In this week’s video we share a few insights from our first 6 months caring for our family’s yak herd. We’ve had some incredible experiences with these fun-loving creatures. From being run over by the bull to establishing a consistent milking routine with our mama yak, we’ve learned some important life lessons along the way. As brand new farmers, the size and stature of the yaks has always been a bit intimidating, but we know large ruminants are key to successful execution of our rotational grazing plan. So, overcoming some fears and learning some safe practices have been key to our progress over the past few months.

With the cooler weather of autumn, we’ve spent more time engaging with the yaks and establishing daily routines, which will set us up for even more success as we are already planning for next season. We can’t wait to see what kind of improvements we see in the pasture when we get the yaks, laying hens and broiler chickens working in concert with one another. We added another key piece to that operation this past week in the form of a livestock guardian dog. “Snow” will help us keep the chickens safe as we expand the flock. Because he’ll be working right next to the yaks, we’ve already made soft introductions and will continue getting them familiar with one another so they learn to work together rather than against each other.

We hope you enjoy the video, and make sure to respond in the comments with any questions or suggestions regarding the next topic you would like to see addressed in a vlog!