Maiwa Yak [Sichuan Hongyuan Specialty]

What is Maiwa yak? Authentic Sichuan Hongyuan Specialty: Maiwa Yak

Summary:Do you want to know what Maiwa Yak is? This article is a detailed introduction to the Sichuan Hongyuan specialty - Maiwa Yak. It was compiled and edited by the editorial team of China Specialty Network after reviewing and collecting relevant information on Maiwa Yak. The full text takes about 10 minutes to read, mainly including the basic introduction of Maiwa Yak and the product characteristics of Maiwa Yak? Wait

Basic Introduction of Maiwa Yak

Maiwa Yak is a local breed of Tibetan Plateau type yak in China. It is mainly produced in the areas of Wache, Maiwa, and Baozuo in Hongyuan County, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and Ruoergai County. Because the central production area originally belonged to the Maiwa tribe, it is named Maiwa Yak

Production performance

1. Milk production performance

Maiwa yaks start milking 10-15 days after giving birth, once a day, and milking for about 5 months a year (June to October). During the peak lactation season (July), the daily milk output was measured to be 1.8 ± 0.07 kilograms. Four year old female yaks with 149 fetuses produce a total of 230 kilograms of milk. Milk is thick, sweet and fragrant, with a specific gravity of 1.036 and a dry matter content of 17.9%; Among them, milk fat is 7.22%, lactose is 5.04%, milk protein is 4.91%, and ash content is 0.77%. During the full lactation period (around 180 days) of adult female yaks, the milk production is 365 kilograms, with a milk fat percentage of 6.0% to 7.5%, averaging around 6.8%. The peak lactation period of female yaks is not significantly related to the lactation month, but closely related to the growth status of grass. The peak lactation period of yaks is from July to August when grass is lush every year

2. Meat Production Performance

Under the condition of year-round grazing without any supplementary feeding, the weight of adult castrated yaks is about 426 kilograms, with a slaughter rate of 55.2% and a net meat rate of 42.8%. After castration, 14 one year old male yaks were grazed on the grassland for 150 days, with a total weight gain of 62.5 kilograms. At 17 months old, their weight was 129.8 ± 2.9 kilograms, with an average daily weight gain of 417 ± 16.3 grams. For every kilogram of weight gain, an average of 25 kilograms of grass is consumed. Three randomly selected pigs were slaughtered for testing, with a slaughter rate of 41.1%, a net meat rate of 30.8%, a bone to meat ratio of 1:2.97, an eye muscle area of 31.7 square centimeters, and high-quality cuts accounting for 55.4% of the net meat weight. Analysis of 9-11 rib muscle samples, containing 21.4% protein, 2.6% fat, and 1.1% ash

3. Service performance

Maiwa castrated yak is good at carrying and walking on swamps. Long distance pack transportation of 100 kilograms, daily travel of 30 kilometers, can walk continuously for 7-10 days. It can carry 150-200 kilograms for short distances and travel 30 kilometers per day. Carrying 75 kilograms (equivalent to 18.4% of body weight), walking continuously for 30 kilometers takes 6.2 hours, and after 50 minutes, the physiological condition returns to normal. After measurement, the maximum pulling force of Maiwa yak is 390 kilograms, equivalent to 95.6% of its body weight; Used for arable land, 'two oxen carrying' can cultivate 5 acres of cultivated land in a day

4. Wool Production Performance

Maiwa yaks undergo a one-time shearing in early June every year, and in some areas, there are also those who first pluck the fur before shearing. The hair production varies depending on individual, gender, and age. The average shearing weight of adult male yaks is 1.43 kilograms, and the average shearing weight of adult female yaks is 0.35 kilograms. The length of hair varies greatly depending on the body part. Adult male yaks have shoulder hair that is 38 centimeters long, thigh hair that is 47.5 centimeters long, skirt hair that is 37 centimeters long, back hair that is 10.5 centimeters long, and tail hair that is over 60 centimeters long

5. Reproductive performance

Maiwa yaks mature late. Most female yaks start breeding at 3 years old and give birth to their first child at 4 years old. About 5% of individuals breed at 2 years old and give birth to their first child at 3 years old, but the survival rate of calves is low. Most male yaks have mating ability at the age of 2, but they only start to be used for breeding at the age of 3-4, with the strongest mating ability occurring at the age of 5-8. Female yaks experience seasonal estrus, with May to November being the estrus season and July to August being the peak season. The signs of estrus are not obvious, and in large-scale management, accepting the crossing of male yaks is often used as a sign of estrus. The average estrus cycle is 18.2 ± 4.4 days. The duration of estrus is 12-16 hours. Pregnancy period is 266 ± 9 days. Maiwa yaks generally have two births every three years, with a few giving birth once a year or every two years; Twin calves are extremely rare, with a reproductive survival rate of 43.7% (38.4% to 46.3%); The abortion rate varies greatly among regions, generally around 6% (4% to 14%)

Origin and Environment

Maiwa Yak is produced in the areas of Wache, Maiwa, and Baozuo in Hongyuan County, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is named Maiwa Yak because the central production area originally belonged to the Maiwa tribe. The Maiwa area is located at around 33 ° N latitude, with an altitude of 3400 to 3600 meters. It has wide valleys, developed rivers, many swamps, a cold climate, and insufficient heat. The annual average temperature is 1.1 ℃, with an absolute minimum temperature of -33.3 ℃ and an absolute maximum temperature of 25.6 ℃. The annual precipitation ranges from 587.6 to 990.5 millimeters, mostly concentrated from May to September. The relative humidity is 71.4%, and the average frozen soil period is 187 days, with the deepest frozen soil reaching 101 centimeters. There is no summer or absolute frost free period throughout the year, so there is no agriculture. The food of herdsmen mainly relies on the milk and meat products of yaks. Their essential food is also exchanged with dairy products such as butter and milk residue in agricultural areas, so herdsmen attach great importance to the selection of milk production performance and reproductive capacity of female yaks, and strengthen the cultivation of young calves; At the same time, great attention is also paid to the selection of male yaks, requiring tall and sturdy physique, upright posture, thick horns, thin horns, high shoulder peaks, black coat, and abundant hair. After long-term selection, the improvement of production performance and the formation of breeds of Maiwa yak have been promoted

The head of Maiwa yak is moderately large, with the vast majority having horns. The forehead is wide and flat, with tufted and curly hair, and the elderly cover their eyes. The horn of a male yak is thick and extends horizontally to both sides and upwards, with the tip slightly curved backwards and inwards; He has a rough and majestic appearance, a short and thick neck, and a high and full bun armor. The female yak has thinner, shorter, and sharper horns, with different horn shapes; The neck is thin, and the bun armor is low and thin. The front chest is well-developed, the chest is deep, the ribs are open, the back and waist are straight, the abdomen is large without sagging, and the lower back is narrow and slightly inclined. The body is longer and the limbs are shorter. Small hooves, solid hooves. The front chest, sides of the body, and tail are covered with long hair, and the tail hair is broom shaped. The body is mainly covered in black hair, followed by black ends with white hair (16.8%), cyan (8.1%), brown (5.2%), and black and white flowers (4.2%). There are also a few individuals with brown flowers and white hair with black hair (1.1%), and pure white individuals are extremely rare (0.4%). Maiwa yak has a relatively small birth weight, with male calves weighing 13.1 ± 0.4 kilograms and female calves weighing 11.6 ± 0.5 kilograms