They do have water in the stall with them.
Stall? As in shut-in stall, or as in a stall attached to a run? If the former - get them out of it, now! The quickest way to make a healthy calf sick is to shut them in a barn. Ventilation is generally inadequate, the ammonia from their urine wreaks havoc with their respiratory system, they need sunlight and room to run around, and the best killer of bacteria is the good old sun.
but they're not even off the bottle yet...so wouldnt you want to make sure they drink well out of a bucket first before giving them feed and hay????? i dont know...so y'all the the experts here.....
I, personally, would never feed a bottle calf from a bucket. I prefer the bottle method because of the esophageal groove that ensures the milk is delivered to the proper part of the stomach. As far as feed is concerned, have you had the opportunity to watch a calf with his mother? The calf mimics it's mother, and will be nibbling grain and/or hay - depending on what is provided - within a day or two of birth. Since this calf does not have free access to its mother's milk, grain and hay provide needed nutrients, as well as helping their rumen to develop. I always give a handful of good quality grain/starter - as previously mentioned, keep it fresh - as well as a small flake of good quality grass hay - again, keep it fresh - to my bottle calves from day one.
what about weening them off bottles?