Qinghai yak
The Qinghai yak is a breed of the domestic yak . Since the targeted breeding of the yak is not yet very advanced, yak breeds generally have less breed-typical characteristics than was the case, for example, with European land cattle breeds in the middle of the 19th century. Therefore, phenotypic differences in the house yak are mainly due to the geographical separation of widely spaced locations.
The Qinghai yak is numerically the largest group within the geographic yak races. This breed accounts for 38 percent of the yaks kept in China. It is mainly held in Qinghai Province ( Chinese 青海 , "Blue Sea") in the northeast of the Tibetan highlands. Wild yaks can still be found in the northern region of this area. Therefore mating with wild yaks, which are basically larger than the domesticated house yaks, occasionally occurs. The heavier highland yaks, where the wild yak influence is pronounced, are specifically bred. The aim of breeding is, in particular, to improve meat performance. In lower locations, Qinghai yaks are crossed with domestic cattle to improve milk yield.
supporting documents
literature
- Jürgen Lensch, Peter Schley and Rong-Chang Zhang (eds.): The Yak (Bos grunniens) in Central Asia , Gießener Abhandlungen zur Agrar- und Wirtschaftsforschung der European East, Volume 205, Berlin 1996, ISBN 3-428-08443-8