Goat Wise | Meat Goats, Feeding Goats, Goat Fencing, Livestock Management
Ranked in the top 2% of podcasts globally.
Are you serious about raising goats but tired of advice that doesn't hold up in real life? Are you adding goats to your ranch or homestead and realizing they require different infrastructure, nutrition, and management than other livestock? Do you want fencing, feeding, and production systems that work under pressure?
You're in the right place.
I'm Millie Bradshaw, Animal Scientist and rancher. I grew up in the commercial cattle world, earned a Master's Degree in Animal Science, and now run a forage-based meat goat operation integrated with cattle in the high desert. We've built the infrastructure, refined the genetics, managed the forage, and learned firsthand what works — and what fails — when you're responsible for animals in a demanding environment.
On Goat Wise, we talk fencing that actually contains goats, feeding and mineral strategies that make sense for your operation, genetics that match your environment and your goals, and the kind of steady decision-making that holds up when conditions aren't ideal. Production-minded livestock management for people who are in this for real.
If you're ready to build systems that last, welcome to Goat Wise.
Episodes
Jul 29, 2024
Jul 29, 2024
15 min
Hi, friend!
Today I’ll be reporting in on the 2024 kidding season for our commercial meat goat herd. I’ve been crunching the numbers and I’m going to share them with you, along with how they’re calculated and why we do it the way we do. I’m also giving quite a bit of detail on our management decisions, production goals, and lots of explanations on terminology related to livestock.
All the Best!
Millie
Join our email list and be first to get updates and special offers: https://getgoatwiseinsider.grwebsite.com
Join the FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/getgoatwise
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jul 22, 2024
Jul 22, 2024
10 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking about the most important lesson we learned going off grid, and how you can learn from our experiences and mistakes to make your own off-grid journey much smoother. We’ll talk about changing your expectations about power, thinking differently about electricity to find alternatives, and modifying the way you live to make your power system serve you in the best way possible.
All the Best!
Millie
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jul 15, 2024
Jul 15, 2024
14 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking about the annual production cycle we follow with our goats, timing of breeding and kidding, why we do it that way, and lots of other things we’ve tried. I’ll also share other options that are popular and successful in other areas. This episode will be a high-level walk through of our production calendar, and the big picture view of our production system.
All the Best!
Millie
Mentions:
"The Meat Goat Handbook: Raising Goats for Food, Profit, and Fun" by Yvonne Zweede-Tucker: (affiliate link)
https://amzn.to/3PFyo2n
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Jul 8, 2024
Jul 8, 2024
20 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking about electric netting for goats, different types and their uses, when it works, when it doesn’t, and how to use it effectively. I’ll be giving tips for success and things to be aware of when using electric netting with goats. This episode is packed full of tips I’ve learned from 6 years of experience (and some failures) with electric netting.
All the Best!
Millie
Mentions:
Backyard Green Films YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/U4myLanaDc0?si=3MOmRZ_odrFU1Suq
Premier 1 Supplies Electric Netting Kits (A great place to start): https://www.premier1supplies.com/c/fencing/electric-netting-kits
Premier 1 Supplies Electric Netting: https://www.premier1supplies.com/c/fencing/electric-netting
Premier 1 Supplies Energizers: https://www.premier1supplies.com/c/fencing/electric-fence-energizers
Our favorite mallet: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-12-lb-soft-face-mallet-69048.html
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jul 1, 2024
Jul 1, 2024
15 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking about raising kids with livestock, the skills and life lessons they’ll learn, and how it will benefit them for the rest of their life. I’ll be sharing tips on age-appropriate work, motivating kids to do their chores, teaching them to be self-motivated, and how to strengthen your relationship with your kids while working alongside them.
All the Best!
Millie
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jun 24, 2024
Jun 24, 2024
11 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking all about tagging goats for identification, what the USDA rules are on tags and how we do it here at Dry Creek Livestock. I’m sharing all the information you’ll need to make a decision on tagging that is right for you and your situation. Let’s get to it!
All the Best!
Millie
Mentions:
How to obtain a Premise ID: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-disease/traceability/pin
Animal ID and Recordkeeping, USDA Requirements: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fs-scrapie-recordkeeping.pdf
Premier 1 Supplies Tags: https://www.premier1supplies.com/c/ear-tags-and-tattoo-supplies/ear-tags
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jun 17, 2024
Jun 17, 2024
13 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking all about bottle goats! Pros and cons of bottle kids compared to dam-raised kids, and I’ll be sharing 5 tips to help you successfully raise your bottle goats: Let’s get to it!
All the Best!
Millie
Mention:
Pritchard Teat: https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/pritchard-teat?criteria=Pritchard+Teat&species_id=0&cat_id=0
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jun 10, 2024
Jun 10, 2024
12 min
Hi, friend!
Today we are talking about the most important nutrient for all livestock… WATER! It seems simple enough, but keeping adequate water available to your animals through all the seasons can be quite challenging. I’ll be sharing some tips to manage water efficiently as well as explain how we do it off-grid!
All the Best!
Millie
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
Jun 3, 2024
Jun 3, 2024
12 min
Hi, friend!
Today we’re taking a hard look at our livestock and evaluating to see if we should keep going or change directions with each herd or animal. I give you six areas to evaluate and then walk through the process with our show goat herd. Do we keep the show goats or sell them? You’ll leave with a plan to assess each of your livestock animals and decide their future on your farm or homestead!
All the Best!
Millie
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock
May 27, 2024
May 27, 2024
10 min
Hi, friend!
Today we’re going to talk about disbudding goats – should your goat herd have horns or not? We’ll talk about the purpose of horns, risks of removing them, challenges with leaving them on, building fence depending on what you choose, can you mix horned and disbudded goats, and all the things you need to know to make the best decision for your herd
All the Best!
Millie
Connect with me:
Email: drycreekgoats@gmail.com
See what’s happening on the ranch: www.instagram.com/dry.creek.livestock