Research results on the use of frozen yak sperm

Abstract

Mongolians have specific, historical traditions of nomadic ways for pastoral animal breeding. Since ancient times they are bred the five kinds of livestock with unique capabilities, adapted to four seasons grazing under harsh natural and climatic conditions of Central Asian mountainous and used their benefits. Unique biological quality of Mongolian livestock that helps the animal withstand the cold and feed shortage seasons in despite of feeding pasture plants only for all year round is an evidence of its pasture usability. Better growth of hair and wool of hardy Mongolian livestock, which are able to grow under severe natural and climatic conditions, during summer and autumn, and fibers appeared around the hair base during cold season make the animals resistant to cold. Mongolian livestock are the animals, which withstand very well the fluctuations of both heat and cold, have better maintenance of body heat and ecological adaptation, stronger body conformation, resist various diseases, and have alive behavior, better sociability and genetic capacity. Livestock in Mongolia are considered to be part of the nation’s wealth and are subject to state protection under the country’s constitution. Agriculture, particularly animal husbandry is one of the basic economic sectors of Mongolia and the sector comprises 84.2% of the country’s Gross Agricultural Product and is the only source of income for 18.5% of total households (Mongolian Statistical Yearbook, 2016). In addition, livestock and livestock-derived processed exports account for about 8.7% of foreign exchange earnings. In 2020, Mongolia has recorded the highest number of livestock at 67.1 million, of which 4.1 million are horses, 4.7 million are cattle, 0.47 million are camels, 30.0 million are sheep and 27.7 million are goats. The action plan of the Mongolian government, set a goal “In addition to increasing the number of high-yielding livestock, implementing a policy to support rural development by creating an appropriate herd structure, improving productivity and quality, and developing intensive animal husbandry, and raising highly productive livestock and milk, to protect the gene found of good beef cattle and to expand the breeding and selection of nuclear herds”. Therefore, important to protect the high-productive yak's gene found are to take semen from yak bull. The yak is bred in Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, the Gorno-Altai region of the Russian Federation, the Himalayas, the Altai, and the Pamirs, and in the surrounding mountainous areas at an altitude of about 2,000 meters above sea level.