Mississippi State University’s H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center, also known as South Farm, acquired a new animal for their breeding program in late September — goats.
The South Farm research center provides students and staff opportunities to gain experience raising and taking care of animals. Through various research projects with the goats, such as trials on various types of feed, local farmers could learn different ways to raise their own livestock.
Leyla Rios de Alvarez, an assistant professor in the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, specializes in goats and sheep. She said the specific breed of goats should be a good addition to the South Farm.
“The breed is called Spanish goat,” Rios said. “Spanish goats are meat goats that are very well known here in the southeast because of their meat production and because they are a very hearty meat breed.”
Rios said that the goats were acquired from a local farmer and MSU alum.
“This is a little herd coming from a farmer who has purebred whiskered Spanish goats,” Rios said. “And were bought through Dr. Bratcher at the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.”
Christy Bratcher, department head of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, said the purpose of the deal was to aid both Rios and her students in the study of livestock management.
“We wanted to make sure that we had a working flock for her to do with teaching and research,” Bratcher said. “We also trusted the person that we got the goats from, so it worked out to be a great combination of networking and making sure that the goats had a new home and that we knew how to take care of them.”
Bratcher said the South Farm plans to experiment with how they raise the goats and their offspring to try and create the best type of goat meat for production and consumption.
“We are going to do some grazing, looking at different forages that goats might eat,” Bratcher said. “We will probably, at some point, look at meat quality on some of the offspring from these animals.”
William White is the facilities manager of Foundation Herds, a division of the MSU Animal and Dairy Sciences Department that specializes in raising and breeding herds of farm animals for productive, scientific and biological purposes. White said Foundation Herds has created new facilities to accommodate the goat herd.
“We have got thirteen goats now,” White said. “Three billies and ten nanny goats, and we have got twenty-five acres that we have just re-fenced. Put new water troughs in, new shelters.”
White said South Farm is preparing for the goat’s first offspring.
“We have got four that are fixing to start kidding,” White said. “So, they are going to start having babies. And we are watching pretty closely for that.”
White said South Farm purchased the goats to acquire livestock they did not already have.
“So, on the farm, we have got cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and chickens,” White said. “So why not goats?”
Rios said that, although the number of goats they have at the moment may seem to be on the small side, she hopes that they may be able to expand the population to a sizable amount so students, faculty and local farmers could work together to raise the farm.
“Now it’s only thirteen goats, but in the future we want it to be like a model experimental farm to do field days for the farmers here in Mississippi and do extension activities,” Rios said. “And also train students, because our students need this to practice with animals because they are getting into Vet Science.”

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Anabelle Anderson | The Reflector

Junior Kelsey Mazeres studies animal and dairy science.