Tahlia MacKinnon wears a big smile as she holds a lamb for the first time in her life. The Vancouver resident has had a lifelong interest in sheep with posters, books and so on, but until now has never actually had much to do with them. Having graduated from high school and getting ready for university, she signed on for a month through BC Sheep Federation to help out during lambing at Moilliets’ sheep ranch near Vavenby. Although she is from Kitsilano, she is not at all “hoity-toity,” according to Val Moilliet. “I’m the black sheep of Kitsilano,” says Tahlia. What does she think of sheep now? “I love them,” she says.
Lieft: Val (Miolliet) Gerber helps a ewe give birth to the second of twins. The delivery was delayed and there was fear it might be a breach (reversed presentation) but it proved to be a normal head first.
Right: A newly born lamb, still colored yellow by the
amniotic fluid, looks for its mother’s teat for its first meal
Below: Cadence Moilliet picks up a lamb by its forelegs as she begins to lead the lamb’s mother and twin into a pen.
