We bought a dairy goat yesterday! She is a 2 year-old Nubian doe who just gave birth to 2 does. The little does are 1 month old and we got them, too. We always planned on doing this, maybe next year, or whenever we get the barn totally ready and the cross-fencing done. But we decided to bite the bullet and start now anyway. Just couldn’t wait. This is definitely putting the cart before the horse. 
What put us over the edge was reading in Nourishing Traditions about the benefits of raw dairy and cultured dairy (and lots of it) as an essential part of a healthy diet. We figured, why put it off? Why not now?
We are kind of ready. We have a barn, our property is fenced. But we have no milking stand, no milking buckets, no cross-fencing, no stalls. But we’re excited and that should count for something.
At the moment, Mama is agitated. The babies are fine. Our cow is spooking Mama. We don’t know how everything is going to work. We need to rig something to separate the mama and babies during the night, holding off their nursing until we can milk her first thing in the morning.
We’re still shopping for another, maybe two more, Nubian does in-milk.
The picture shows Silver Belle, the mama doe, in the back of my brother’s truck with my daughters Haniya and Naomi. My brother came down from Seattle just to help us get her (ha, ha, no really, he is here visiting us). The babies are tucked behind and underneath. I’ll sign off now because we have alot to figure out just now. Starting with milking buckets.
I look forward to learning more about goats from you. Please post often what you’re learning.
So exciting! Can’t wait to see and hear more. She sure is pretty!
How excitng for you! Please keep us updated, we would like to get a dairy goat at some point. Have fun.
Wardeh, I am so happy for you!! Good luck with getting everything set up!
Fun, fun, fun!! So excited for you!
Thanks, everyone! Right now my brother is helping me re-do a milking stand that is falling apart and which was sized for dwarf goats. He’s really doing the work, while I watch and advise and feel very grateful for his help!
Hey ,
Goats milk is such a good nourishment .Please let hear more about the goat .
Regards
Sudeep
I’m so excited for you! I wish I hadn’t landscaped the backyard a few years ago – it was all ivy & blackberry. Perfect for a goat! But not so much my two rambunctious boys. I’ll have to get my vicarious goat fix by reading your blog.
Sustainable Eats – and I’ll have to get my fix on veggies and chickens from reading your blog!
Both are on the horizon for us, but not quite yet. Chickens, maybe by the fall. Garden, not until next year, if that. If only we could do it all!