Baby goats will always act hungry. Feed them the recommended amount, then leave some hay free choice & they'll start to nibble. I wouldn't give them apple at this age, particulary since they've only been on the bottle for 4 days. Show them hay is good to the best of your ability. Right now they are still single-stomached animals, and their rumens are just starting to function. You don't want to be changing their feed quickly or in quantity as they can get very ill. Moderation is the key. Jack Maulden, google it (Boer Goats) has a recommended feeding schedule on his website if you don't have one available. We dam raise whenever possible & only have had a few bottle babies so I don't remember it. You are correct they should have solid food available at all times-preferably hay, leaves are good too. After feeding, feel their stomachs. They should not feel hard, nor empty. A little squishy. Compare before and after feeding so you know what I'm talking about. In another week you should be able to knock the feedings down to 3x a day, then 2 later. Offer a bowl of fresh water, but not too much as you don't want them to fill up on all water & not take the bottle, they've actually been known to starve in this manner. Keep a low sided water bucket low so they can't possible drown! Was the mom vaccinated at all? CD/T is a good vaccination to give them for overeating disease. They don't need it but it is common practice. If mom wasn't vaccinated, they should get 2cc sq(under skin) at 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months (21-28 days apart). If mom was vaccinated, they should receive 2cc at 2 months & then 21 -28 days after. Then yearly after their initial & booster shots. They are really too young to be showing vitamin deficiencies, unless mom was deficient. Selenium deficiency is the worst offender but usually shows up as hard sacks or weak back legs at birth. Offer a free choice LOOSE GOAT mineral, preferably one made for your area, they won't eat much maybe you could buy some from a local until they get bigger. Goats are not the same as sheep, so you should be giving them goat products. Many feed stores (in this area, anyway) don't understand this so do your homework! Make sure those pellets are labeled for GOATS, NOT goats & sheep. Scours are common with milk replacers. We've fed whole cows milk with no issues at all. If you get scours it's probably the replacer, then switch them slowly to whole cows milk, controlling diarhea with pepto. This is a common mistake with people new to bottle babies, so be aware. Watch for the runs, listlessness, inability to stand, couphing, runny nose, noises in their chest, runny eyes, or staying off by themselves, or a fever. Classic symptoms of an issue either starting or that have taken hold. Supplies can be found at hoeggers, caprine supply, jeffers livestock, and many others found online. Tractor supply & Agway depending on your area carry some items, selection can vary. Brendasue

Stonesriver/Linda..."all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti", as an old text book said. ;-) That's a true-ism, but in this example we're talking about plants that are really and truly cacti which have simply evolved in hugely different environments. There are true cacti (in the Cactaceae family) that are native to (mostly)South and Central American rain forest areas; many of these plants are epiphytic (tree dwelling) or lithophytic (rock dwelling) in nature. Though these much loved plants seem so different than those cacti that are native to very arid climates, they still have enough similarities that they all belong to the same plant family. Probably the most striking similarity between the 'jungle cacti' and the 'desert cacti' is that after millions of years of evolution, they have both discarded their leaves. All cacti (with very few exceptions) have their stomata on their stem tissue. The genera that have evolved in areas of extremely low rainfall have modified leaves called spines, a successful evolutionary feature well designed to keep thirsty animals away. The tropical cacti don't have such protective devices, but live high in rain forest trees or along cliff faces that make them inaccessible to any animals that might want to munch on them. The moral of this story is that Lamora's Easter cacti are not only succulents but true cacti, as well. (Not that it matters a whole lot, but I think it's interesting!)

any chance you know what variety it is? Some do really well, some do not, just like any other rose. Do get it outside with plenty of sun and good drainage. I only had part sun to plant mine in and they did poorly. I believe they are treated rather like a hybrid T. Next year, prune way back and it will return with the bushy big show you love today. They also need fertilizer. Enjoy!

You have my sympathies for your loss. Thinking back to when my mother passed away, and I was already a grown adult with a child of my own, but as I recall, my father, although he was battling alzheimer's and wasn't always in tune to reality, I remember that he knew this was a blow for me, and I remember him coming over a couple of days after, and just getting me out of the house. He took me to a park and a couple of other places, and him just being there was a big lift to my spirits. Just being there with your kids is the single biggest thing you can do. I am sure you will find out, just through their body language, if they are comfortable about talking about mom, or recalling old memories. For me, it also seemed that getting out of the house and doing some types of activity of hobby really helped take my mind off my greif at the time, and I believe it would for my children as well, if I were in that situation with them.