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The Right Move By Michael Kinney
Gynna Southerland says switching from horses to meat goats was the perfect option Submitted Photo
For more than four decades, Gydoes,” Gynna said. “Because goat math is nna Southerland could have been a real thing. Those 15 does in a week can called the horse whisperer. Living in turn into 30 to 45. I know because we’ve Texas, she raised Quarter horses and other had it happen.” breeds for 40 years. Gynna’s newest herd hails from WashHowever, eight years ago, Southerland ington state. It is comprised of Kikos and and her husband Timothy relocated from Spanish breeds. the Lone Star state to Arkansas and quick“The does I have coming from Lookout ly found that a horse ranch was not going Point is an original breeder of the breeds,” to be sustainable. Gynna said. “So I am getting really old “We decided that the market wasn’t benestock, I’m getting stuff that has been on ficial for horses,” Gynna said. “I was getting 500 acres that have never been dewormed, up in age and had been hurt.” vaccinated, nothing. New blood lines for While horses were no longer in her future, this area. We have some old Spanish lines Gynna wasn’t ready to give up the ranch coming in. And we’re going to mix a few of life she had lived almost her entire adult life. our Kikos that are dairy crosses, that we’re That’s when she started researching other going to mix with the Spanish. Because animals to breed and landed on goats. you are not losing anything when you “So I did about six months’ worth of recross that. But you have slighter cheaper search on goats,” Gynna said. ‘I have almilk for people who want to buy someways liked goats. It led me into the Kikos.” thing that is rugged and youth.” Southerland looked through every type Gynna knows the exact origins of every of goat on the market, but it was the litgoat that roams her farm. This enables her tle-known Kiko that stood out to her as the to make sure and educate her customers best path forward. and not sell them inferior stock. “The goat market is booming in the state “We try to keep a variety of animals, we of Arkansas,” Gynna said. “We got in it try to rotate bloodlines. So when people at a really good time. There were very few do come back, they can buy safely and not Kiko breeders; there are four now.” worry that it’s going to be inbred,” Gynna With its origins hailing from New Zeasaid. “That is one of the nice things about land, the Kiko goat was bred to grow fast and function as a high-production meat having a papered animal. You know where it’s come from. I know what bloodlines goat. They have become a popular breed due to their hardiness, low maintenance certain people have. So not to sell you this one if you’ve got that one.” and ability to live in extreme conditions, such as the Ozarks. Gynna said the hardest part in raising Kikos is learning what to feed them. “The Kiko and the Spanish both are parasite resistant, they have great feet, they’re “We have native grasses here. I finally found someone who did legume Sericea great mothers,” Gynna said. “So, there is very little input. When you are going into Lespedeza,” she explained. “We found out Sericea Lespedeza is a huge benefit for your 60s and you have a bad back, bad knees and you’re primarily doing the farm by goats. The fewer chemicals that you put into your animals, the better your animals yourself, having an animal that requires less maintenance, and they are now going for are. Especially for a meat animal. That means fewer chemicals in the meat that you more than $4 a pound, that is just smart money.” eating or the milk.” Gynna pointed out there is a lot more work and money involved with raising According to Gynna, legume Sericea Lespedeza is good for goats in general. cows compared to goats. “It’s considered invasive but is great for preventing soil erosion and puts nitrogen Gynna and Timothy have owned their 22-acre property for eight in the soil,” Gynna said. “And it’s drought-resistant.” years. But Gynna didn’t start breeding Kiko goats until four years ago Gynna takes the health of her stock extremely seriously. She says she when creating the Southern 22 Kikos Ranch. won’t feed her goats anything they don’t need. Batesville, Ark. When Gynna began breeding goats, her stock included a New Zealand That includes going not feeding her Kikos goat pellets. Instead Gynna buck, a purebred buck, two purebred does and three commercial does uses horse pellets because she won’t feed them any chemicals they do not with Boer in them. need. The size of her flock can fluctuate depending on the time of the year. Gynna typically weans goat kids at 3 months and they can gain up to half “Because of the way I rotate my pasture, I try to keep no more than 15 a pound day.
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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
JULY 11, 2022
