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Tibetan yaks join Lake Ann farm

By Carol South | Record-Eagle

Yaks on farm in Michigan, US.

Tibetan yaks — small, shaggy bovines that are low-maintenance and high-yield residents on Vance and Marty Bates’ 51-acre Sweetlake Farm.

Situated off a dirt road outside Lake Ann, the multi-purpose farm boasts one bull, five cows and three calves. The population may fluctuate as the Bateses acquire more or slaughter some for the Himalayan animal’s mild-tasting, low-fat meat.

The couple nabbed their first two yaks in November 2006, a few months after Marty saw an ad for two in the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Although she immediately and eagerly called, it took some time before she and her husband brought the yaks home to their two-acre pasture.

The next January, the Bateses attended a nationwide meeting of the International Yak Association in Denver, ample evidence that they were hooked.

“For some reason, yaks just seemed so cool. I’d been looking into them since the early 1990s, but had never seen one,” Marty said. “They’re better than buffalo, much tamer. They’re fun to watch when they’re playful, they’re really lazy and they’re very strong.”

As far as they know, the Bateses are the sole owners of Tibetan yaks in northwest Michigan, although Marty notes there were some in Cedar and a man allegedly had some in Gaylord. Trade restrictions imposed by China make these animals relatively scarce in the United States, where the Bateses estimate the population at about 4,000.

Domestic breeding and crossbreeds with other cattle keep the population going. Most Tibetan yaks are mainly found in Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado, though there are some in southern Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“There are millions of domesticated yaks in Tibet, Nepal and India and every bit of the animal is used,” said Marty, who also breeds and shows Glen of Imaal Terriers, in keeping with her affinity for unusual animals.

The hardy Tibetan yaks live outdoors year-round, where their thick, water-repellent coats make them oblivious to snow.

“In the winter, you look out and don’t see anything but the tips of their horns sticking out and then they stand up,” she said.

As for the Bates’ rural neighbors and passing cars, whose drivers often stop to stare, the yaks are an unusual endeavor. Then there are the occasional calls saying that the yaks are out.

“The calves totally ignore the electric fence — they get out as long as they can see their mothers,” said Marty, noting the wayward calves simply graze nearby.

On a farm devoted to horses and dogs, including breeding, boarding, training and showing, the Bateses are “learning from scratch” how to raise, care for and manage cattle. They also have chickens and sell eggs as well as keep other poultry.

“Cows are a lot calmer than yaks. You have to approach yaks differently,” Marty said. “It gets exciting.”

With advice from the Leelanau Conservation District, the couple is also growing hay on the farm for the first time since the 1950s. Prompted by the rising price of hay, it also helps that yaks are efficient: Two yaks eat the same amount as one cow.

“The old farmers around here think we’re loony,” said Marty, who has dubbed the yaks with whimsical names including My Sweet Pabu, My Dolly Lama, Maniyak and Dzanghbu.

Speaking of llamas: No, Tibetan yaks are not those South American creatures with the long neck and eyelashes.

“The first thing people ask is, ‘Are they llamas? Are they the ones that spit at you?’” said Vance Bates, who also has a career in law enforcement, fire and EMS as well as selling fire equipment and ambulances.

Tibetan yak fiber comes in a variety of colors and is akin to cashmere in texture. A yak’s winter hair falls out in the spring and, beginning at a year old, an animal can yield one to two pounds of fiber annually. The fiber sells for $20 an ounce cleaned.

“I’m combing until June if I want to,” said Marty.

In addition, the long, stiff and hard hairs of the tail can be woven into ropes or fabric or have other, more esoteric uses.

“(You can) use long hairs for fly fishing in the ocean because they don’t absorb water,” said Vance.

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Published in Traverse City Record-Eagle