Yak Farm Attracts Attention
Cheyenne’s Willis Larson’s decision to start a yak farm has been met with curiosity – and interest.
“I get people every month who come in and check out the yaks,” Larson says. “Few people know that much about them. Sometimes people even ask me how many eggs they have laid.”
Originally from the Himalayas, yaks have been turning up more frequently over the past decade in North America, particularly on western ranches.
After retiring from a state job about eight years ago, Larson decided he wanted to get back to a rancher’s life. That’s when a friend got him looking at yaks. The two decided to purchase a few of the animals.
“We didn’t know anything about them,” Larson says. “But I wanted to do something that was different, and I knew I wanted to be back on the ranch. And yaks are a great ranch animal.”
When Larson and his wife, Robbie, began handling yaks, they were one-of-a-kind ranchers in the state. Since then, several ranchers have followed suit, which has been good for business. Larson primarily sells yaks to backyard ranchers who keep them as a hobby.
From a commercial standpoint, yak meat is marketed as a low-fat alternative to beef. Yaks make sense for local ranchers because the animals eat about one-third of what cows consume and they thrive in rocky and cold climates. Shelter isn’t needed in the winter.
Larson, like the visitors to his ranch, finds the animals interesting.
“I love working with them and caring for them,” Larson says. “Their personalities are bolder than even horses. You learn something different everyday with these animals.”
Story by Brandon Lowe
Photo by Brian McCord
