Registration Regulations.

Participation in NAHYR is open to all members of The World Heritage Yak Conservancy (WHYC) and is open to all yaks registered with IYAK and US YAKS that meet the requirements delineated below.

The purpose of this Registry is to return breeders to principled or disciplined breeding practices. Maintaining pedigree records with the highest accuracy atainable is the primary goal as well as restricting degenerative breeding practices.

WHYC Farm Membership fees are as Follows: $75.00 for 1 year, $200 for 3 years.

NAHYR Requirements:
NAHYR is open to all IYAK Foundation animals and US YAK registered animals that meet these requirements:

The core of NAHYR is GeneSeek testing.
Only animals with both parents tested through GeneSeek will be entered. (exceptions *, **).
If this requirement is previously met a NAHYR Registration Certificate will be issued for $25.00. This transfers an IYAK or US YAK Registered Yak to NAHYR. New offspring from the above will be NAHYR registered for the price of $75.00 including GeneSeek testing.

IYAK Foundation pedigrees established through UC Davis testing would need to be linked through GeneSeek testing. If not previously linked by GeneSeek testing the expense of $75 per direct parent ($32 GeneSeek + $43 NAHYR processing) would be charged to the Applicant.
Once completed a NAHYR Certificate would be issued.
The above requirements also apply to US YAK registered animals with other exclusions listed below.

Cattle allele threshold would be set at 5 alleles. Any previously registered animals that exceeded this limit would be excluded.

All IYAK Generation Program animals G0, G1, G2 and G3 would be excluded or any descendants considered Foundation. These are from multi-sire degenerative programs.

All IYAK Appendix Program BO and B1 animals would be excluded. B0 have 2 unknown parents. B1 have one unknown parent.

Any US YAK animals from known hybrid ranchers or animals linked by pedigree to them would be excluded.

All white yaks would be excluded. These have been determined by UC Davis Dc testing to be Charolais hybrids and confirmed by GeneSeek testing as well.

All known hybrids would be excluded.

NAHYR is structured for Single Sire breeding programs.

Double Sire breeding group Exemption or a back up breeding bull must be previously approved by the Registration Committee with both prospective sires previously GeneSeek tested.
A separate Application for this must be approved prior to the breeding season and breeding exposure dates filed with the Registration Committee at the end of the breeding exposure period.
Any third bull greater than 6 months old in the breeding enclosure will disqualify this exemption for Double Sire breeding groups.

In no case will the Registrar be required to sort out pedigrees from multi-sire breeding groups (3 or more sires).

Any animal breach of breeding group integrity will be addressed by the Registration Committee and the WHYC Board.
The conclusion of the Board will not be subject to appeal.

Exceptions noted above ( *, **).

(*) if one linkage parent is deceased and not available for GeneSeek testing, if approved by the Registration Committee the Registration Certificate will indicate which parentage was not GeneSeek verified.

(**) if one parent was sold and that parent is not available for GeneSeek linkage testing, if approved by the Registration Committee the Registration Certificate will indicate which parentage was not GeneSeek verified.

If both two parents are not available for GeneSeek testing Registration will be forbidden.

All WHYC members agree in advance to these breeding program regulations and practices and will protect and ensure the mission statement of the World Heritage Yak Conservancy. NAHYR is for disciplined Yak breeders only, the elite among North American Yak Breeders.


Lawrence G. Richards
NAHYR Registration Committee Chair (TBD).