Maiwa Yak

Maiwa Yak

The Maiwa Yak is a protected geographical indication product.

The Maiwa Yak is a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　The Maiwa Yak is a high-quality local breed of plateau yak native to China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is mainly produced in the areas of Wache and Maiwa in Hongyuan County, as well as Baozuo in Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The breed gets its name from the Maiwa tribal area, which was the central production zone.

　　Characteristics

　　The Maiwa Yak has a moderately large head, with the vast majority having horns. Its forehead is broad and flat, covered with thick, curly hair that can sometimes grow long enough to cover the eyes. Male yaks have thick, outward and upward-curving horns that extend sideways, with tips slightly bent backward and inward; they have a rugged and majestic appearance, with a thick, short neck, and a high, full shoulder hump. Female yaks have thinner, shorter, and more varied horn shapes; their necks are slimmer, and their shoulder humps are lower and less developed. They have well-developed forequarters, deep chests, open ribs, straight backs and loins, large but not drooping abdomens, and narrower, slightly sloping rumps. Their bodies are relatively long with shorter limbs. Their hooves are small but sturdy. Long hair covers the chest, sides, and tail, with the tail forming a brush-like shape. The coat is predominantly black, followed by black with white-tipped ends (16.8%), blue-gray (8.1%), brown (5.2%), and black-and-white spotted (4.2%). A small number of brown-spotted, white-with-black, and pure white individuals also exist (1.1% and 0.4% respectively), with pure white being extremely rare. Newborn Maiwa Yaks are relatively small at birth, with male calves weighing 13.1±0.4 kg and female calves 11.6±0.5 kg.