BATON ROUGE - The LSU AgCenter says it's going to sell many of the cattle in the largest of its five research herds, and eventually plans to eliminate cattle research at the Homer facility, near the Arkansas state line.

AgCenter Associate Vice President Phil Elzer says the Hill Farm Research Station's beef researcher is leaving. He says money from the cattle sale will plug holes in the animal program budget.

Officials haven't decided how many of the 371 mature and 69 younger cows and bulls will be sold at auction. Current prices for a 600-to-700 pound cow range from $1 to $1.33 a pound.

There are smaller research herds near Alexandria, Shreveport, Jeanerette, and the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.

Elzy says the Homer facility will focus on poultry, forage and forestry research.