastern Qinghai. In historic times, wild yaks were also found in Nepal and Bhutan, but they are now considered extinct in both countries, except as domesticated animals.[1]
The primary habitat of wild yaks consists of treeless uplands between 3, 000 and 5, 500 m (9, 800 and 18, 000 ft), dominated by mountains and plateaus. They are most commonly found in alpine meadows with a relatively thick carpet of grasses and sedges, rather than the more barren steppe country.[16]
[edit]Behaviour
Yaks are herd animals. Herds can contain several hundred individuals, although many are much smaller. The herd consist primarily of females and their young, with a smaller number of adult males. The remaining males are either solitary, or found in much smaller groups, averaging around six individuals. Although they can become aggressive when defending young, or during the rut, wild yaks generally avoid humans, and may rapidly flee for great distances if any approach.[3]
[edit]Domesticated yaks
Nepali domestic yaks used for transportation
Domesticated yaks have been kept for thousands of years, primarily for their milk, fibre and meat, and as beasts of burden. Their dried dung is an important fuel, used all over Tibet, and is often the only fuel available on the high treeless Tibetan plateau. Yaks transport goods across mountain passes for local farmers and traders as well as for climbing and trekking expeditions. "Only one thing makes it hard to use yaks for long journeys in barren regions. They will not eat grain, which could be carried on the journey. They will starve unless they can be brought to a place where there is grass."[17] They also are used to draw ploughs. Yak milk is often processed to a cheese called chhurpi in Tibetan and Nepali languages, and byaslag in Mongolia. Butter made of Yaks' milk is an ingredient of the butter tea that Tibetans consume in large quantities, [18] and is also used in lamps and made into butter sculptures used in religious festivities.[19] Yaks grunt, and unlike cattle are not known to produce the characteristic bovine lowing sound.
[edit]Sport
Yak Racing in Shimshal Pass, Pakistan
In parts of Tibet, yak racing is a form of entertainment at traditional festivals and is considered an important part of their culture. More recently, sports involving domesticated yaks, such as yak skiing, or yak polo, are being marketed as tourist attractions in Central Asian countries, including Northern Pakistan. It is the unofficial territory animal of the semi-autonomous region of Gilgit Baltistan[citation needed].
[edit]Hybrids
In Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia, domestic cattle are crossbred with yaks. This gives rise to the infertile male dzo as well as fertile females known as dzomo or zhom, which may be crossed again with cattle. The "Dwarf Lulu" breed, "the only Bos primigenius taurus type of cattle in Nepal" has been tested for DNA markers and found to be a mixture of both taurine and zebu types of cattle (B. p. taurus and B. p. indicus) with yak.[20] According to the International Veterinary Information Service, the low productivity of second generation cattle-yak crosses makes them suitable only as meat animals.[21]
Crosses between yaks and domestic cattle (Bos primigenius taurus) have been recorded in Chinese literature for at least 2, 000 years.[3] Successful crosses have also been recorded between yak and American bison, [21] gaur, and banteng, generally with similar results to those produced with domestic cattle.[3]
[edit]Gallery
Yaks in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India saddled for riding
A train of pack yaks at Litang monastery in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China
Yaks plowing fields in Tibet
In Tibet, yaks are sometimes decorated.
Yak in Nepal, Annapurna Circuit
Cigarette advertising for the brand "Yak" in Bhaktapur, Nepal |
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Yaks -are gaining popularity across North America and internationally. There is no more versatile animal for your farm or ranch. Find out why you should choose yaks for your next livestock investment.
Domesticated, full blood yaks (bos grunniens or the grunting ox) are known to be a cross between the wild yak (bos mutus) and various local domestic cattle breeds surrounding the Himilayan Mountains. They have been domesticated for thousands of years and have served as the primary mode of transporting goods through the mountains of Tibet, Nepal, and the surrounding mountainous region.
Yaks have handlebar horns, shoulder humps, horse-like tails and long shaggy skirts hanging nearly to the ground.Yaks often live up to 20 years and more. Cows average about 600-800 pounds and around 4.5 feet at the hump. Bulls average 1200-1500 pounds but can reach over 1600 pounds. Standing 6.5 feet at the hump they can be very impressive. Yaks are a member of the bovine family. They come in several colors or types.
Yaks are multipurpose animals
Yak meat is a uniquely, delicious choice for those interested in an alternative to traditional beef and bison.Yak Fiber is comparable to cashmere or angora. The downy undercoat that sheds off during the spring can be combed out, collected, and processed. The courser outer hair or ‘guard hair’ can be used to weave ropes and belts, and can even be used for theatrical productions.Yak Milk, amazingly rich, is the perfect choice for exceptional cheeses, butter, and yogurt.
Yaks are ‘easy keepers'. They require no special fencing needs. Standard 4-wire barbed wire fence is sufficient. They are cold hardy and disease resistant. Birthing comes easily as the calves are relatively small at around 30 lbs. Although yaks do not do as well in extremely hot and humid climates, they do well under normal ‘summer’ conditions when shade trees and fresh water are available. The stocking rate of yaks is greater than that of commercial cattle. A yak eats about 1/2 the amount of forage that a commercial cow eats. Yaks will find food when the cows next door have come mooing home for a hand out and they won't even grunt about it!
Yaks in the Market
Yaks can fill a market niche for nearly any cattleman, small acreage owner, or exotic breeder. They provide a source of breeding stock, crossbreeding stock, meat, fiber, milk and dairy products, hides, horns, and they make excellent pack and trekking animals. Yak at a Yak Breeder to learn more! |
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Yaks, Bos grunniens, a member of the bovine family, were domesticated in Tibet during the first millennium, B.C., and today, more than 12 million of them can be found in five Himalayan countries where they inhabit steppes of 15, 000 feet. Known as the "grunting ox", they can climb as high as 20, 000 feet, and yet they can be successfully raised at very low elevations. Their respiratory rate increases with heat and low altitudes, decreases at higher, cooler climates to help them adjust. North American yaks are divided into five types: black, trims (black with some white trim), royal (black and white pied with a white blaze face), golden, and woolly. With their horse-like tail and long skirts, these hardy animals require no special permits, and are compatible with existing agricultural operations. Two year-old yaks breed in the fall, calve 257 days later in the spring, are mature in 4-6 years, and live an average of 25 years.
What are they used for?
Are they hard to fence?
What and how much do they eat?
What sounds do they make?
What is their personality like?
Are their horns dangerous?
Are they good pack animals?
What is their wool like?
What is their meat like?
What is their milk like?
How much do they cost?
What are they used for? Uses include breeding stock, cross-breeding stock, pack and draught animals, wool, hide, milk and meat production.
Are they hard to fence? Yaks are very easy to fence, requiring no special consideration. They are content in a small area and mix well with other livestock.
What and how much do they eat? They are very efficient food-converting animals and eat about half of what an average beef animal does. They are browsers and grazers and do well on a variety of pastures with no supplemental feed required. A mineral block and that is it. A mature yak can do well on as little as 6-10 pounds of grass hay per day. They alternate their day between browsing and lying quietly chewing their cud.
What sounds do they make? They make a grunting sound when agitated, hungry, or calling their young. Otherwise, they make no sound at all.
What is their personality like? Yaks are intelligent animals each with its own distinct personality. They learn to come when called and have a highly developed sense of sight and hearing. They make good watch dogs curiously investigating any activity in their vicinity. They can be halter broken upon weaning and learn and retain behaviors such as trailering, packing, pulling, and being groomed.
Are their horns dangerous? By holding their horns when training them, they learn not to throw them around. Their horns then become handy handles onto which to tie things, and hold on to when grooming them. They groom themselves, scratch, clean their hooves, and even open grain cans with them.
Are they good pack animals? Quiet and gentle, 500-600 pound yak cows make excellent packers. Without them, the famous Trans Himalayan trade between Nepal and Tibet would have been impossible. One yak can carry up to 150 pounds of load and walk trails too rough for horses, needing no additional food other than browsing. Their small split hoof is easy on trails and their excellent hearing alerts you to any activity. This hoof and their ability to browse, make the yak very compatible with the environment. They carry loads equivalent to a pack horse, yet need no special feed, do not disturb the trails, and lay quietly at night, chewing their cud. They can be trained and desensitized in several months, can carry a full pack by two years old, and have a useful life of 20 years.
What is their wool like? The soft under-hair of the Yak can be combed out in the spring. This very fine hair with a short staple is cashmere-like and can be blended with silk for easier spinning. Each yak can produce two to three pounds of under-hair which can sell for up to $16 per ounce when spun. The coarser outer-hair can be woven into ropes, belts, or bags.
What is their meat like? With a dressing percentage of 45-55%, Yak meat is deep-red in color with the fat located on the outside of the carcass where it can be easily trimmed. This makes for low marbling which creates the meat's unique tenderness. The taste of Yak is best described as beef-like, but more delicate in flavor. High in protein, with one sixth the fat of beef, Yak is of a quality of excellence to be appreciated. At present pure yak meat sells at a price equivalent to bison.
What is their milk like? Yak milk is NOT pink. It is a rich creamy color with a high fat content of 5-7 percent. Being so high in fat, it is usually processed into butter, cheese, or yogurt. An average cow will produce 110 kg. Milk in a lactation period of an average of 149 days.
How much do they cost? With only a little over 1000 breeding yaks in North America, they command a good price. Prices vary depending upon the age and training of the animals. |
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Is it time to add Yaks to your farm or ranch? Spend some time learning about this great alternative to beef cattle, bison, sheep, goats, or alpacas. then give us call to learn more and pick out your starter herd! If you are interested, find out how we came to raise yaks.
A Lot from a Little: Pound for pound, yaks require about 1/2 the forage of domestic cattle. The higher stocking levels are terrific for small acreage operations and are a great fit for permaculture based systems. If you are interested in an ideal livestock for small acreage, high density, rotational, grass based grazing systems, you need to take a serious look at yaks.
Easy Keepers: In most states, yaks require no special permits check with state authorities for specifics. Cattle fencing is generally adequate. They are extremely winter hardy and disease resistant. Calving is easy resulting in a 25-35 pound calf. They require no special feed - grass works real good. At weaning time, you won't hear a bunch of bawling calves as yaks are usually as quiet as a fish! Yakity Yak just doesn't fit. Yaks do make a grunting sound to communicate with each other and with their babies.
Multi-Task Yak: You may have “herd” it before but here it comes...
Ride, Pack, and Pull - Meat, Milk, and Wool
Ride/Pack/Pull: Yaks are responsible for the Trans-Himalayan trade routes between Tibet and Nepal transporting untold tons of salt and other goods through the centuries. With proper training they can carry loads similar to pack horses, well over 150 pounds, and they don’t need special feed on the trail. Check out these yak trekking sites: Alaska Yak Trekking, Tibet Yak Treks.
Meat: Yak meat, deep red with little fat, is very tender. The flavor is best described as beef-like but different; we think better. We sometimes feed small amounts of natural grains by hand in training or as treats, but our yaks are mostly grassfed and grass finished.
Milk: Even if yak milk was pink, I don’t think we would milk our yaks, (sherpas call the cows naks) but yak-butter tea is considered a real treat with Tibetans. It goes good with barley for breakfast... maybe. Yak cheese is developing a great reputation worldwide.
Wool: The yak’s undercoat, fiber or wool, is very fine, comparable to angora and cashmere, Our friend calls it "yakmere". This luxurious fiber is used to produce wonderful garments. The long guard hair is used for many items including ropes, belts, and leads. Yak tail hair is used to make theatrical wigs including all those great clown wigs and even Santa's beard. Yak fur is the staple of Hollywood's monster movies. All the greats, Cornelius, Dr. Zeus, the Wolfman, and the mighty Chewbacca all wear yak hair when on camera.
Yak-Crosses: Yaks can be crossed with domestic cattle and bison to create “best of” offspring. As a bonus the first generation males are sterile eliminating the need for castration. |
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Yaks were first domesticated in Tibet about 1, 000 BC. They are used for their milk, fiber, meat and as a mount or beast of burden. Yaks were introduced into Europe in the 1800s and into Northern America in the early 1900s.
When people first see our Yaks they often ask “What do you do with Yaks?” The list below is where I start:
Fiber/Wool production – A Yak produces 1- 1 ½ pounds of wool per year (being combed out). You use their fine undercoat, which is comparable to Cashmere.
Yak Meat – Yak meat is 95-97% lean and very low in fat and cholesterol. Yak is a high protein meat with less calories than Beef, Bison, Elk or Chicken. Yak meat is a deep red and very tender if cooked properly.
Driving and Packing – Tibetans have used Yak as pack animals for thousands of years. They can carry the load of a horse and need no special feed. Their split hoof is easy on trails and can handle mountainous terrain too rough for horses. They will lay quietly at night until morning when they will be ready to pack again.
Milk – Yak Milk is a rich creamy color and higher in butter fat (5-7% more content) than cows. In Asia it is usually turned into butter, cheese or yogurt.
Breeding – Yaks calve easily and can be bred at 18 – 24 months with gestation being 8 ½ months. Bulls can be start breeding at age 3. Yak cows are good mothers and their rich milk allows the calves to grow quickly. Even if calves are born in the winter the cold doesn’t seem to bother them. You can cross Yak with cattle to make a leaner beef. |
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Our ranch is located in the beautiful Pack River drainage at the base of the Selkirk Mountains between Sandpoint and Bonner's Ferry, Idaho. We raise yak to provide you with a naturally lean and healthy meat. Our yaks thrive on native grasses and grass hay. Our yak meat is USDA inspected and processed locally, with no steroids, growth hormones, or animal by-products.
Raising registered Tibetan Yaks for meat, fiber, packing and pasture pets. Yaks are an enjoyable, intelligent animal to behold. From the splendor of the yaks magnificent and rugged appearance to their playful behavior. You are welcome to come and see our yaks when in the area. Please call for appointment.
Yak Facts
Yaks are native to the Himalayan mountains of Tibet, Nepal and the surrounding countries. They were first domesticated by the Tibetan people thousands of years ago. Yaks provide the people of the Himalayan region with wool, leather, meat, milk and cheese. It is also a beast of burden used for packing as well as riding. Its dung is used as fuel. Yaks are long haired, horned animals. They have a massive low slung body, buffalo like shoulder hump, horse like tail and long hairy skirts hanging almost to the ground. They have thick undercoats that insulate them from the cold. Yak are sure footed and excellent climbers. They do not "moo" but make a low grunting sound. Adult cows weigh between 500 to 700 pounds. The adult bulls average 1200 to 1500 pounds. They have a life span of about 20 years in captivity.
Yaks are herbivores (plant eaters) that graze on grasses, but also browse on the leaves of low-lying shrubs. Like cows they swallow their food without chewing it and later regurgitate the food called cud. Yaks like other ruminants, have a four-part stomach. The wild yak (bos mutus) is classified as endangered.
Although officially protected in China, uncontrolled hunting has caused populations to decline drastically.
Order: Artiodactyla
Class: Mammalia
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Bos
Species: Grunniens
Common name: Yak-the grunting ox |
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The taxonomic record (above) is taken from Wilson and Reeder (1993). The yak is placed in the subgenus (formerly genus) Poephagus (Nowak, 1991). The name Bos mutus is sometimes used for the the wild yak, but is now considered to be an invalid synonym for B. grunniens (Wilson and Reeder, 1993)
Click on the pictures above for a larger view of the photographs
General Characteristics
Body Length: Up to 325 cm / 10.8 ft.
Shoulder Height: Up to 200 cm / 6.6 ft.
Tail Length: 60 cm / 24 in.
Weight: 305-820 kg / 670-1805 lb.
The dark black-brown coat is dense, wooly, and extremely shaggy, although the colour is variable in domestic yaks. 'Golden' wild yaks are also known, but are extremely rare. The shoulders are high and humped, with a broad, drooping head. The short legs have broad hooves and large dewclaws as an adaptation to mountainous environments. The horns are found in both sexes, though those of the females are considerably smaller and shorter. They grow up to 51 cm / 20 inches long in females, and 95 cm / 38 inches in males. The curved horns grow out from the sides of the head and curve upwards.
Ontogeny and Reproduction
Gestation Period: 258 days
Young per Birth: 1 every other year.
Weaning: About 1 year.
Sexual Maturity: By 6 years.
Life span: 23 years.
The mating season begins in September, lasting for several weeks in which bulls fight each other for females. Young are born in June, the season of plenty in the Tibetan plateau.
Ecology and Behavior
Due to the scarcity of vegetation in their habitat, wild yaks must travel great distances in order to obtain sufficient nourishment. In July, there is a general downward shift from the high plateaus to the lower plains, where mosses and swamp vegetation are at their peak. As the temperature rises in August, the herds head back up to the plateaus, even retiring to snowy regions to beat the heat. Although sensitive to warm temperatures, wild yaks can easily tolerate temperatures of -40o C/F. In severe cold, they have been seen bathing in lakes and streams. Generally distrustful, if a herd is disturbed they will flee for a long distance, galloping with their tails held erect. If something unexpected appears in their flight path, yaks will bluff, attacking with a fast charge and normally stopping just 10-20 meters / 30-60 feet away from the intruder. In spite of their bulky, awkward appearance, yaks are excellent, sure-footed climbers. One of the few vocalizations is a loud grunt, made during the breeding season by wild yaks. Domestic yaks, however, "grunt" throughout the year - hence the specific name grunniens.
Family group: Herds of 10-200 individuals consisting of females and young, adult males solitary or in bachelor groups with up to 12 members.
Diet: Lichens, grasses, and tubers.
Main Predators: Tibetan wolf.
Distribution
Montane regions of Tibet at an altitude of 4, 000-6, 000 m / 12, 800-19, 200 ft.
Countries: China, India, Nepal [regionally extinct?] (IUCN, 2002).
Range Map (Redrawn from Helin et al., 1999)
Conservation Status
The yak is classified as vulnerable (Criteria: A1cd+2cd, C1) by the IUCN (2002). The wild yak, Bos grunniens mutus is listed on CITES Appendix I (CITES, 2003).
Remarks
While there are over 12 million yaks in the world, most of these are domestic. Unfortunately, their wild counterparts are becoming increasingly rare. The yak is one of the most important domesticated beasts in Tibet, where it provides transportation, meat, milk, even its dried dung is used as fuel.
Bos (Latin) an ox. Grunnio (Latin) I grunt, hence grunniens, grunting: yaks are unable to moo.
French
Yack (Buchholtz, 1990)
German
Yak (Buchholtz, 1990)
Literature Cited
Buchholtz, C. 1990. Cattle. In Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Edited by S. P. Parker. New York: McGraw-Hill. Volume 5, pp. 360-417.
CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna). 2003. Appendix I, as adopted by the Conference of the Parties, valid from 13 February 2003. Available online at http://www.cites.org/eng/append/latest_append.shtml
Helin, S., N. Ohtaishi, and L. Houji. 1999. The Mammalian of China. Beijing: China Forestry Publishing House.
IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). 2002. 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available online at http://www.redlist.org
Nowak, R. M. [editor]. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World (Fifth Edition). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder [editors]. 1993. Mammal Species of the World (Second Edition). Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. Available online at http://nmnhwww.si.edu/msw/
Additional Resources
Boitani, L., and S. Bartoli. 1982. Simon & Schuster's Guide to Mammals. New York: Fireside/Simon & Schuster, Inc. Entry 385.
Harris, R.B., D. H. Pletshcer, C. O. Loggers, and D. J. Miller. 1999. Status and trends of Tibetan plateau mammalian fauna, Yeniugou, China. Biological Conservation 87: 13-19.
Miller, D. J., and G. B. Schaller. 1997. Conservation threats to the Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve, Tibet. Ambio 26(3): 185-186.
Miller, D. J., R. Harris, and G. Cai. 1994. Wild yaks and their conservation on the Tibetan Plateau. In Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Yak. Edited by R. Zhang, J. Han, and J. Wu. Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou. pp. 27-34.
Schaller, G.B. and Gu, B. (1994) Ungulates in Northwest Tibet. National Geographic Research and Exploration 10(3): 266-293.
Schaller, G.B. and Wulin, L. (1996) Distribution, status, and conservation of wild yak (Bos grunniens). Biological Conservation 76(1): 1-8. |
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Here at DELYAKS, we not only sell the animals, we also sell the products that yaks can produce. Here you will find a description of the products that yaks can produce, pricing on various items, and what we have available to you.
Meat: The most economically important product from the Yak is its juicy, flavorful, and healthy meat. The flavor can be compared to sweet beef flavor with no gaminess and no greasy after taste. While being 95% fat-free, its delicate, delicious flavor comes from its unique distribution of fatty acid percentages. Yaks are extremely low in palmitic acid that is bad for our health (30% less than beef as a percentage of fats and 120% less than beef as a percentage of meat.) Yak meat is also much lower in calories, saturated fats, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Simultaneously, Yak meat is much higher in stearic and oleic acids that are good for us (35% higher than beef as a percentage of fats.) Yak meat is also higher in protein and solids (less water) than beef. All these "Faks™" combine to suggest that Yak meat may be the healthiest meat you can eat, certainly better than beef, or even buffalo, elk, or skinless chicken. Yak is even lower in fat than salmon. All this is accomplished on a grass/forage diet alone, with no grain, hormone, steroid, or antibiotic feed supplements. Furthermore, Half-Yak meat chemistries and flavor are almost identical to pure Yak meat. For your own homegrown meat supply, there is no choice that is healthier and tastier than your own Yak or Yak-cross meat. To order Yak meat online click here
Wool and Hair production is an added bonus for this wonderful species. Whether you card and knit with your own wool, or simply choose to sell your wool, you will appreciate this wool that is comparable to angora or cashmere in its superiority and feel. Yak wool is said to be worth $16 per ounce carded and cleaned or $4 per ounce uncarded. Yaks will average one pound of wool per year that must be combed out each spring if you choose to harvest this product. Yak guard hairs are almost identical in texture to human hair and are used for wig production.
Milk: In China, Yak x Holstein or Yak x Hereford cross cows are milked for their very rich milk which is used primarily for production of butter and cheese. The export demand for these products is greater than supply. In this country there is no Yak-cross milk or milk by-product market developed as yet. This could become a future production opportunity for American breeders.
Yak leather, Hides, Skulls and Tails: Yak leather can go to normal leather processing. Other specialty markets are currently being developed for this wooly, longhaired hide, as well as processed skulls and tails. |
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Nutrition values vary with every animal and the region and the environment in which the animal is raised. Even within the same herd, nutritional values will vary because no two animals eat the exact same amount of grass, walk the same distance nor drink the same amount of water.
The International Yak Association gathered 100% yak meat samples from various grass-fed and grass-finished yak ranchers in the United States. The meat was then sent to Silliker labs in Canada who combined the meat and tested it for nutritional content.
Ground Yak
Serving Size: 4 oz (113 g)
Calories: 170
Calories from Fats: 70
Total fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 60 mg
Sodium 100 mg
Total Carbohydrate 0 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 23 g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 15%
Yak Ribeye Steak
Serving Size: 4 oz (113 g)
Calories: 120
Calories from Fat 15
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 50 mg
Sodium 85 mg
Total Carbohydrate less than 1 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 25 g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 15% |
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Pictures: Wild Yak #1 (19 Kb JPEG) (UN FAO); Wild Yak #2 (51 Kb JPEG)
The wild yak has a dense undercoat of soft, close-matted hair which is covered by generally dark brown to black outer hair. Its long, shaggy coat reaches almost to the ground. The wild yak can weigh up to 1000 kg (2200 lb) with a shoulder height of over 2 m (6.5'). It occurs in treeless uplands, including plains, hills, and mountains, from as low as 3200 m (10, 500') up to the limit of vegetation at about 5400 m (18, 000'). It stays in high areas with permanent snow during the warmer months of August and September, and spends the rest of the year at lower elevations. The wild yak grazes on grasses, herbs and lichens. Ordinarily it gathers in groups of 10 - 30 or more, but it may occasionally be observed in large groups of 100 - 200.
The wild yak was once numerous and widespread on the entire Tibetan plateau north of the Himalayas. Currently it is found in remote areas of the Tibetan plateau and adjacent highlands, including Gansu Province, China, with a few having been observed in the Chang Chenmo Valley of Ladakh (eastern Kashmir, India). Wild yak distribution is highly clumped, with most animals in widely scattered herds, concentrated in the areas with little disturbance by humans. A survey conducted in 2003 found increasing populations of wild yak compared to previous surveys taken 10 years earlier.
Uncontrolled hunting by natives and military personnel is the main reason for the wild yak's decline. Its range has been reduced by more than half during this century. Poaching remains the main current threat. The wild yak has lost most of the best alpine meadow and steppe habitat to pastoralists. Problems are also caused by habitat disturbance, hybridization and competition with domestic yaks, and disease transmitted by domestic yaks.
Tidbits
*** The yak was probably domesticated in Tibet during the first millennium B.C., and domesticated animals now occur throughout the high plateaus and mountains of Central Asia, in association with people. Yaks found in zoos are usually of the domesticated variety, which is smaller than the wild yak. There are now more than 12 million domestic yaks in the highlands of Central Asia.
*** The wild yak is supremely well adapted to the harsh highlands with its thick coat, great lung capacity, and ability to clamber nimbly over rough terrain. Even its blood cells are designed for high elevations - they are about half the size of those of cattle and are at least three times more numerous, thus increasing its blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. Its thick coat and low number of sweat glands are also efficient adaptations for conserving heat. (Schaller 1998)
*** In winter the yak survives temperatures as low as - 40 deg C (- 40 deg F).
*** Wild yak herds travel on snow in single file, carefully stepping on footprints left by the lead yak.
Read more: http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/bos_mutu.htm#ixzz1Xqj5RAPp |
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The yak (Poephagus grunniens), a ruminant species and native of the Tibetan plateau, remained confined to Asian countries interconnected through the Himalayan, Pamir, Kun Lun, Tien Shan and Altay mountains. In India, yaks are reared in the high hills of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh by highlanders who are practicing Buddhists. Incidentally, also in the other two Himalayan countries, Bhutan and Nepal, yak rearers are Buddhist. During migrations in these countries centuries ago, highlanders of the Tibetan-Mongoloid race brought yaks along with them as pack and riding animals. The regular trade and exchange of animals continued right up to the cultural revolution in China and the resultant annexation of Tibet.
Yaks can tolerate very low temperatures and are the only large mammals able to graze at 6 000 m above sea level, even at -40°C. The yak has a broad chest with a spacious heart and lungs and a high red cell count, characteristics that assist them in coping with the thin air at high altitudes.
Their multipurpose use is highly beneficial for yak herders. An essential pack animal for high-altitude travelling, it can carry loads of 50 to 60 kg on very rough terrain and survive on scanty local feed resources. In addition, it is useful as a source of milk, wool and, occasionally, meat. As crop cultivation is virtually nonexistent at more than 3 000 m above sea level, highlanders are dependent on animal husbandry outputs from sheep and yaks for their survival. Already, a large population of herders have left the trade and become daily wage earners. The lure of easier living conditions and more stable earnings, for instance, through government service or work with development agencies, is leaving only a handful of people to tend to yak production. Yak ownership is mainly restricted to a few families, and these are frequently the healthier people among the community. The number of yaks in an individual herd may vary from 20 to 100 or more.
Notwithstanding the economic utility of yaks for the highlanders, their population is showing a decreasing trend in India and Nepal. Figures reported in the censuses of 1977 and 1982 were approximately 132 000 and 128 000 head, respectively (Government of India, 1982), whereas the figure for 1990/91 stands at only 30 000. It appears that, at one time in 1966/67, Ladakh had 44 000 head of yaks (Tiku, 1967) as against the present figure of only 13 000. The current populations of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are 8 300, 5 400, 300, 3 500 and 12 800, respectively. In Nepal, the yak population has shown a spectacular decrease from 200 000 head before 1960 (Larrick and Burck, 1986) to 20 000 in 1980 and to only 10 000 in 1988 (Joshi, 1982). Although the precise figure for Bhutan is not available, probably a similar phenomenon has occurred there. Among the other yak-rearing countries, the former USSR nevertheless recorded an increase from 88 900 to 136 000 between 1970 and 1984 (FAO, 1989). Mongolia, however, showed a decline from 563 000 in 1979 to 535 000 in 1983 (Narang, 1989). In Mongolia, yak outputs provide approximately 50 percent of the country's meat, butter and milk requirements, but at an excessive rate of exploitation that is resulting in a decline in the yak population.
The reasons for the decline in India are entirely different from those in Mongolia. The high ridges of the Himalayas are inhabited by Tibeto-Mongolians, and yaks contributed to free trade with Tibet up to 1960. The trading routes crossing the high passes were regularly frequented by trains of yaks carrying trade items and the highlanders used to make a good living as transporters. Since the closing of the border, the income from yaks has been reduced to that obtained from milk and wool production. According to the yak herders, the lack of employment as transporters is one of the main reasons for the decline in the yak population. Farmers also feel that the present stock's genetical potential for milk production has deteriorated considerably. Decreased productivity is probably the result of inbreeding within very small herds. The profession is facing a crisis and is threatened to disappear. The young generation, desiring a better and more comfortable life at middle and low altitudes, is rejecting the hard high-altitude life associated with yak management.
In India, in order to rejuvenate the dwindling yak population, enhance its productivity and make the age-old profession more profitable, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has recently initiated programmes to give the highlanders a well-protected livelihood from yak rearing. As well as providing proven germplasm, adequate husbandry measures will be developed and passed on to yak herders. Grazing land in the mid-altitude hills and alpine regions will need to be tested for its productive potential and, if necessary, invigorated with new productive grass species. With a productive and assured livelihood from yak rearing, the highlanders will be deterred from joining the already overpopulated areas in the mid- and low-altitude hills, areas that are overburdened by an ecological imbalance resulting from seasonal cultivation of the fragile forest land.
The drastic fall in India's yak population in recent years is of great concern. It is adversely affecting the economic welfare of the inhabitants of the high hills who at one time were doing well with income derived from using yaks as pack animals during their trans-Himalayan trade. With the suspension of commercial trading with neighbouring countries, and the restriction of earnings to the proceeds of milk and wool sales - which are insufficient to support a family - a good number of yak herders have been forced to take other work. Consequently, the vast resources in the high-altitude areas are now underexploited, while the increased demographic pressure in the middle and low hill regions is endangering the ecological balance, particularly by the conversion of more and more forest land to slope cultivation. The National Research Centre on Yaks has formulated research programmes to improve the stock and enhance productivity so that a growing number of highlanders will once again take up the profession of yak rearing and thereby utilize the vast resources of the alpine region. |
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Hi,
we are also military and are also going back and forth with Vivint. I am currently searching for other military families with the same issue. Several have already come forth. Maybe, if you re-post we can get in contact with each other.
My appointment with the attorney is on Tuesday.
Katja |
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