Bottle babies at work....

[DRR Fainters]

I have three myotonic bucklings that were born last Sunday. (It's now Monday, so about 8 days old.) I've been feeding them 4x a day - 6am, noon, 6pm, midnight. They are taking 10-12 oz. each time. No problems with bloat yet. Using a Fastrack probiotic and cocci medicated milk replacer. *Milk replacer for preventative disease control.

Anyway, are they ready to go without that noon feeding? It’s starting to finally warm up here and while I leave the windows and the back door of my Durango open, I worry about them overheating in the afternoons. *They cannot be outside my vehicle per company policy. I’ve got a pan of pellets in with them as well as some alfalfa. They are playing with it all but not eating it yet.

I am changing into barn clothes, warming up pre-filled bottles, feeding and changing paper all within the hour. A couple squirts of perfume and no one even knows I am a full-time office employee, part-time goat mommy.

I’ve got a lambar feeder but am concerned they’ll overeat themselves. And, they are used to warm milk, not cold. I’m gone for 11-12 hours at work.

Could I put water in the lambar so they are at least getting fluids during the day? They won’t drink out of a bucket yet.

[BlueHeronFarm]

Don't put water in the lambar - a sure way to give them scours.

Leave a pan out - they will drink from it when they are ready.

Yes - they can go down to three a day - or even two big lambars. Our experience is that they will not eat themselves sick. They may take more at first, but eventually they just eat until they are full and wander off to play. Then they come back when they want another bump. Also,m you don't have to fill the lambar - you can just put in the amount you want them to have for each feeding. And you can gradually getthem on cold milk now - just don't heat as much for a few consecutive feedings.