Mongolian Ger

Most herding families in Mongolia own five types of domestic animals including sheep, goats, cows, horses and camels, all of which are main sources of their livelihood and survival. Herders in Mongolia receive many benefits from their animals. Nomads herd their animals for the use of transportation, meat, leather and dairy products. On average, one household owns over 180-200 sheep and goats, about 10 cows and about 10-15 horses. Usually there are 2-4 families living nearby as neighbors, because herders need a labor force for such work including making felt, shearing sheep for wool and training horses for transport. They also have common interests and materialistic needs to live as neighbors. However, single families living without neighbors are found in the Gobi, since it is a less populated region. 

The herders move freely from one place to another since the pastureland is State property. Herders in Mongolia have four types of seasonal camps: summer camp, autumn camp, winter camp and spring camp. They usually move four times a year in search for the best pastures and water sources.  However, if a drought affects the entire area, they need to move their herds more than four times a year to fatten their animals. Each time, they move a distance of about 50–100 kilometers.

In the spring, herdsmen are busy with the births of baby animals. On average, one household will have over 50 births of baby animals including lambs, kids, calves and foals. When they move to the spring camp, they keep the baby animals in a shelter until they get strong enough. Babies are kept in a shelter for animals from March to May.

A goat is more productive than a sheep since it produces high quality cashmere with fine fiber. Goats are combed in springtime. On average, a male goat produces over 300-350 grams of cashmere, while females give 200-250 grams of cashmere. Goats and sheep graze together in the pasture. Compared with other animals, the goat has a bad habit of eating the root of the grass so they must be moved more often when the grass is short. Milk of the white goat is used as a treatment for those being diagnosed with liver disease. 

In spring, some herders do their migration with herds for over one month in search of the best pastures. This migration with the herds fattens their livestock and makes their animals strong to survive the harsh winters. Then they move to their spring camp that keeps the animals warm in the cold and windy spring months.

Herders use a branding iron with different patterns so they can distinguish their animals from others. The pattern of the branding iron could be in the shape of a crescent, swastika or a flame. This way, herders are able to easily distinguish them, if their animals get mixed up in the pasture with other herds.  

In the middle of June, they move to the summer camp, which does not have as large a shelter for animals as the winter and spring camps. If the grass grows well, harvesting is good in summertime. Herders cut the grass with a scythe to make hay for their livestock for wintertime. Most of the family members take part in cutting grass and preparing fodder for their livestock before winter.

During the summer, herding families live along the river, if they do not have a well. In most of the regions, herders share the hand-drawn well to water their animals. In some areas, they share a well run by a “Honda” generator. They also put their money together to purchase the petrol for the generator.

In summer, the animals stay in a camp that is located in an open area. Herders have a lot of work to do in the summer. They herd their animals by horse, and their animals graze peacefully in the pasture by eating nutritious grass. In recent years, some herders have started herding their animals by motorcycle, which is their main form of transportation.

Sometimes young foals get sunstroke because they are tied to long ropes for the entire day. However, herders put wet mud or pour water on the back of young foals to prevent them from getting sunstroke. In most cases, the herders will release the foals for a couple of hours until milking time. 

In summer, sheep and goats are milked once a day, while cows are milked twice a day. However, mares are milked every two hours. Herding families make a variety of dairy products such as curd, cheese, yogurt and airag, “fermented mare’s milk,” all of which are rich in calcium and good for metabolism.

Milking mares is usually done by women, and it requires considerable skill and technique. The milker kneels on one knee, with a pail propped on the other, steadied by a string tied to an arm. One arm is wrapped behind the mare's rear leg and the other in front of the leg. A man’s help is needed for milking the mares. It is necessary for the man to pull the foal away during the milking process. The mare’s foal is allowed to suckle its mother just long enough to let her milk down. Then, the man helps pull the foal away so that the other half of the mare’s milk is available to be milked by the woman. In Mongolia, the milking season for mares traditionally runs between mid-June and early October. 

The herders prepare for the harsh winter by making dairy products for winter consumption, making hay and shelters for the animals, training their horses or camels to use for transport, and collecting dried dung to use for fuel. They spend winter in a winter camp that is located at the slope of a hill. Winter camp has a shelter for the animals built with wood in wooded areas or with big rocks in the Gobi region where there are no trees. The winter camp is well protected from strong wind and cold weather. In summer, the winter camp remains empty, but herders move back there at the end of October to spend wintertime with their animals. Small animals, such as sheep and goats are kept in a shelter at night, while big animals like horses and camels stay out in the pasture on their own.

The winter is the harshest and coldest season for the herders to survive and raise their livestock. Some years, it is hard for the animals to survive in a harsh winter because of a natural disaster called “Dzud.” The heavy-boned horses can survive in extreme winter conditions by scraping the icy or snowy ground with their front hooves to reveal the scant vegetation underneath. However, small animals perish in large quantities in the harsh winter, since they have short hooves and are unable to find the vegetation under the snow. 

In recent years, herding families have had more access to technology. Most nomad families use solar panels to gain access to electricity. With the electricity, households can watch their favorite television channels. Also, they use mobile phones for everyday life. The access to the mobile phone helps them find their lost animals. They herd their animals by motorcycle because the animals pasture for long distances. In the old days, they moved by an oxcart to put down their “Ger” which is a nomadic dwelling. But nowadays, some of them are getting quite rich, and they own a truck or a 4-wheel-drive Jeep to move to a new place. Some households will hire a truck to move somewhere. 

The children from herders’ families go to a soum (village) school. They live with their relatives or in the school dormitory where food is provided by the State. In recent years, all the herding families prefer to send their children to colleges and universities in Ulaanbaatar, since herders have realized the importance of education. They want their children to be well educated and get a good job after graduation.

        In the last ten years, nomadic people have moved to urban areas to improve their living condition and obtain a better education and employment.

Animal census reports are completed by the end of December every year. Herders pay a tax to the State once a year depending on the number of animals they own.  Herders started paying taxes to the State in 1998. Sheep and goats are regarded as small animals, while horses, cows and camels are considered big animals. The cost of one of the big animals is equal to three small animals. For example: Herders are required to pay 300 tugrugs for each small animal, but they pay 900 tugrugs for each of the big animals.  The tax rates depend on where they live.  

Herdswomen usually make dried curds that are considered to be candy in the countryside. To make dried curds, they make yoghurt with milk and keep the yoghurt for several days to make it sour. Then the sour yoghurt is boiled until it becomes thick without liquid. After that, the thick dough is covered with cotton and pressed between two wooden plates for one or two days. The pressed curd is cut into different shapes and sizes and put on wooden plates over the Ger to dry for several days. Then the dried curds are ready to eat.

Every nomad family makes distilled milk vodka to serve visitors anytime or to drink on holidays. Distilled milk vodka is very smooth to drink. As said before, the sour yoghurt is kept for several days and then put in a big cauldron on the stove.  A round wooden framework is put over the big cauldron, and a small pot is hung from the framework.  Another small cauldron with cold water is placed over the framework. A fire is made in the stove until the cold water in the small cauldron is boiled. During this time, the sour yoghurt vaporizes and touches the bottom of the small cauldron and the drops of the distilled milk collect in the pot hanging inside. The cold water in the small cauldron is replaced twice. Finally, the hot water, the small cauldron and the small pot are removed from the framework. The milk vodka is placed in another pot.

The favorite, traditional dairy product is cheese for Mongolian people. To make cheese, about 7-8 liters of milk are put into a cauldron and a spoonful of yoghurt is added. The mixture is gradually boiled. Then the thickened mixture is pressed between two wooden flat boards for several hours to get any additional liquid out.  The cheese is cut into small squares. The Mongolian cheese has a different taste than European cheeses.

Airag, or “fermented mare’s milk,” is a traditional drink for the Mongols. After the mares are milked every two hours, fresh milk is collected and put into a leather bag made from cow’s skin. Then the fresh milk is beaten with a churn for 1500-2000 times. The next day, airag is ready to drink. Mare’s milk tastes different in different regions, and not all herders of Mongolia make airag. Only those living in Central Mongolia make “airag” in the summer.