Goat farming is the raising and breeding of domestic goats for milk, fiber and skin. Often on land that is less suitable for other livestock. Goats are valued for their ability to convert low-quality grazing into lean meat and for their adaptability to small farms and varied climates.
On Saturday, September 19,2026 UCAC hosted a Goat Health Day on the Brooks Family Farm. Mrs. Brooks open with prayer and welcome. She talked about the history of her Family Farm, which started in 2018 with 17 goats. Due to her health declining, she reduced the number of goats to 7. Mrs. Brooks said the main reason for having the Goat Health Day is to teach and train our youth how to become farmers. She has two students from West Point, MS volunteer on Wednesday’s evenings to help on the farm.
Mrs. Brooks invited Dr. Leyla Rios, a Goat and Sheep Specialist for the state of Mississippi. Dr. Leyla currently works for the MSU Extension Office. She has been working with Mrs. Brooks for the last 6 years. Dr. Leyla’s routine examination of goats includes tagging, famacha, hoof trimming, weight management and record keeping. Tagging is primarily for identification. Famacha is a technique used to assess the level of anemia in goats which helps determine the need for deworming due to parasitic infection. Hoof trimming is essential because their hooves continuously grow and can become overgrown, which leads to discomfort and difficulty walking. Weight Management is crucial for goats because it affects their health reproductive, efficiency and overall productivity. And record keeping helps identify individual goats tracking their health and managing breeding stocking.
Mrs. Brooks said that Goat Health is essential for maintaining a productive and profitable herd. After the examining of the goats. Lunch was served!
