Yaks are a unique type of traditional Mongolian livestock that can survive and thrive in the harsh climatic conditions of the high mountain regions and in grazing. The advantage of the Mongolian yak is that it does not negatively affect the carrying capacity of pastures because it prefers pastures with rocky slopes and crevices, and adapts to valleys between rivers and mountains, forest gaps, and pastures inaccessible to other types of livestock. There are more than 800,000 yaks in 132 soums across 13 aimags in our country, and more than 50 percent of all yaks breed in Arkhangai aimag. Laboratory tests have shown that young yak hair is 18-20 microns that means similar to second-grade goat cashmere which has 16-19 microns. In other words, clothing (shirts and pants) made from this type of yak wool yarn can be understood to have better heat retention and air circulation than goat cashmere products.
Yak wool comes in three main colors: brown, tan, and gray. It is spun in its natural color without dyeing, so it does not cause any allergies to the human body.
Yak wool is distinguished from other wool and cashmere fibers by its characteristics such as breathability, heat retention, low bleaching, lightness. Scientists have confirmed that it is 40% warmer than sheep wool and 17% warmer than goat cashmere. This is closely related to the natural adaptations of the yak, which can graze on high mountain ridges and withstand severe cold.
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Unless its owner turns the yaks around, they will run towards the highest peaks of the mountains. They will almost never care about their calves. The more the yaks are fenced and restricted their freedom, the more they loses their color, weakens, and becomes tired. The only thing that scares a yak is the sound of a stone whistling like an arrow from a sling. This sound alone has the magic to bring the yak down from the mountain. No matter how much it is entangled and twisted, it cannot overcome its stubbornness.
When autumn ends, winter comes, the mountains and hills are covered with snow and ice, and the yak bulls begin to ride. When they ride, they cross the mountains and hills, choosing a beautiful yellow place with ridges and thick grass and plants, and ride against the wind. Fearless of anything, unharmed by anyone, they ride alone and silently up and down.
Yaks are not suitable for carrying heavy loads, but for only short-term use. Our ancestors used to carry yak calves on their backs, not on carts. Yaks are weak animals that are not capable of carrying heavy loads or carrying them on long journeys. If they are loaded and carried on a journey, they can survive, but their heart and respiratory rhythms are disrupted, and they lose their ability to regulate their temperature. Their bodies, which are constantly exposed to the cold, become colder, and their strength deteriorates, and they are easily susceptible to various diseases. Yaks do not need warm winter shelters or manure. They are lovers of cold. Yak bulls are 20-30 percent larger in body size and 50-60 percent larger in weight than female yaks. Yaks are very cold-resistant animals, but they are not very heat-resistant. Their long, thick fur and thick skin regulate heat, preventing body heat loss, protecting them from the sun’s rays, and providing them with a soft, warm blanket when lying on snow, ice, and gravel.