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The livestock operation at the Freeman Ranch
serve two main purposes 1) the use of labratory
animals for the animal science teaching and
research programs in the Agriculture Department at
Texas State University and 2) as commercial
livestock enterprises used to provide income to
offsetting the ranch operating expenses. The
university strives to operate the ranch as a
commercial cow-calf
cattle operation, but the teaching program and
research are our first priority. The main livestock
enterprise is a crossbred cow-calf
cattle operation, with small, supplemental herds of
sheep and
swine kept for teaching purposes.
In the commercial cow-calf
operation, there are 143 mature crossbred cows and
54 replacement heifers. The cows are mainly a
Brangus-Beefmaster cross with Gelbvieh influence.
The Ranch currently owns seven Gelbvieh bulls and
one Brangus bull. For educational purposes, the
ranch has two 60 day breeding seasons which provide
fall and spring calves that are uses for teaching
labs.
The sheep
flock allows students to study herd management,
fiber analysis of wool, and heath care management.
The sheep
flock consists of 42 fine wool females and four
medium wool females. Each year lambs are sold to
4-H and FFA students and at market for replacement
females.
The Freeman Ranch currently manages Boer cross
goats with 50 Boer cross nannys.
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