Cheap Insurance

This is what we call in the trade, Cheap Insurance. A bottle of milk replacer with a patented Pritchard's Teat screwed on, ready to pop in the mouth of a bottle baby, screaming in her crate for her hot meal (like my Tonya did this morning). I have three ram lambs who are getting their bottle supplement now, Forrest and Denzel, and little Chip. Both their moms are feeding twins on one teat and the bottle makes sure they are getting enough. It also takes the pressure off mom who is dealing with her own problems. Now, finding a Pritchard teat is not always easy. Barb, the owner of Homestead Feed in New Berlin just gave me a blank look when I asked her for one. The manager of our Tractor Supply did the same thing, only she looked aghast that she didn't know what I was talking about. I rubbed it in and said, You mean it's lambing time and you DON'T have extra Pritchard Teats in STOCK????????? A saleswoman walked by and said she had been taking rain checks all day. It's just the best teat a lamb could ask for short of momma. They hate those big, black rubber things some uninformed shepherds try to use. The Pritchard teat is little and soft and can be slipped into the struggling lamb's mouth through the side easily. A full belly is a happy belly!