Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Cria becomes a bottle baby



First of all, the little guy has a name - Spot. He has a very light fawn spot on the top of his head that is very hard to see, but that's what I'm looking at when he is taking his bottle.

We have pretty much given up on any chance of his nursing from Ariana, she's sore and not letting him near her back end. But frankly, he gives no indication that he knows the milk bar is there.

Today was the first day that he actually took the bottle nipple into his mouth without my forcing his mouth open. Remember, today is his fifth day out in the world. At this feeding he drank 6.5 ounces of cow's milk and a dallop of Activia. When we weighed him yesterday, he had gained 1/2 pound so it looks like he may just make it.

We know that something is just not right and if he were in the wild, he would not survive. If he makes it through criahood, he definitely will become a neutered fiber guy. Although his conformation is excellent and his fiber is beautiful, we would never pass along what ever it is that is making him such a slow starter.

BTW, that's our handsome herd sire, Polaris, in the background ♥☺♥ And - I just know that you are all wondering why the Scranton sweatshirt. That's the university in Pennsylvania where my son, Rob, teaches. Proud mom here.

Map