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
Feb 2, 2026
Feb 2, 2026
13 min
If you’re the kind of person who likes a plan, but every food storage list you’ve ever seen felt overwhelming or unrealistic, today’s episode is for you. I’m going to walk you through a simple way to build food and household storage based on what your family actually uses, instead of someone else’s checklist. This isn’t about fear or extremes. It’s about paying attention, stewarding your home well, and creating a plan that fits your life and adapts as seasons change. Let’s get to it!
Related Episodes:
25 | Concerned About the Food Supply? Simple Ways to Ensure That Your Family Will Be Fed in the Event of a Food Availability Crisis
49 | 3 Strategies to Make the Best Use of Bulk Meat Storage and Avoid Freezer Overwhelm
64 | Healthy Food, Self-Sufficiency, and Homesteading: How to Make Lasting Changes and Ditch the Overwhelm
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Jan 26, 2026
Jan 26, 2026
12 min
Fast-growing goats sound like a good problem, and they are, until you start running the feed numbers. In this episode, I’m walking you through a real-time management decision we’re making on our ranch. Mild winter weather pushed our weaned kids 15–20 pounds ahead of schedule, and that growth changed our hay needs by 30–44%. I’ll show you how I ran the numbers, why buying more hay doesn’t pencil out, and how we decided when it made sense to sell early instead of sticking to the original plan. If you’re raising goats and trying to balance performance, feed inventory, and cash flow, this episode will help you think through those trade-offs with clarity instead of guesswork. Let’s get to it!
Episode Mentions:
28 | Winter Feed for Livestock: Calculate How Much Hay You Need and a Strategy to Save Money
Related Episodes:
35 | Winter Hay Feeding Evaluation: Meeting Nutritional Requirements of Goats and Reducing Hay Waste
78 | Winter Grazing: Low Cost, Regenerative Strategies for Goats and Other Livestock
71 | Livestock Management Decisions and Why We Are Selling Part of Our Goat Herd
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Jan 19, 2026
Jan 19, 2026
11 min
Winter chores don’t have to take all day, but they do require good systems. In today’s episode, I’m sharing what a typical winter day on our ranch looks like, how we divide chores, manage water in freezing temperatures, and keep winter from turning into a constant crisis mode. If winter feels overwhelming, this episode will help you think through a simpler approach.
Episode Mentions:
09 | The Most Important Nutrient for All Livestock is WATER, Time-Saving Tips for Meeting Animal Requirements, and How We Do It Off-Grid
Related Episodes:
28 | Winter Feed for Livestock: Calculate How Much Hay You Need and a Strategy Save Money
35 | Winter Hay Feeding Evaluation: Meeting Nutritional Requirements of Goats and Reducing Hay Waste
40 | How to Help Your Goats Thrive in Winter
42 | Surviving Extreme Cold with Livestock When Your Animals Aren’t Adapted to Freezing Temperatures
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Jan 12, 2026
Jan 12, 2026
10 min
Breeding season is underway here at Dry Creek, and this year our breeding decisions look a little different than they have in the past. Today, I’m walking you through why we made those changes, not just what we’re doing, but how we’re thinking through the genetics, mothering ability, and long-term herd direction. If you’re raising goats, planning to, or just trying to make better livestock decisions without boxing yourself into a corner, this episode is for you.
Related Episodes:
22 | What Is the Perfect Meat Goat? How to Choose the Right Breed for Your Farm or Homestead PART 1
23 | Boer vs Kiko, What Meat Goat Breed is the Best Fit for Your Farm or Homestead? PART 2
27 | Which Goats Should I Keep to Breed? How to Select Replacement Does and Plan Your Goat Breeding Season
37 | Replacement Doe Management: Later Selection to Choose the Best Does for Your Herd
76 | How to Choose Future Breeding Bucks for Your Goat Herd
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Jan 5, 2026
Jan 5, 2026
10 min
This week on the podcast, I’m sharing what real-life planning looks like on a working ranch, mud, weather swings, breeding decisions, and all. We’re talking about seasonal rhythms, why rigid schedules don’t work for us, and how planning around your actual life can bring more steadiness and less frustration.
Related Episodes:
02 | Overwhelmed? 4 Steps to Create a Practical Plan for Adding Livestock to Your Homestead Successfully
06 | What Livestock Should I Get First? My Top Pick for Your First Homestead Animals
30 | Livestock Decision-Making: What to do When You Make a Wrong Decision and How to Use that Information to Make Progress
53 | Livestock and Land Management that Works WITH Your Environment and Resources, Not Against Them
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Dec 29, 2025
Dec 29, 2025
13 min
Before you get goats, or if you already have them and things feel harder than you expected, this episode is for you. Today I’m sharing five things I really wish I had understood before I got goats. These are lessons that would have saved me time, money, frustration, and a few hard-earned mistakes. Let’s talk about what goats are actually like, not the myths, and how to set yourself up for success from the start.
Mentions:
17 | Do My Goats Need Mineral? How to Meet Their Micronutrient Needs and Keep the Herd Healthy
10 | 5 Tips to Raise Bottle Goat Kids That Thrive
Related Episodes:
03 | Ready for Goats! 4 Steps to Help You Confidently Shop for and Purchase Your First Goats
07 | Should My Goats Have Horns or Not? Pros and Cons of Disbudding Goats
02 | Overwhelmed? 4 Steps to Create a Practical Plan for adding Livestock to Your Homestead Successfully
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Dec 22, 2025
Dec 22, 2025
12 min
Breeding season success doesn’t start the day the buck goes in, it starts weeks earlier. In today’s episode, I’m walking through how we prepare our goat herd for breeding season, including our feeding strategy after weaning, what flushing actually is and when it works, why mineral intake matters more than most people think, and how winter water access quietly determines whether any of it works at all.
Related Episodes:
14 | When Should My Goats Kid? Timing Your Production Cycle to Optimize Goat Fertility and Forage Nutrition
17 | Do My Goats Need Mineral? How to Meet Their Micronutrient Needs and Keep the Herd Healthy
09 | The Most Important Nutrient for All Livestock is WATER, Time-Saving Tips for Meeting Animal Requirements, and How We Do It Off-Grid
24 | What Is That Smell? The Bucks are In Rut! Should You Buy a Buck to Breed Your Does or Is Leasing a Better Option?
26 | Is My Goat Old Enough to Breed? How To Decide When Your Does Are Ready to Have Their First Kids
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Dec 15, 2025
Dec 15, 2025
17 min
Regenerative agriculture isn’t a checklist or a finish line. It’s a decision-making process you repeat over and over as you learn what your land can actually do. In this episode, I’m walking you through the framework we use on our high-desert ranch to turn regenerative principles into real-world management decisions with goats and cattle. We’ll talk about learning without copy-pasting, asking “how can this work here?” instead of “this will never work,” and how we break big, overwhelming goals, like reducing winter hay feeding and extending the grazing season, into practical tests we can evaluate and adjust.
Mentions:
Gabe Brown — Dirt to Soil
Related Episodes:
84 | The Messy Middle of Regenerative Ranching: Key Insights from “A Bold Return to Giving a Damn” by Will Harris
78 | Winter Grazing: Low Cost, Regenerative Strategies for Goats and Other Livestock
53 | Livestock and Land Management that Works WITH Your Environment and Resources, Not Against Them
21 | Seeking Sustainability? How to Evaluate Options and Make Decisions with a Sustainability Mindset
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Dec 8, 2025
Dec 8, 2025
15 min
Coccidiosis is one of the most common and most misunderstood health issues in goats. Some herds barely deal with it. Others lose kids every season. Today, I’m breaking down what coccidia actually is, how it functions, which strains are the most dangerous, how genetics and stress play into it, and the management shifts that finally broke our yearly cycle of coccidiosis. If you’ve ever dealt with diarrhea, weak kids, or unexplained losses, this episode will give you clarity.
Episode Mentions:
86 | Can Goats and Chickens Live Together? What’s Safe, What’s Not, and How to Do It Right
Related Episodes:
82 | Internal Parasites in Goats: Monitoring, Prevention, and Treatment for Barber Pole and Other Worms
68 | New to Raising Livestock? Risk Management Strategies When the Learning Curve is Steep
08 | When Animals Aren’t Working Out on the Homestead: How to Evaluate Your Livestock Projects and Decide to Keep or Sell
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Dec 1, 2025
Dec 1, 2025
10 min
Hi friends! A lot of folks claim you have to keep goats and chickens separate. Others run them together year-round with no issues. So, which is actually right? Today we’re breaking down the real risks, the benefits, the newest research on coccidia, and the simple guidelines that make mixed housing work safely. And at the end, I’ll share a teaser for next week’s episode, where we’re talking all about coccidia—what it is, when it becomes deadly, and the management shifts that finally broke our yearly coccidiosis cycle. Let’s get to it!
Related Episodes:
06 | What Livestock Should I Get First? My Top Pick for Your First Homestead Animals
20 | Lessons from Raising Livestock: 5 Problems That Can Be Avoided or Solved with a Good Mentor
21 | Seeking Sustainability? How to Evaluate Options and Make Decisions with a Sustainability Mindset
31 | Are Winter Heat Lamps Bad for Chickens? How to Prepare Your Flock for a Comfortable Winter
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart
Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join
Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com
Instagram: @drycreekpastures
More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.