Eden yak rancher welcomes 11 newborn calves in the last month

EDEN — Brett Hansen is dealing with a unique challenge on his ranch in Weber County: Eleven newborn yak calves.

Hansen is owner of the Nordic Valley Yak Ranch in Eden and has welcomed 11 calves since March 26.

A typical birthing season at Hansen’s ranch will see 25 to 30 babies, he said. So far, most of the newborns are doing well and are being taken care of by their mothers, except for one that needs to be bottle-fed.

“She thinks she’s a little dog now since she’s so spoiled,” Hansen said.

Hansen and his wife started their yak ranch about three years ago. On the property where they live, they noticed the land wasn’t being taken care of, so they decided to put it to better use, he said.

“I grew up on a farm and I can’t stand to see land not taken care of,” Hansen said. “And my wife said I needed a hobby.”

They now have about 75 yaks on their ranch, which makes the Nordic Valley Yak Ranch one of the largest in the country, according to Hansen. Most people who raise yaks have five to 10 animals on their ranches, and some people have one or two they keep as pets, he said.

Native to the Himalayas in Nepal and Tibet, yaks aren’t used to warm Utah summers, Hansen said. However, they love the winters, and summer nights in the Ogden Valley are cool enough for them, he said.

Most yaks are friendly, calm and enjoyable to be around, Hansen said.

“We have several that just come over and let us pet them and play with them, and they’re very friendly animals,” he said. “They’re just fun to have around.”

The female calves born this spring at the Nordic Valley Yak Ranch will likely be sold to other farmers and ranchers, Hansen said. Any bulls born at the ranch will stay in Eden and be raised to adulthood.

Hansen combs out the animals and harvests the fiber from their fur, which is soft like cashmere, he said. He’s working to develop a market for the fiber, and to find people who can spin it into yarn.

The ranch also processes and sells yak meat in hamburger, steak, roast and other forms. It’s leaner than beef and healthier, as far as red meat goes, he said. All the meat at the Nordic Valley Yak Ranch is organically raised, Hansen said.

Yaks do well living in mountain West states such as Utah, Idaho and Colorado, Hansen said. Colorado yak ranchers are doing well because they have worked together to develop the market in that state, he said. But there are a handful of other people also raising yaks in Utah.

“This is a good climate for them, overall,” he said. “We’re a little cooler up here (in Eden) so it’s better for them. The nights are cool and that helps them.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/nvryaks.

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