International Goat Research Center

Mission: 

The mission of the International Goat Research Center (IGRC) is to advance the science of dairy and meat goat production, health and product development, and use this information to improve the livelihoods of the people in Texas, the Gulf Coast region and developing countries aboard. 

IGRC History: 

The International Goat Research Center (IGRC), originally named the International Dairy Goat Research Center, was established in 1982 to help fulfill the land grant mission of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, Prairie View A&M University.  The IGRC has been operating and conducting research at Prairie View A&M University for over 40 years.  Its primary areas of research have been reproduction, genetics, nutrition and health, and they have attracted visiting scientists from around the world.  Its mission is to conduct basic and applied research in the goat, fulfilling the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences’ (CAHS) land-grant mission of serving, through Research, Academics, and Extension, the underserved and underrepresented populations and limited resource clientele of the state of Texas, the Gulf Coast region, and developing countries around the world.  The center has been involved in numerous international programs to help other countries meet their needs for meat, milk and fiber.  These countries include Jamaica, Kenya, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ethiopia, and Nepal. 

Research at IGRC: 

Texas leads the nation with approximately 850,000 meat goats and ranks fourth with approximately 18,000 dairy goats.  The international Goat Research Center continues its historical path of conducting cutting edge research applying biotechnology and, more recently, “omics” technologies to the field of goat reproduction.  The center has added research in the areas of feed efficiency, milk and meat production, production of meat goat composite breeds, and milk and meat product development.  The IGRC has enriched the field of reproductive biology in the goat by characterizing the abnormally-regressing corpus luteum (CL), that led to embryonic loss and reduced pregnancy rates. They have recently utilized high-resolution color-Doppler ultrasound to develop a method for increasing the pregnancy rate in goats when performing artificial insemination. Further studies have characterized the microbiota of the goat female reproductive tract and the adaption of the GrowSafe system to determine residual feed intake, (RFI, efficiency) in weanling goats. Additionally, the IGRC has collaborated with engineers and medical device experts developing an implant to reduce the problems associated with repeated catherization of blood vessels during dialysis, utilizing the goat as a model before human clinical trials. 

The Center utilizes these technologies in a multidisciplinary approach that promotes the integration of IGRC and Cooperative Agriculture Research Center (CARC) staff expertise, Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) personnel, CAHS facilities (IGRC Labs, GrowSafe System, Micro-dairy, and Meat Lab), and research collaborators who have been cultivated within other PVAMU departments, other academic institutions, and industry scientists. Strengthening research and teaching collaborations with animal/veterinary science and engineering sciences will create an interactive environment where the next generation of animal and veterinary scientists will be trained using research to teach the scientific method, critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills. 

Livestock Club 

• Staff Advisor: Scott Horner 

Show Team 

• Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo: Ashley Pellerin, Extension Program Specialist, staff advisor; Scott Horner, Research Specialist, staff advisor 

The students show and exhibit the research herd at the IGRC at PVAMU. In addition to showing the animals, they also demonstrate their showmanship skills, which is now well they can talk to the judges, the information they gain from working with their animal, and the time spent working with the researchers at the IGRC, as well.  

• State Fair of Texas: New for 2022; September 30-October 23, 2022 

Ashley Pellerin, Extension Program Specialist, staff advisor; Scott Horner, Research Specialist, staff advisor 

Volunteers

Programs 

• 4-H Goat Kid Giveaway Program A program led by the IGRC, the giveaway provides a small number of 4-H students across the state with a goat kid to raise, show, and breed in an effort to promote the importance of goats to the agricultural economy. This program is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 1890 Extension Formula Program under Section 1444
   
• Artificial Insemination (AI) Workshop The Program is a collaboration with the Agriculture and Natural Resources unit of the Cooperative Extension Program and the Cooperative Agricultural Research Center at PVAMU. The program started September 13, 2018 at the International Goat Research Center, located on the Bill and Vera Daniel Agriculture Research and Educational Complex (AREC) on campus. Dean, Dr. Gerard D’Souza and Dr. Gary Newton opened the program with greetings to a small group of farmers, ranchers, faculty, staff, and students. The program continued with an introduction and history of AI by Dr. Bill Foxworth, followed by an overview of goat nutrition and body condition by Mr. Scott Horner.  Dr. Alphina Ho-Watson presented next, where she discussed the importance of goat health and artificial insemination. Dr. Bill Foxworth concluded the morning session with a detailed presentation on Artificial insemination and provided hands-on reproductive tract practice with the participants. The afternoon session of the program provided the farmers and ranchers with individual hands-on practice of the various steps and procedures that should be followed in successful artificial insemination. This session was led by Dr. Bill Foxworth with assistance from the International Goat Research Center staff. In addition to the farmers and ranchers who were trained in AI, three county agents were trained and received certificates of participation. Thirty-one participants attended and the purpose of the workshop was to educate and train small-scale farmers and ranchers how to do AI. That goal was met as indicated by a survey completed by the participants which show that 100% of the participants increased their knowledge of AI procedures, and 89% plan to adopt AI on their farms. One hundred percent of the participants who completed the survey also indicated that they expect to benefit economically as a result of participating in the workshop.
   
• Introduction to Goat Reproductive Management short course The International Goat Research Center (IGRC) conducted a one-day “Introduction to Goat Reproductive Management” short course on September 15, 2016.  Research Scientist Bill Foxworth and Research Specialist Scott Horner conducted the program with the aid of several undergraduate students.  The nine attendees ranged from goat producers to veterinarians from a variety of geographic locations across the state of Texas. The program included highlights of goat nutrition, health, record keeping and facilities in relation to a successful management program.  The primary focus was to provide a basic understanding of the processes involved in collecting and utilizing genetic resources to improving the production value of goat herds. Hands-on experience in each facet of the management process was provided to the program attendees. 

Upcoming: 

Past: 

• CAHS Students Participate in HLSR – March 28, 2022 
• College of Agriculture and Human Sciences Hosts 4th National Goat Conference – October 4, 2021 
• REEU (Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates) Participants Visit CAHS – June 21, 2021 
• PVAMU Awarded USDA Grant to Train TAMU Students at IGRC – December 23, 2021 

• Prairie View A&M Livestock Show Team Win – December 12, 2019 
• CAHS 4-H Goat Giveaway Program Makes Big Impact in Hamilton County – November 2, 2018 
• Goat Judging Workshops and 4-H Goat Judging Contest – October 1, 2018 
• Eighth and Ninth graders from Houston ISD and Spring Branch ISD Visit – August 9, 2017 
• Scientists from Mexico Visit to the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences – June 29, 2017 

• Foxworth Serves USAID Farmer to Farmer Program in Nepal – March 27, 2017 
• Livestock Club Assists with American Diary Goat Judges Training – October 30, 2016 

Research: 

• William Foxworth – Director, IGRC and Lead Research Scientist 
• Neguesse Kidane – Assistant Professor
• Katherine Phillips – Research Specialist 
• Islyn Gilmore – Research Technician 

Animal Care: 

• Research Veterinarian 
• Carli Decker – Veterinary Technician II 
• Scott Horner – Goat Herd Manager, Research Specialist 
• Earl Jackson – Research Technician 

• A.J. Davis – Farm Foreman 
• Jeremy Brent – Agricultural Research Worker 
• Zaki Cade – Agricultural Research Worker 
• Jarvis Ogilvie – Agricultural Research Worker