I shared this photo on Instagram this morning of Whitey’s udder maxed out on volume. “Bagging Up,” as we say in the dairy world, it’s a telltale sign that an pregnant animal is nearing her due-date. Little did I know that Whitey would go into labor just hours later!

I left the farm for a few hours this morning to pick up supplies for an upcoming project. When I got back, the door to the goat barn was wide open and only one goat left inside… 11 goats broke the latch of the door and went on a pillaging rampage of our feed supply in a separate barn.. Whitey stayed behind in solitude, busy nesting for the impending arrival of her kids. With the help of a friend, I corralled the vagabond herd back into the barn and separated Whitey so she could have uninterrupted focus during labor. Within 20 minutes, we had two new baby goats on the farm.

Both kids are doing great, and Whitey is doing a great job protecting and nursing thus far. I am endlessly grateful for smooth births with strong mamas and healthy kids.

Last year I started the tradition of having specific theme names for all of my goat families. There are the Disney princesses, the fruits, and the Massachusetts town names families. Whitey didn’t have babies last year, so I get to start a new theme with these kids. Per the suggestion of my farm-friend, Floyd, Whitey’s offspring will be named after constellations.

So without further adieu, I introduce you to Orion and Cassiopeia.