Yak
YAK
brief introduction
Its English name is Yak. Originated in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and nearby areas, yak has the “boatof the plateau”reputation. With high adaptabilityto alpine ecological conditions, it is tough and hardy.crude feed tolerance, good at being in steep slopeor rugged paths, snowed mountain or marsh.as well as in river rapids. Yaks belong to the genusBos, Artiodactyla. They shaped like buffalos.typically range from 2 to 3 meters in body length.37 to 46 cm in tail length, above 1.3 meters tall atthe shoulder and weight around 1000 kg.Yaks areheavily built animals with a bulky frame, sturdy legs;both sexes have horns: they have a short neck andbig head with wide forehead. Yaks are generally dark.blackish to brown, long shaggy hair with a densewoolly undercoat over the chest, flanks, and thighs.
Wild yaks mate in September, gestation lasts about260 days with a single yak calf. Yak calves will beweaned around 1 year old and they reach sexualmaturity at three to four years old. The averagelifespan of a wild yak is more than 23 years.
Yak is divided into wild yak and domestic yakWild yvak's generic name is Bos mutus(Poephagrtmutrs), and the transliteration from Tibetan is YaguiWild Yak is an endangered species, which is listed aswildlife under first class protection in China.IUCN Red List as: Vulnerable(VU) Chinesenational-level protected animal.Yaks have the abilityof learning routes, and they are good at racingthrough rugged paths or marsh, therefore yak can actas a guide to travelers.
YAK
origin of yak
Yak is the rare breed of resources among bovineanimals which can adapt to the alpine climate andremain alive today. It is also one of the limitedgeographically distributed animals in the world.Mostofthe world's existing yaks are distributed inOinghai-Tibet Plateau, Gansu and surrounding alpineareas above 3000 meters. Since ancient times, yakhas been the dominant animal in Pastoral Area ofOinghai-Tibet Plateau and has strong vitality.Excluding Chinathose countries and areas beingadiacent to China, for example Mongolia, CentralAsia, India,Sikkim, Afghanistan and Pakistan alsohave a small amount of the distribution.
China is the source region of yak. 90% of the world'syak living in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent 6 provinces. There are 4.9 million heads of yak inOinghai, which takes up 38% of the total number inChina, ranking the first in the nation; Tibet 39million, accounting for 30%, the second in the nation:Sichuan 3.1 million, accounting for 23, the third inthe nation: Gansu 880000, accounting for 7%%.thefourth in the nation; Xinjiang 170000 heads.accounting for 1.3, the fifth in the nation; Yunnan50000. accounting for 0.4%, the sixth in the nation.
Yak is one of China's maior cattle breeds and thethird only behind cattle and buffalo.
YAK
origin and history
During the fourth glacial age, ancestors of wild yakdistributed in North China, Inner Mongolia andnorthern Eurasia; their descendants began to live inthe cold Oinghai-Tibet Plateau with the globalwarming. Until now most of the world's few yaksare living in the Oinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Yak's whole body assumes black and brown, with adense woolly undercoat over the chest, flanks, bellyand tails. Its body is brawny, limbs forceful, lungsand heart strong, teeth sharp, eyes bright, muscleshard. also with flexible lips and a tongue.Domesticated Yak has been friend of human beingand it is close related with Tibetan basic necessitiesof every family lives, Their milk, fiber and meatprovide Tibetans who survived the barren regions with the essential resource of living and production.becoming the sources of Tibetans' lives and strengthThey are the mammals lived in the highest latitudes:people call them “Boats of the Plateau”.
YAK
common types
Yaks can be divided into 9 breeds according to thegeographic region, and these 9 breeds are Jiulongyak, Alpine yak, Tianzhu white yak, Plateau yak.Nepalese yak,Indian yak, Tadzhik yak, Russian yakKirghizian yak.
Among them, the Tianzhu White Yak is the mostvaluable breed, which was known as “Soft Platinum?More interesting was that unlike yaks found on theother grassland which are mostly black (for example.Tibetan Heihe Yak, just 8 percent are white:Oinghai Datong Yak, less than 3 percent are white).the Tianzhu Yaks are basically white, thus becomesthe calling cards of Tianzhu Yaks reaching out tothe world.
The Tibetan Alpine Yak is mainly found in themountain area in the east and south of TibetAutonomous Region as well as in the Alpine humidgrassland above more than 4000 meters. The TibetanAlpine mainly originated on the east highland areaofTibet Autonomous Region, among which the JialiYak is the best.
There are various colours of Tibetan Alpine Yakmostly are covered in all black. about 60 percent:nearly 30 percent are the ones with white face.whitehead and black body; the rest 10% are grey, blue,brown or all white.
The Jiulong Yak mainly originated in Jiulong Countryand Shade Town in South Kangding Country GarzeTibetan Autonomous Prefecture. while the centralarea is in the dam and block on both side of the snowmountain to the west of Jiulong River in JiulongCountry. Jiulong Yak is sheared once every yearfrom May to June. The output can be very different due to the difference of area climate. In dam area,where the mist covered all year round, relativehumidity can reach up to 80 percent, in where theyaks more heavily coated with fiber and wool halfand half.
YAK
physical characteristics
Cross-sectional Shape
The cross section of yak fiber is oval or nearlycircular Fine fiber consists of squama and cortex; hairmainly consists of squama, cortex and medulla, whilethe heterotypical fiber is between fiber and hair, withintermittent medulla. See the yak fiber'scross-sectional shape in the illustration
Fineness and Length
Yak is sheared once per year and adult yak canproduce 1.17~2.62 kg fiber each year while kid Yakcan produce 1.30~1.35 kg each year, half fine and halfthick. Yak fibers produced in different area vary inlength and fineness, caused by different naturalconditions: the finest fiber can be 7.5 um, mainly are 12~35 um, average fineness around 18 um.The fiber sheared from different parts of a yak alsomakes differences. Fiber from the back is the finestand longest can be 60 mm long, the fiber fromfemoral region take the second place with lengtharound 31 mm, the fiber from the belly is the shortestand around 26 mm.
Heat Preservation
Yak fiber has irregular crimps and its scales incircular cohesion. Fabric knitted by yak fiber hasmild lusterstrong elasticity and silky hand feelingYak fiber's heat preservation equals to that of thecashmere but higher than that of the sheep wool. Itsheat rate is 57%.
Crimp Preservation
The crimps of yak fiber is few and in irregular forms.but its crimp ratio and crimp rigidity both reached 10percent and 89 percent or so, therefore it has great cohesive force. Yarn and fabric made by yak are richand soft, wear comfortable.
Rub Preservation
Yak's anti-abrasion is better than camel fiber andmohair but worse than wool and cashmere. Thedifference of friction coefficient against-scale andwith-scale is big, so its fiber shrinkage is well, betterthan cashmere, second only to Nm 70 wool.difficultto tear and good in balling shape.
YAK
characteristics
Yaks often grow in the alpine areas above 3000meters to 5000 meters, bearing cold under 30°C40°C. they are the mammal lived in the highestelevation.nique geographical environment andliving habits makes yak's unique physiology. Therefiber are generally dark, blackish to brown, lightgrey and white (the white one is few and in greatvalue. also called Soft Platinum). with the featuresof optical absorption.warmth.water-proof windresistant and moisture resistance.These featuresprovide favorable conditions for yak's living. Whenthe winter comes, a thin laver of fiber will grow outto the surface of yak's skin to overcome the freezingtemperatures. yet this is the yak fiber. In spring, thisthin layer of fiber fall off and shepherds collect themto get the raw fiber. After manual sorting, washing and carding, we get the pure y ak raw material. Thenthe fiber would be manufactured to fine yak yarnafter spinning, and exported to western countries
The yak fiber generally refers to the layer of fiber onyaks'neck, shoulder and wrist which were used toovercome the cold weather. There are four types ofvak fiber staple, and they are:
1) Flat top staple. Mainly fine hair, length shorter.good luster. Flat top staple is the best in quality, mostofit is from the baby yak, especially from their neckand shoulder.
2)Conical staple. The fineness is uniform,longer andthick than the flat top staple. A bit plated on the topwith irregular crimps. Most of this kind of staple isfrom kid yak around 1 year old.
3) Plated staple. The bottom of the staple iscomposed by fine fiber, while the upside was collected by thick fiber and hair in between. Longerthan Conical staple, common to see in the front ofyak's body around 1 year oid.
4) Large plated staple. With less fine fiber, almost allare thick fiber. Common to see on the belly of adultyak and the length is good.
YAK
economic value
The products made from yak fiber have a series ofexcellent properties as below:
Silk-like Handle
The crimps of yak fiber is few and in irregularforms, but its crimp ratio and crimp rigidity bothreached 10 percent and 89 percent or so, thereforeit has great cohesive force. Yarn and fabric madeby yak are rich and soft, wear comfortable.
Extra Warmth
Yak fiber has irregular crimps, its scales in circularcohesion, its heat preservation equals to that of thecashmere but higher than that of the sheep wool.The fabric knitted by yak fiber has mild luster,strong elasticity and silky hand feeling.
Pliable and Tough
As the single fiber strength of Yak fiber is 1.5 timesof that of the Cashmere, the products made from yakfiber is elastic and ductile, uneasy to pilling or shrink.
Natural Colour
The yk fiber has natural colors and its colorfastness is good - the gloss is consistent even afterthe clothes are worn out. Yak products can haveeven more unique features after bleaching anddyeing using the modern manufacturing process.
The yak textiles are similar to cashmere products.but its price is low. This shows the development ofyak fiber has great economic value and marketprosperity.
YAK
application
According to the property of yak fiber, we can usewoolen and worsted spinning system as well as thecarded cotton spinning system (semi-worsted).Theyak fiber productscan be divided into knitted andwoven products:
Knitted Products
Including sweaters, underwear, hats. socks, shoulderprotector, waist protector, knee protector, scarves, etc.the component can be 100%% yak or yak blend withcotton, wool, silk, bluish dogbane, far infrared fiber.etc. This kind of products has the feature of softhandle, good heat preservation, elegant and luxurycolor and style, some products even has healthcare tips.
Woven Products
Woven products can also be divided into wool andcotton types; wool types can be divided into worstedand woolen products.Worsted products includingyak and cotton, silk, chemical fiber's blending, canbe made into fabrics of shirt, suit, etc. Together withwool, cashmere or wool type chemical fiber. yakfiber can be made into blended or worsted woolfabric. Blended together with wool, yak fiber can bemade into wool-blend tweed.herringbone tweed.vakovercoat woolen cloth.flat-coated overcoat woolencloth.imitation embossing overcoat woolen cloth.short and orderly woolen cloth safari woolen clothyak fiber blanket, yak fiber plush, carpet, etc.Yakfabric has a soft feel. silky handle, its style is wild, itssurface plentiful and its colour is dim andmonotonous, mainly camel, yellow grey, dark red,etc.
YAK
yak culture
In the thousands of year long history of Tibetan, thevak totemism is in the constant process of evolutionand development, which gradually formed theancient and modern yak culture. Thus there is anessential linkage between casting such a huge bronzevak totem in Tibetan historyware and the worshinpainting with yak themesEither it is original clifretained intact in Tibetan areas.or it is ox-heademblazonment carved in bronze containers duringYin-Shang Period including the patterns of Bulldrawn on the painted pottery in the Zhou Dynasty.and the yak skull hung on the Tibetan roof so far,even the unearthed unique and valuable yak bronzeware, all these can be tracked back to ancienthuman's yak totemism culture.