The Vavenby Primary School students went on a field trip to the Moilliets' sheep ranch on Thursday, April 10.
Vienna Moilliet was working in the lambing pen when they arrived and showed the children twin lambs that were just a few minutes old.
Ian Moilliet took the students by the pens that held ewes that had already had their babies, and he gave information about the different sheep and markings. One pen held sick lambs and the children found that so sad and wanted to know why they were sick. But the children did find all of the lambs "so cute" and were "bahing" like them. The students giggled over their efforts.
After going by all the pens Valerie Gerber took over. The children went into the orphan pen They were unable to bottle feed these lambs because they had just had their milk. But most of the students loved cuddling them.
Then they went to see a ewe and her lamb that were still in their own pen. Gerber cut off some of the wool around the ewe's eyes and explained that she was giving it a bit of a hair cut. She showed the students the ewe's milk sack and pulled out some fine, very stretchy white wool known as crimp that is underneath the outer wool.
She held the lamb and showed everyone how to tell if it is male or female. For following lambs she got the children to tell her if it was male or female. The answers were always correct.
Because the first lamb was a female she cut its ear. The children got very upset when the ear when that happened but most were settled when told that the lamb didn't really feel it.
One student did not agree and kept saying for each new female lamb, "Don't cut its ear!" Another student kept asking to see the blood on the scissors.
The hayride was next. A couple of the sheep dogs rode along. Ian stopped at one point to put some of the hay in the field and asked for questions. The students had some very good ones.
After lunch the children watched Gerber deliver a twin. It was a breech birth. Gerber had to pull it out, hit it to get air into its lungs, and swing it around. When the students were told that as babies they got hit too to get them breathing one student added, "and they swing us around."
All the children had a very enjoyable day. The weather was good for the tour and for their picnic lunch. Watching the students in the cuddling pen some of them are definitely not going to become ranchers.
The Vavenby Christian children's church group, ages four to nine, and the church's warriors, ages 10 to 12, went to the ranch on Sunday, April 6, during the service.
Jeannie Norlander helped Karen Moilliet take the children there. Moilliet pointed out the allegories between Jesus and the shepherds on the ranch, on how Christians will come to Jesus' voice, and how lambs who are pets at the ranch will only come to their masters such as Vienna their masters such as Vienna or Isaac Moilliet. The church group tried calling Vienna's lamb to them but it would not come. Karen said that it was great weather and a fantastic day for everyone.
Boil water notice returns
Vavenby residents who are on town water should know that the town is on a boil water notice until further notice.