Here we want to discuss all things dairy farming. From calf to cow and everything in between. Each episode we will interview a new specialist, to bring information in their specific field.
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Welcome to Diary of a Sheep Dairy Farmer, where we talk all things dairy sheep, from breeding, to lambing to milking and everything in between and outside. I am your host Becca, co-owner and glorified farm hand of Hidden Hollow Sheep Dairy.
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Get Goat Wise | Meat Goats, Dairy Goats, Self-Sufficiency, Sustainable Farm, Homesteading, Off-Grid, Livestock
Millie Bradshaw - Animal Scientist, Rancher, Homesteader
** TOP 3% GLOBALLY RANKED PODCAST ** Are you concerned about the current food supply? Do you want to be more self-sufficient? Are you longing to raise goats and other animals for food but don’t know where to start? Do you wish you had a mentor to walk you through raising livestock? I’m so glad you’re here! In this podcast you’ll learn all about raising goats and other livestock, sustainable management systems that will keep you and your animals happy and healthy, and strategies to get self-s ...
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37 | Replacement Doe Management: Later Selection to Choose the Best Does for Your Herd
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Hi friends! Today we’re talking about replacement does and how and why our management system has changed over the past couple of years. Should you breed your does to kid as yearlings or 2-year-olds or something in between? It’s a question we hear a lot, and every breeder does it differently, so I’m going to walk you through the evolution of our bre…
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36 | What We Miss the Most While Building Our Off-Grid Life
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Hi friends! It’s been a while since I did an off-grid living episode, so today I’m going to give you the big picture of our off-grid move and then talk about what we miss the most after 2+ years living here and what we’re doing to remedy that. All the Best! Millie Episode Mentions: 09 | The Most Important Nutrient for All Livestock is WATER, Time-S…
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35 | Winter Hay Feeding Evaluation: Meeting Nutritional Requirements of Goats and Reducing Hay Waste
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Hi friends! In today’s episode we’ll be talking more about winter hay feeding, monitoring your feed and waste, and how to determine if you’re meeting the nutrient requirements for your goats. I’ll go through the process I use to evaluate our hay feeding and how to make changes if things aren’t working the way you planned. This one’s loaded with det…
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On this episode of the DFD podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Mark Carson, the Solutions Operation Manager at Semex. Mark and I have a great discussion about how genetics and data are influencing the dairy industry today and some trends that we will be seeing in the future. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any quest…
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34 | How to Adjust Your Expectations and Production Plan for Death Loss in Your Livestock Herds
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Hi friends! In today’s episode we’ll be talking about animal loss in livestock herds, how to prepare for it, how much death loss is likely to happen, and how to get your expectations in line with the realities of raising animals and the losses that come along with it. It’s important to understand that success isn’t necessarily keeping them all aliv…
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33 | Should You Use Hobbles or Not? Stand Training Your Dairy Goats and Practical Milking Tips
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Hi friends! In today’s episode I’ll be answering some questions that came in after last week’s dairy goat episode. I’ll be focusing on the actual milking process including stand training your does, milking equipment, and milk handling the way it works for us. We’re a little unconventional in our dairying practices, so listen in if you lean towards …
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32 | Do You Want Dairy Goats Without the Twice a Day Commitment? How to Get Fresh Milk and Keep Your Freedom
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Hi friends! In today’s episode I’ll be sharing why we got started with dairy does, how we manage them in a very unconventional way, the challenges we had, why it works for us and our busy life, and how you can do it too. If you’re thinking about getting dairy goats for your own milk consumption or to feed bottle babies, this episode is for you! All…
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31 | Are Winter Heat Lamps Bad for Chickens? How to Prepare Your Flock for a Comfortable Winter
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Hi friends! In this episode we’ll be talking about preparing your coop and chickens for winter. We’ll talk about the changing nutritional needs of your birds as they molt and how to meet those needs, some options for easier water, requirements for their shelter and bedding, and the big question, heat lamps. Should they be used or not? I’ll also sha…
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30 | Livestock Decision-Making: What to do When You Make a Wrong Decision and How to Use that Information to Make Progress
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Hi friends! In this episode we’ll be talking about making livestock decisions on the ranch or homestead, how to evaluate your decision-making process, and how to use that information to make a better-informed decision the next time. To help explain this, I’ll be sharing about a frustrating and slightly embarrassing problem we faced on the ranch rec…
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29 | Are Your Goats Too Fat or Too Thin? How to Body Condition Score and Adjust Your Feeding Strategy for Healthier Goats
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Hi friends! In this episode we’ll be talking about evaluating your goats to see if they’re healthy, need any hoof work, and if their body condition is right for the season they’re in. I’ll talk you through determining Body Condition Score, why it’s important, and how to use it to improve the overall health and productivity of your goat herd. All th…
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28 | Winter Feed for Livestock: Calculate How Much Hay You Need and a Strategy to Save Money
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Hi friends! In this episode we’ll be talking about winter feeding, how to calculate how much hay you need, the best way to store it and a strategy that will help you thrive even when hay prices are volatile or the weather gets extreme. This information will apply to all species not just goats. I’ll also be sharing some exciting news and some fun th…
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On this episode of the DFD, I had the pleasure to talk to Joanne Fallis from Fallis Immigration Consulting. Joanne specializes in supporting and helping farmers in Canada steer through the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. Labour is the number one concern in the Agriculture industry. Joanne and I cover lots of great topics related to navigati…
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27 | Which Goats Should I Keep for Breeding? How to Select Replacement Does and Plan Your Goat Breeding Season
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SHOW NOTES: Hi friends! Last week we talked about does, age of breeding, and I briefly mentioned keeping replacement does out of the top 1/3 of the doe kids, but what I didn’t tell you, is how to determine which doe kids make up the top third or how to rank the does. So today, we’re going to break this down a little more as well as talk about goat …
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26 | Is My Goat Old Enough to Breed? How To Decide When Your Does Are Ready to Have Their First Kids
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Hi friends! Today we’re talking about does, different options on when to breed them, and I’ll give you a strategy to use to determine whether your does are ready to breed or not. I’ll also be talking about replacement does, expected replacement percentages and how to use those numbers to reach your goals of herd improvement and growth. You might wa…
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25 | Concerned About the Food Supply? Simple Ways to Ensure That Your Family Will Be Fed in the Event of a Food Availability Crisis
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Hi friends! We’re harvesting animals and stocking the freezers, so what better time to talk about the food system, food storage, and how to build your food security, specifically as it relates to meat and protein. We’ll be talking about simple ways to get started building your food storage, things to consider when it comes to buying and storing mea…
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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?
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Hi friends! The bucks are in rut and smelling ripe, so today we’re going to talk about what you need to know about buck management and selection, if you should own a buck or not, the options you have to get your does bred without owning a buck, and how to select your buck if the time is right for you to own one or two. Let’s dive in and figure out …
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23 | Boer vs Kiko: What Meat Goat Breed is the Best Fit for Your Farm or Homestead? PART 2
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Hi friends! Last week we started talking about how to choose the right meat goat for your climate and environment, and the things you need to consider. This week we’re talking about the five most prominent meat goat breeds, and we’ll wrap up with tips on where to get your first meat goats and how to get them off to a great start. This episode is lo…
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22 | What Is the Perfect Meat Goat? How to Choose the Right Breed for Your Farm or Homestead PART 1
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Hi friends! In the next two episodes we’re talking about how to choose the right meat goat for your climate and environment. Today we’ll discuss things to consider, and next week in Part 2 we’ll talk about the five most prominent meat goat breeds, and we’ll wrap up with tips on where to get your first meat goats and how to get them off to a great s…
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21 | Seeking Sustainability? How to Evaluate Options and Make Decisions with a Sustainability Mindset
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Hi friend! Hi friends! Today we’re talking about sustainability, how to evaluate options to determine which ones are most sustainable long-term and how that will help you increase your future self-sufficiency. We’ll be talking about a sustainability mindset as it relates to your home, food, and especially livestock. All the Best! Millie Join our em…
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On this episode of the DFD, I have the pleasure of talking to Dr. Luiz Ferraretto. Dr. Ferraretto is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Ruminant nutrition and Research at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The 2024 Corn Silage season is upon us and it has been a trying season for growers and producers. Dr. Ferraretto and I have …
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20 | Lessons from Raising Livestock: 5 Problems That Can Be Avoided or Solved with a Good Mentor
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Hi friend! Today we’re talking about lessons learned raising 4-H livestock over the last decade, and how those same lessons apply to raising livestock for food, homesteading, and self-sufficiency. We’ll be talking about the way we approach the 4-H livestock program, which tends to be quite different than others, but it’s resulted in a lot of succes…
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19 | Interview with Sage Bradshaw on Life with Livestock and 4-H Projects PART 2
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Hi, friend! Today I have a special guest on the show, my oldest daughter, Sage, who turned 18 in March and is finishing up her last year in 4-H. We talk about the lessons she’s learned raising livestock, how it has affected her and her life view, the way it opens communication as we work together, and she even has a bit of advice for parents who wa…
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18 | Interview with Sage Bradshaw on Life with Livestock and 4-H Projects PART 1
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Hi, friend! Today I have a special guest on the show, my oldest daughter, Sage, who turned 18 in March and is finishing up her last year in 4-H. We talk about the lessons she’s learned raising livestock, how it has affected her and her life view, the way it opens communication as we work together, and she even has a bit of advice for parents who wa…
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Ever wonder what makes milk sheep different from meat sheep? Today Becca outlines a few of those differences. It is not a definitive list by any means but it is a start.Oleh Becca Matthews
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17 | Do My Goats Need Mineral? How to Meet Their Micronutrient Needs and Keep the Herd Healthy
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Hi, friend! Today we’ll be talking about mineral for goats, why they need it, what works best, how to keep from wasting expensive mineral and the short- and long-term benefits. I’ll tell you about the mistakes we’ve made, the lessons we’ve learned, and what we’re doing now that is working really well for the goats and for us. All the Best! Millie M…
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Alternatives to Keeping Your Own Ram
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Breeding season is right around the corner for many of us. Today Becca talks about what it takes to keep a ram of your own, and some alternatives if having your own ram just isn't possible.Oleh Becca Matthews
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16 | The Results Are In! Our 2024 Kidding Season Numbers for the Meat Goat Herd, and What You Should Be Keeping Track of in Your Herd
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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 …
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What can you make with sheep milk?
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The question that seems to follow after You can milk sheep? Today Becca decides to answer with a few products that can be made from sheep milk.Oleh Becca Matthews
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15 | The Most Important Lesson We Learned Going Off-Grid, and How You Can Do the Same Thing to Simplify Your Off-Grid Plan
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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 m…
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Today Becca talks about crossing breeding dairy sheep and why it's done. www.facebook.com/hiddenhollowsheepdairy www.instagram.com/hiddenhollowsheepdairy www.youtube.com/hiddenhollowsheepdairyOleh Becca Matthews
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14 | When Should My Goats Kid? Timing Your Production Cycle to Optimize Goat Fertility and Available Forage Nutrition
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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…
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Controversial things I do on my sheep farm
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Today Becca talks about some of the controversial things she does on her sheep farm that work for her, may not work for everyone, but always seem to raise some eyebrows. Who else does some head turning things on their farm that works for them but others think they are strange for doing?Oleh Becca Matthews
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13 | Using Electric Fence with Goats? What You Need to Know to Keep Your Goats Contained and Alive with Electric Netting
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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 fail…
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12 | Raising Kids and Livestock? Teach Life Lessons, Build Character, and Strengthen Your Relationships While Raising Animals
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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 wor…
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Drying off ewes - Don't make my mistakes!
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One again Becca let's you in on the mistakes she has made when drying off ewes and what has worked for her when drying off during milking and when she is just letting the ewes raise lambs.Oleh Becca Matthews
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11 | Should I tag my goats? What You Need to Know About Government Requirements and How to Use Tagging to Benefit Your Herd
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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: htt…
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Talking the benefits of sheep milk with Candice Christensen of Capped Mountain Farms
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Today Becca talks with Candice Christensen of Capped Mountain Farms about allergies, the benefits of sheep milk, and what goes on around Candice's homestead. To reach out and talk to Candice: email: candiceleesays@gmail.com To reach out and talk to Becca: email: hiddenhollowidaho@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiddenhollowsheepdairy I…
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10 | 5 Tips to Raise Bottle Goat Kids That Thrive
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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…
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Weaning lambs - Don't make my mistakes
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Today Becca talks weaning lambs because that is what she has been doing and is gearing up to do some more of. She'll talk some do's and don'ts of weaning and let you in on the mistakes she has made over the years.Oleh Becca Matthews
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09 | The Most Important Nutrient for All Livestock is WATER, Time-Saving Tips for Meeting Animal Requirements, and How We Do It Off-Grid
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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 …
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How old is too old to milk and breed your ewe?
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Today Becca talks about older ewes, reminiscing about some of her favorites on the farm and what you should be looking for in your older ewes that will determine if they should be bred and therefore milked.Oleh Becca Matthews
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08 | When Animals Aren’t Working Out on the Homestead: How to Evaluate Your Livestock Projects and Decide to Keep or Sell
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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…
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Lambing wrap up - Spring addition
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Today Becca talks about how her spring lambing group went. What went wrong and what went right and how the numbers added up and compared to the late winter lambing.Oleh Becca Matthews
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07 | Should My Goats Have Horns or Not? Pros and Cons of Disbudding Goats
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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…
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Out of Season Breeding is right around the corner
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Today Becca discusses out of season breeding. Why do we do it and how do we do it?Oleh Becca Matthews
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06 | What Livestock Should I Get First? My Top Pick for Your First Homestead Animals
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*** Top 3% Global Podcast! *** Hi, friend! Today we’re going to talk about what animal I think is the best for beginner homesteaders to start with. We’ll be talking about evaluating your resources, risk management, experience and safety, and how raising this animal will help you be better prepared to add in your next ones. We’ll talk about all the …
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Talking Micro Dairy and NADSA with Olivia Fox from Crafty Fox Acres
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Today Becca talks with Olivia Fox from Crafty Fox Acres about her plans for a micro sheep dairy and her involvement in the North America Dairy Sheep Association. Come join us as we talk all things dairy sheep. You can contact me at: hiddenhollowidaho@gmail.com And follow me on: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenhollowsheepdairy https://www.facebook.c…
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05 | Homesteading and Money: The Simple Way to Pay for Your Homestead Livestock Doing What You Already Do
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Hi, friend! I often hear aspiring homesteaders ask “How do you pay for all of this? It’s so expensive! I could never afford to do that.” There’s some truth in those statements, raising livestock CAN be expensive, but if you get creative and stick with your plan, you can make some adjustments in what you’re already doing that will make a BIG financi…
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Trent Westhoff - Cornell University
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On this episode of the DFD podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Trent Westhoff. Trent is currently conducting research at Cornell University and will soon be defending his dissertation to earn his PhD. Trent and I have a fascinating conversation about colostrum, and why we sometimes see reduction in volume as well as a research paper that he …
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What makes a ram lamb make the grade?
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Today Becca spends a little time talking about what she looks for in a potential ram lamb. Since 99% of ram lambs born will be wethered, it takes a special kind of ram to make the grade. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenhollowsheepdairy Intragram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenhollowsheepdairy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiddenhollo…
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