Breeding decisions, feed calculations, replacement standards, and herd focus all shape profitability but rarely in dramatic ways. Most goat herds don’t fall apart overnight. They slowly lose momentum because of small management decisions that compound over time.

In this episode, I walk through five mistakes that can quietly erode profitability in a goat herd. From breeding does too early to failing to track does exposed to breeding, feeding without running the math, and keeping goats out of sentiment, we break down the practical decisions that either strengthen or weaken your system.

You’ll hear how delayed breeding improved longevity in our forage-based herd, why exposed-doe metrics give a more honest fertility picture, how simple feed calculations can prevent waste and overconditioning, and how tightening replacement standards shapes long-term herd direction. I also share the hard decision we made to focus fully on commercial meat goats when our goals became clearer.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s intentional management.

If you’ve been working hard but feel like your herd isn’t progressing the way it should, this episode will help you step back, evaluate your system, and tighten the areas that matter most.

• Why breeding does at the wrong stage of development increases replacement pressure
• How delayed breeding improved longevity and reduced kidding problems in our herd
• Why tracking “does exposed to breeding” gives a more accurate fertility picture
• The importance of measuring singles, twins, triplets, and assistance rates
• How to calculate feed intake using body weight and dry matter percentages
• Why protein is the most expensive nutrient you feed
• How overconditioning affects breed-up
• The long-term cost of keeping goats for emotional reasons
• Why tightening replacement standards improves herd direction
• How unclear production goals create inconsistent selection decisions

• Longevity is profit
• Fertility must be measured honestly to improve
• Feed efficiency requires both math and observation
• Replacement standards should tighten over time
• Sentiment has a cost — acknowledge it
• Clear production goals drive consistent herd improvement
• Small management decisions compound over years

• 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 for Breeding? How to Select Replacement Does and Plan Your Goat Breeding Season
• 29 | Are Your Goats Too Fat or Too Thin? How to Body Condition Score and Adjust Your Feeding Strategy for Healthier Goats
• 68 | New to Raising Livestock? Risk Management Strategies When the Learning Curve is Steep

All the Best, Millie

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab the free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.getgoatwise.com/kidding-chart
• Get Dry Creek meat: https://drycreekheritagemeats.com
• Join my insider email list: https://www.getgoatwise.com/insider
• Join the free community: https://www.getgoatwise.com/community
• Email me: millie@drycreekpastures.com
• See ranch life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drycreekpastures/

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for animal health guidance.

Efficient chores aren’t about moving faster — they’re about deciding the order once so you don’t have to rethink it every morning. When chores feel chaotic or take longer than they should, it’s usually not because there’s too much to do. It’s because there isn’t a clear system in place.

In this episode, I walk you step-by-step through my winter morning livestock chores — not just what I do, but why I do it in that order. From removing distractions first, to batching tasks, to building physical reminders into the environment, I explain the simple principles that keep our barn running smoothly — even during mud season.

You’ll hear how I structure chores to reduce wasted motion, prevent frustration, train livestock guardian dogs during daily routines, and build systems that protect future me from unnecessary work. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s consistency and clarity.

If you’ve ever felt scattered during chores or like you’re making three trips back to the barn for one forgotten thing, this episode will help you step back, think through your own order of operations, and build a routine that works with your life — not against it.

• Why chaotic chores are usually a systems problem, not a workload problem
• What “order of operations” looks like in real-life livestock management
• How removing distractions first saves time and reduces frustration
• Why batching tasks reduces wasted motion
• How to use physical reminders in your environment so you don’t rely on memory
• Training livestock guardian dogs during daily chores instead of adding extra time
• Using daily chores as an opportunity for livestock observation
• How efficient systems protect your time during busy seasons
• Why each family member having their own routine can improve consistency
• How to adjust your routine when seasons and chore demands change

• Efficient chores are built on order, not speed
• Clear routines reduce mental load and decision fatigue
• Batching similar tasks saves time and motion
• Building reminders into your environment prevents forgotten steps
• Regular observation during chores helps catch problems early
• Systems protect your time when workload increases

• 02 | Overwhelmed? 4 Steps to Create a Practical Plan for Adding Livestock to Your Homestead Successfully
• 03 | Ready for Goats! 4 Steps to Help You Confidently Shop for and Purchase Your First Goats
• 06 | What Livestock Should I Get First? My Top Pick for Your First Homestead Animals
• 12 | Raising Kids and Livestock? Teach Life Lessons, Build Character, and Strengthen Your Relationships While Raising Animals
• 68 | New to Raising Livestock? Risk Management Strategies When the Learning Curve is Steep

All the Best, Millie

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab the free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.getgoatwise.com/kidding-chart
• Get Dry Creek meat: https://drycreekheritagemeats.com
• Join my insider email list: https://www.getgoatwise.com/insider
• Join the free community: https://www.getgoatwise.com/community
• Email me: millie@drycreekpastures.com
• See ranch life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drycreekpastures/

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for animal health guidance.

Self-sufficiency looks different for every family, yet many people feel stuck trying to follow generic food storage lists that don’t reflect how they actually eat or live. Over time, I’ve learned that the most effective food and household storage plans aren’t built from someone else’s checklist — they’re built by paying attention to what your family already uses.

In this episode, I share a simple, practical self-sufficiency strategy for building food, household, and personal care storage that actually fits your life. Instead of fear-based prepping or rigid rules, this approach starts by tracking what your family uses over the course of a month and letting that information guide your storage decisions.

I explain why this method works for both planners and freestyle cooks, how it naturally adapts as seasons and family needs change, and why self-sufficiency doesn’t require extremes or isolation. This is about stewardship, resilience, and reducing dependence on fragile systems — without overwhelm.

You’ll also hear why food storage has been most valuable for our family during job changes and unexpected financial or medical seasons, not hypothetical emergencies. This system supports healthier eating, fewer last-minute grocery runs, and the quiet security of having what you need already on hand.

If you want a realistic, adaptable way to build self-sufficiency through food and household storage without panic buying or complicated systems this episode will give you a clear, manageable place to start.

• Why generic food storage lists often fail real families working toward self-sufficiency
• The difference between fear-based prepping and practical self-sufficiency through stewardship
• A simple month-long method to track what your family actually uses for food storage planning
• How to track food, cleaning supplies, and personal care items to build household self-sufficiency
• Turning real-life consumption data into a custom family food storage plan
• Why seasonal food audits are key to long-term self-sufficiency and preparedness
• How this food storage system works for both menu planners and freestyle cooks
• Saving money through bulk buying, shopping sales, and intentional household planning
• How food storage supports healthier home cooking and reduces reliance on takeout
• Using pantry, freezer, and food storage inventory to confidently plan bulk meat purchases

• Self-sufficiency starts with understanding what your family already uses
• Effective food storage plans should reflect real habits, not generic preparedness lists
• Tracking household usage for one month provides clarity without overwhelm
• Food storage systems should adapt as seasons, schedules, and family needs change
• Practical self-sufficiency creates resilience, financial stability, and peace of mind

• 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

All the Best, Millie

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab the free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.getgoatwise.com/kidding-chart
• Get Dry Creek meat: https://drycreekheritagemeats.com
• Join my insider email list: https://www.getgoatwise.com/insider
• Join the free community: https://www.getgoatwise.com/community
• Email me: millie@drycreekpastures.com
• See ranch life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drycreekpastures/

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for animal health guidance.

Fast growth is something we’re genuinely excited about on our ranch. This winter, a stretch of unusually mild weather reduced maintenance energy demands, allowing our weaned goat kids to put more of what they were eating toward growth instead of staying warm. As a result, they’re running 15–20 pounds ahead of where we’d normally expect them to be this time of year.

In this episode, I walk through how that weather-driven growth changed our winter feeding plan. I explain how we recalculated hay needs, what a 30–44% increase in feed demand looks like in real terms, and how we adjusted our marketing plan to match what the goats were actually doing instead of forcing the original timeline.

I share what we noticed early, how we ran the feed calculations, and why additional weight matters so much during winter feeding. I break down dry matter versus as-fed hay, how waste factors into real-world feeding systems, and why those details add up quickly when you’re feeding a large group of goats.

You’ll also hear how we evaluated our options, why buying more hay didn’t pencil out, and why selling earlier than planned was the most responsible decision given our feed inventory and the current market. This episode is a real ranch example of adjusting plans early, before a good situation turns into a costly one.

If you’re feeding goats through winter and trying to balance growth, hay supply, and marketing decisions, this episode will help you think through those trade-offs with clarity instead of guesswork.

• A ranch update and how winter breeding conditions affect management decisions
• How mild winter weather shifted energy use and increased growth in weaned goat kids
• Why faster growth directly increases winter feed requirements
• Calculating feed intake based on body weight
• Converting dry matter intake to as-fed hay requirements
• Accounting for hay waste in winter feeding systems
• How increased growth led to a 30–44% increase in hay consumption
• Evaluating winter feeding options: buy more hay or sell early
• Why return on investment matters when feed requirements increase
• How predictable goat markets factor into winter marketing plans
• When adjusting a plan early is better than sticking to the original one

• Mild winter weather can significantly increase growth rates in young goats
• Faster growth increases winter feed needs more than most people expect
• Winter feeding decisions should be based on math, not assumptions
• Hay inventory creates real limits on how long animals can be retained
• Selling early can be a proactive, responsible management decision

• 28 | Winter Feed for Livestock: Calculate How Much Hay You Need and a Strategy to Save Money

• 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

All the Best, Millie

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab the free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.getgoatwise.com/kidding-chart
• Get Dry Creek meat: https://drycreekheritagemeats.com
• Join my insider email list: https://www.getgoatwise.com/insider
• Join the free community: https://www.getgoatwise.com/community
• Email me: millie@drycreekpastures.com
• See ranch life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drycreekpastures/

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for animal health guidance.

Winter chores don’t have to take all day, but they do require good systems. In this episode, I’m sharing what a typical winter day looks like on our ranch, how we divide chores, manage water in freezing temperatures, and keep winter from turning into constant crisis mode.

I walk through what’s happening on the ranch right now, from breeding season updates to moving chickens into the barn, and how winter changes the pace and priorities of daily management. I share how and why we assign consistent chores, what a realistic winter chore timeline looks like in a moderate year, and why letting winter be slower is not a failure, but a strategy.

You’ll hear a detailed breakdown of how we handle winter water, hay feeding, and livestock care, including what adjustments we make when temperatures drop well below zero. I also talk about the reality of hard winters, when snow and weather dictate everything, and why even the best systems can’t eliminate difficulty, but they can keep hard days from becoming every day.

This episode isn’t about doing winter “right.” It’s about building simple, repeatable systems that protect your time, your energy, and your animals during the coldest season of the year.

If winter chores feel overwhelming or unpredictable, this episode will help you think more clearly about flow, responsibility, and how to simplify what you can without ignoring reality.

• A quick ranch update and what winter conditions mean for daily chores
• Why we don’t rotate chores in winter and how consistency prevents problems
• What a realistic winter chore schedule looks like in a moderate year
• Managing livestock water in freezing temperatures
• How we adjust hay feeding and grouping during breeding season
• The difference between moderate winters and hard winters and why systems still matter
• Why winter is a season for maintenance, not maximum output

• Consistent chore assignments save time and prevent small problems from becoming emergencies
• Water management is one of the most critical winter systems
• Good systems reduce friction but can’t control the weather
• Slower winter rhythms are intentional and necessary
• If winter chores take all day, that’s a systems issue, not a personal failure

• 09 | The Most Important Nutrient for All Livestock is WATER, Time-Saving Tips for Meeting Animal Requirements, and How We Do It Off-Grid

• 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

All the Best, Millie

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab the free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.getgoatwise.com/kidding-chart
• Get Dry Creek meat: https://drycreekheritagemeats.com
• Join my insider email list: https://www.getgoatwise.com/insider
• Join the free community: https://www.getgoatwise.com/community
• Email me: millie@drycreekpastures.com
• See ranch life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drycreekpastures/

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for animal health guidance.

Planning with livestock isn’t about filling a calendar—it’s about working with seasons, weather, animals, and real life. In this episode, I’m sharing what’s happening on our ranch right now, how we plan a full livestock year, and why I’ve stopped trying to force rigid schedules that don’t fit the reality of ranch life.

I walk through our annual rhythm with goats, cattle, fencing, meat sales, and family life, breaking down what each season typically holds and how those rhythms shape our planning decisions. From winter breeding and paperwork to spring kidding prep, summer grazing and county fair, and fall weaning and breeding plans, this episode gives you a realistic look at how a working ranch year actually unfolds.

We also talk about what’s changing for us in 2026—adjustments in breeding decisions, pasture and seeding experiments, a major perimeter fence project, and shifts in meat sales and time commitments. I share why flexibility has become a priority, how over-scheduling creates frustration, and what it looks like to plan with wider margins instead of tighter timelines.

If you’ve ever felt behind because your plans didn’t survive weather, animals, kids, or life in general, this episode is here to give you permission to plan differently. Seasonal planning isn’t less disciplined—it’s more honest. And for many of us, it’s the only way to stay steady long-term.

• What’s happening on the ranch right now and how weather affects daily decisions
• How we plan a livestock year around seasons instead of rigid schedules
• A realistic walkthrough of our ranch year, from breeding to weaning
• What’s changing for us in 2026 and why flexibility matters
• How infrastructure projects reduce labor and stress long-term
• Why overplanning creates frustration—and what we’re doing instead

• Livestock planning works best when it follows seasons, not calendars
• Weather, animals, and family life will always change the plan
• Rigid timelines often increase stress instead of progress
• Planning with margin creates steadiness and resilience
• Seasonal rhythms support long-term stewardship and sustainability

• 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

All the Best, Millie

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab the free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.getgoatwise.com/kidding-chart
• Get Dry Creek meat: https://drycreekheritagemeats.com
• Join my insider email list: https://www.getgoatwise.com/insider
• Join the free community: https://www.getgoatwise.com/community
• Email me: millie@drycreekpastures.com
• See ranch life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drycreekpastures/

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian for animal health guidance.