Tucked away on a 12 acre block in Blomfield Lane, near Pukekohe, is Willow Farm.  Vicky Tribe and her partner Keith Coleman and a variety of animals have lived there for around nine years. Amongst the animals are two Andalusian horses, some Dexter cattle, Sandy the mastiff, and a herd of alpacas.

Vicky feeds the expectant mothers.

“Apart from one, they’ve all been born here – they’re all family,” Vicky told Rural Living with pride. The couple first got alpacas after Keith noticed a sweater he was wearing was made from alpaca fibre. Unlike llamas that have been bred as beasts of burden, alpacas are kept primarily for their fibre. Vicky’s alpacas are of the Huacayas variety.  Huacayas have a dense fibre that grows at right angles to the body and is hightly prized fashion garments throughout the world.

“It just went from there,” said Vicky.

The property has been planted with a variety of trees but in particular willows, hence the name, which the alapacas enjoy eating and also sports two huge lily ponds.

But the star attraction is by far the alpacas that happily come to see if Vicky really does have a treat in the feed bucket.

Baby alpacas are called crias.

A couple of years after getting her first alpacas Vicky attended a camelid handling workshop with United States specialist Marty McGee Bennett.  It changed her life.

“Instead of trapping them in corners and grabbing them, I build a relationship with my animals.”

Recently one of Vicky’s alpacas needed to be seen by a vet. “I told him she would just walk off the float but I don’t think he believed me so we sedated her.  But when she woke up, once she had come completely around, I just slipped her halter on and walked her back out through the reception area.”

Vicky hasn’t been content to just enjoy the ease of handling her training has afforded her.  She has since trained in Australia and with Marty McGee Bennett at her home in Oregon and now offers camelid handling courses in New Zealand.  She travels around the country as well as holding workshops at Willow Farm.

“The key points I pass on at the workshops I run are choosing and fitting a halter, how to use the animal’s balance and the value of purpose designed tools.”

Although shy, alpacas are very intelligent and the system builds on their natural ability learn quickly.  Vicky’s work has clearly paid off – her animals were calm and happy to receive nosey reporters.  A small herd of expectant mothers were inclined to keep a distance, approaching only Vicky and the food she was offering. “When they’re pregnant, they’re more standoffish.  They seem to be saying “no don’t touch me.”

Huacayas make up 95% of the world alpaca population.

Both llamas and alpacas will spit if they feel inclined, usually as a sign of annoyance or to signal their hierarchy in the herd.

“Those two have been fighting, you can tell by the loose lower lip,” said Vicky pointing out two young males in a neighbouring paddock.  Both young animals had a comical pout signalling their spat.

If the system is for alpacas and llamas the overall philosophy has clearly made its way into Vicky’s daily life and all her animals have benefitted.  All of her animals reacted to her presence with calm assurance, coming to be petted and hand fed – a firm shh from Vicky putting paid to any jostling and squabbling over the bucket.  

“The guiding principles of this system are this is kind, respectful, effective and fun.”