Letter to IYAK members sent October 30, 2024
This letter comes with some bittersweet news. After years of low membership participation and decreased board member involvement in functional management, IYAK has been operating solely to register animals. As this does not meet the bylaws and mission on which the organization was founded, IYAK will be dissolved no later than January 1, 2025. However, this does not mean that registrations, memberships and animal pedigrees will cease.
IYAK is closing, but we are transferring our assets of Legacy Herd Book, membership and long history of information to a new yak industry organization, the North American Yak Association, NAYAK.
The USYAKS Board of Directors, some IYAK members and interested yak breeders from the US and Canada have been working together on this new yak association for more than a year now. This registry will serve THE UNITED STATES and CANADA. This is a huge step for all yak owners and industry.
Both IYAK and USYAKS will be dissolving and transferring registries, building something better for Yaks in North America. The new registry will combine all registered animal data, linking many missing pedigrees.
Your membership and registered yaks will be transferred to NAYAK at NO COST to you! Yaks will continue to be registered with IYAK until December 31st, 2024.
IYAK foundation registered yaks will be notated on the new registry as a foundation yak with a brand identifier. If you would like your yaks displayed with this designation, please send in your registration by December 1st to ensure your registrations are processed before the year-end!
Your memberships and registrations are helping to build the new Yak organization. IYAK will be transferring all assets to NAYAK and contributing to the new and improved website!
New NAYAK Website highlights:
● Genetics based, all Geneseek data will be combined.
● Establish parentage if sire and dam are USYAKS and/or IYAK registered.
● Will accept currently registered yaks with USYAKS and IYAK
● All ACTIVE IYAK members will be transferred to NAYAK as active members, with their first year free. Lifetime memberships will not be a part of the new registry. Membership dues will be due annually.
● Will register Hybrid Yaks (yaks with less than 97% yak alleles, increased from the 95% IYAK did allow) and maintain them in the database, allowing for hybrid tracking through pedigrees.
● Will provide parentage, cattle introgression, coefficient of inbreeding, mitochondrial Information, coat pattern determined by DNA and new information as scientists access it from registration DNA samples.
● Animals previously registered in the IYAK Foundation Book will be notated as being Foundation on their pedigree; so that breeders can trace the lineage of any yak who has a known sire or dam with lineage in the Foundation Book.
● Will allow members to make edits to their animals and ranch profiles, and the addition of pictures as yaks mature. Profiles will allow for ranches to update animal growth information, products sold, ranch size and ranch type for easier membership directory search.
● Will work with Match-A-Yak software to select breeding pairs with minimal coefficient of inbreeding if the pairs have Geneseek DNA data in the system (whether originally IYAK or USYAK registered).
● IYAK Files, historic documents and the safe with hair samples are all currently stored with the registrar, Daniele Garner.
● IYAK funds left over after the dissolution, will go to NAYAK for building the new registry website. This will be developed and run by professionals, not volunteer members. The website will be made to function well and be user-friendly.
We will keep you posted as this project moves forward. Registration and memberships will continue until the new registry system is in place.
If you would like to help in the development of the website and Association as we move forward or have any questions, please contact Sophia Weiss at: thefirebirdfarms@gmail.com
For registration questions, please contact Daniele Garner at: registrar@iyak.org
Advertising opportunities! This is the BEST time to support your yak community and the future of the industry, while investing in your own ranch visibility. The new website will offer members and enthusiasts a wealth of information, registration data, be user-friendly and have front page banner advertisements, a breeder showcase, member photo gallery, and available yaks listings.
We are offering an EARLY BIRD SPECIAL on advertising sponsorships. This will help make the website incredible and showcase your farm and ranch from the beginning of website launch. These marketing opportunities are bundled with your membership and extended from 18 to 24 months!
Please select a sponsorship package in the renewal form below, if you wish to advertise with the website launch. Sponsorship package details are listed below the form.
