Milk

Last updated 2026-11-13 — Milk is an essential part of Tibetan life. The milking season runs from late May to late October each year. A female yak produces an average of 250 kilograms of milk per year, while a female dzo (a hybrid of yak and cow) yields about 431 kilograms annually. When milking, herders first let the calf suckle to stimulate milk production before beginning to milk the cow. Milking is generally done twice a day, in the morning and evening, though some also milk three times a day—in the morning, afternoon, and evening…