Tianjun Yak

Tianjun Yak

Tianjun Yak is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　 Tianjun Yak mainly consists of yaks and dzo (a hybrid of yak and cattle). Dzos are crossbreeds resulting from the natural mating of yaks and yellow cattle. They have short hair, a tall stature, and are often used as draft animals.

　　Yaks are robust in build, with a well-proportioned and compact structure. Viewed from the side, the front part of their body is well-developed, the middle part is less so, and the hindquarters are relatively underdeveloped. The spine along the top line is long and high, the back and loin are straight, with a slight upward bulge at the withers forming a shallow wavy contour; the lower body and the top line are densely covered with coarse hair mixed with a small amount of downy hair, forming a two-type hair coat. The mid-section of the sides and the neck are densely covered with downy hair mixed with a small amount of two-type hair. The tail is short, and the tail vertebrae have two fewer segments than those of common cattle, with shorter vertebral bodies covered in thick, fluffy hair similar in thickness to human hair—thick, low, long, and resembling a more beef-oriented body type. Generally, bulls stand 131.9 cm tall, measure 153.7 cm in length, have a chest circumference of 196.9 cm, and a cannon bone circumference of 19.34 cm; cows stand 110.2 cm tall, measure 132.3 cm in length, have a chest circumference of 158.6 cm, and a cannon bone circumference of 15.86 cm. Head and neck: The head is relatively thick and long, the forehead is short and wide, forming a wedge shape. The eyes are large and round, with slightly protruding, lively eyeballs. The bridge of the nose is noticeably narrow, the nostrils and nasal area are small, and the lips are even and thin. The ears are small, with inner surfaces densely covered in downy and two-type hairs that cover the ear openings. Most have horns that curve backward, outward, upward, then upward and outward again, with the horn tips slightly curving downward, forming an incomplete circle. Those without horns usually have pointed skulls. Bulls have short, thick, and deep necks, while cows have longer, thinner, shallower necks without dewlaps. Coat color: 81.09% are dark brown, 7.85% are mixed colors, 6.13% are bluish-gray, 0.22% are white, and 4.71% are camel-colored.

　　Slaughter measurements show that adult bulls typically weigh 256.8 kg, with a carcass weight of 123.98 kg, yielding 91.83 kg of lean meat. The bone-to-meat ratio is 26:74, and the slaughter rate is 49.82%. Milk production: Both first-calf and multiparous yaks have peak lactation from July to September, with production declining starting in October. First-calf and multiparous yaks produce an average of 1.22 kg and 1.55 kg of milk per day, respectively, with multiparous yaks producing 27% more than first-calf ones. The calving interval is the same for both.

　　Downy hair yield: Generally, 2–3-year-old calves produce an average of 1.3–1.33 + 0.25–0.38 kg; adult cows produce 1.17 + 0.47 kg; and adult steers produce 1.88 + 0.44 kg.

　　Draft use: Historically, yaks were the primary means of transport for plateau residents, known as the “boats of the plateau.” For long-distance transport, yak steers can carry 50–70 kg, traveling 4–7 hours a day over approximately 20–30 km, and can work continuously for over 15 days without showing signs of fatigue. For short distances, they can carry loads of around 100 kg.

　　Tianjun Yak

　　Geographic Scope

　　Tianjun County is located west of Qinghai Lake, between longitude 96°49' east and latitude 36°54' to 39°12' north. The county covers a total area of 25,723.29 square kilometers, accounting for 3.5% of Qinghai Province’s total area. The usable grassland area spans 12,901 million hectares, making up 50.15% of the county’s land area and 84.47% of its grassland area. High-altitude cold desert and marshland account for 853,800 hectares (33.19% of the county), glaciers cover 49,600 hectares, and water bodies cover 2,600 hectares, together making up 2.03% of the county’s total area. The county is divided by elevation as follows: areas below 3,500 meters cover 1,530.94 square kilometers; areas between 3,500–4,000 meters cover 8,237.81 square kilometers; areas between 4,000–4,500 meters cover 13,460.86 square kilometers; and areas above 4,500 meters cover 2,493.68 square kilometers.