Livestock
The livestock operation at the Freeman Center serves two purposes:
- The use of laboratory animals for the animal science teaching and research programs in the Agriculture Department at Texas State University.
- A livestock operation that provides some income to help offset ranch operating expenses.
The university operates the Freeman Center as a cow-calf cattle operation, but the teaching program and research are our first priority. In the cow-calf operation, there are 65 mature crossbred cows and 12 replacement heifers. The cows are mainly a Brangus-Gelvieh cross. Currently the Center is shifting to an Angus- Hereford cross. The Freeman Center currently owns 2 polled Hereford bull and black Angus bulls. For educational purposes, the Freeman Center has two 90-day breeding seasons which provide fall and spring calves that are uses for teaching labs.
The Freeman Center currently manages 9 Syfan-Spanish nannies crossed to 1 Boer goat Billy.
