I was in the soaproom checking orders. I was trying to get ahead, because I had to pee really, really badly. But if I left without getting ahead, then the “boxers” wouldn’t be able to work.

My phone rang with Emery’s ringtone, “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”. I picked it up and answered, tucking it under my ear so I could continue working while I talked.

I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I heard the words “Carina”, and long jumble, and then “She’s pushing now!”

I hung up on him, tucking my phone in my pocket as I yelled “Carina’s going now!“

People came from everywhere. Mom came from the office, the kids came from the bagging area, Dad came from his soap making room. It was pretty funny actually – moments before it had been quiet and peaceful. And then everyone was running around, grabbing rain gea, boots and sweatshirts before running out the door.

I ran to the bathroom, passing Colter and Fletcher on the way. On my way out of the soaproom a couple of minutes later, I grabbed my sweatshirt and rain jacket. It was pouring, and I didn’t want to get soaked.

As I arrived in the barn I could hear Carina whimpering. It was probably the quietest sound I had ever heard a goat in labor make. The majority of our girls are quiet most of the year, but then they get really, really loud during kidding season.

I grabbed some towels and went to stand by Carina’s butt. There was a bubble, and Dad was saying that there were two hoofs. That was good, but we also needed a nose. If there wasn’t a nose it was probably a breech presentation, which meant the back legs were coming out first instead of the head and front legs.

Dad felt around the bubble. “Okay, we’ve got two feet and nose. Now we just need Carina to push.” That was when Carina really got into it, wailing like a champ. “I know sweetie, but you can’t back out of it now! You’ve got no choice.” Mom said, holding Carina’s neck. The bubble burst and Mom said “Brett, rub off the nose.”

I couldn’t see a nose. “Where is the nose?” Dad pointed and I rubbed the towel in the area he was pointing in. I still couldn’t see a nose, since my body was blocking any light. Mom grabbed the towel from me and rubbed a completely different spot, so I still have no idea what I was rubbing. 😀

Carina pushed and Dad pulled, and two seconds later there was a black and white baby goat lying on the ground. I swooped in with a towel and Mom and I pulled the baby out of the way.

The kids started drying it off and Mom looked at the butt. “It’s a girl!” I tried to think of names for it, but I couldn’t. Normally I can think of names right away, and it was frustrating not being able to.

“How about Kalinda?” Dad suggested. “Kalinda? I like that. Kalinda.” Mom grinned at Dad before looking and saying “There’s another bubble!”

I’m not going to put some of the pictures here. I’ll post them on a different page and include a link, so if you want to see them you can see them there.

I turned my attention back to Carina, and saw this. (Don’t click unless you are okay with seeing the slightly gross side of kidding.)

There was a massive head, but once the head was out the body was really small. When it was just the head the baby looked like it would be bigger than Kalinda, but it turns out that it was much smaller.

Mom wiped off the butt and checked. “It’s a girl!”

I already had a name. “How about Kendra?” Mom nodded her head. “I like Kendra. Kendra it is.”

Jade piped up from the floor where she was playing with Kalinda. “So it’s Kali and Kenya?” Emery started to correct her but Mom stopped him. “I think I like Kenya better!”

Carina came over and started to lick her babies.

When Carina was done licking them, I got the collars on the girls and entered their names into the kidding spreadsheet.  A couple of minutes later, I went back to the soaproom. I needed to get back to checking orders, and they would be fine without me.

An hour or two after that, when I was done with orders, I went back out with the camera. I need to get profile shots for their pages on the website. Unfortunately, it was still raining, so I couldn’t take them outside.

I tried getting some shots in the milk room, but the background looked terrible. So I brought them into the colder barn, where there was hay and other baby goats. They would have come out in a little bit anyway, and this way I could get some decent pictures.

After a while I decided enough was enough, so I headed back to the soaproom to check out the pictures. These are the ones I decided on:

 

With Carina done, we only have eighteen goats left to kid!

More in this series:

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