Well... I'd joined this email list called Barnyard -- believe it or not -- to talk about chickens. Just a few days later, an email came through entitled "Friday Market" about a Black and Tan Nubian doeling that would be a "great family milker".

Meet U-Say Ranch Brooklyn, our first goat, but second in command
We went over and took a look at her, having already impulsively decided we'd like to have a goat for milk as we are interested in being self-sufficient. She looked like a real sweetheart, and we decided we wanted her. We paid for her, and made arrangements to pick her up several days later once we'd built a shelter and yard for her.

We built a little shelter for her, and we had enough of a wire fence to build her a small corral. We went over and picked up our new goat, 9 month old Brooke. Well... being so impulsive and naive, we didn't know that goats -- especially ones raised in a rather large herd -- do not do well living all alone. Brooke had a very difficult 24 hours. She bleated constantly, and would only eat and drink when we were with her. She was very people oriented, having been bottle fed for CAE prevention, but she missed having other goats terribly. It was either move in with Brooke, have her move into the house with us (kidding!) or get another goat. We chose the latter.

Meet U-Say Ranch Dallas, our second goat and herd queen
The next day we went back and came home with 10 month old Dallas, who happens to be Brooke's aunt. Oh, and we changed Brooke's name to Brooklyn, so both girls would have city names. Dallas was supposedly 3 months pregnant. About 1 week later, she shows signs that she had possibly miscarried. About one week after that, she showed signs of being in heat! We were kind of disappointed, but kind of relieved, as we weren't sure we were ready to have kids, and take on the whole milking process. So we went along our merry way, and decided to get Dallas bred three weeks later when she again showed signs of being in heat. We took her over to meet with Jacobs Pride Peanut again, two days in a row. We got over our disappointment, and began to look forward to kids in August.

Well... on March 31st, I was raking up goat berries and as usual, the two girls were standing right there next to me where I was trying to clean. I leaned over and patted Dallas right side, and rubbed on her a bit... and suddenly I realized I felt a kid in there!!!!!!!!! OH! All of a sudden we were in high alert day and night! Dallas had been exposed to the buck on four occasions, so we had four due dates to look forward to, which were April 4, 8, 18 and 19. Goat gestation is 150 days, varying from 145 to 155. So technically we were already on alert for the first due date, and would continue stressing until the 24th of April. Luckily she had mercy on us and kidded on April 8th. She had one buckling, and one doeling.

U-Say Ranch Lightning, the youngest
Lightning is a black and white spotted doeling with a wonderful lineage. Her dam is Dallas, and her sire is Jacobs Pride Peanut. Peanut's sire is *B Six-M-Galaxy Milanos Pistachio, and his dam is Six-M-Galaxy Aisha 5*m.

Here is how Debbie Emholtz of Jacobs Pride describes Lightning's GrandSire, Pistachio:

• Pistachio is a dynamitic genetic powerhouse for milk. When he was offered for sale by the McClure's of Six M Galaxy I jumped at the chance to introduce him into our herd. I have not been disappointed. I'm grateful to the McClure family for allowing Pistachio to come work in our herd. He has done all I believed he would do. His daughters are beginning to show themselves powerfully in the milk pail. It's very exciting to see the genetics at work.
• Pistachio is razor sharp in the shoulders and smoothly blended. He is a very tall, long legged and upstanding buck who is extremely level and long bodied, with beautiful long legs. Standing on the strongest pasterns possible and dripping dairy from head to toe, traits he generously passes on to his daughters.
• Not only is Pistachio packed for milk genetically, but he is himself a milking buck, a physical trait that's proven to produce daughters that milk strong, and sons to carry on a strong milking ability into future generations.

Some of what we've learned so far, eventually I plan to create a webpage for each of these items:

Books we own, and books we'd like to own.
The very first things we learned about having goats, and wish we'd known before we got goats.
What we do for kidding preparation.
Why we are on CAE Prevention.
Some thoughts about milking, and necessary supplies.
How to Use the Milk.
Arizona the Copper State - Deficient?
Worming.
Our Experience with Polioencephelalocemia.