# Kune kune pigs



## TAH (Jan 16, 2017)

Hey everyone 

We have always wanted to have our own homegrown pork but can't have a 400-600 pound pig on our property so this as got my hands on the mouse to find a breed we can have and I think I may have found it...


The title says it "Kune Kunes"?

Here are a few things about what we have

Purpose- meat except the occasional few we sell

Area- 50'x55' (They will also have run to a 55'x60' garden when out of season)

Feed- hay, grass, barley, oats, goats milk, leftover veggies and food, etc

How many- 4, 1 male and 3 female


How long does it take them to get to butcher weight? We don't need them to be huge but we do need them to be big enough to get some meat off of them. 

I have heard Kune Kunes don't root if they have enough room and food, wich we will have plenty of food for them. We are going to have 2 sets of cattle panels resting parts of their pen and replant in those parts so they will have grazing available most of the time. Is a 50'x55' area a big enough area for Kune Kunes (Also can you have big/big pigs on that pig of an area)? 

Can we sustain 4 pigs in a 50'x55' area? 

Does they male need to be separated from the females? 

Thanks in advance!


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## Bossroo (Jan 17, 2017)

1 male + 3 females + time = 24 piglets + time = pasture overload.


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## NH homesteader (Jan 17, 2017)

Kune Kunes are expensive to buy and don't yield all that much meat. They also are pasture pigs and would not love to not have pasture.

Yes they would need to be separated. Have you ever raised feeder pigs for meat? If not I would encourage you to try to do that first. Pigs are great if you have land. They are difficult if you do not, from a manure management standpoint. They are also quite expensive to raise if you do not have land to supplement. You will be shocked, as I was, at how quickly pigs can destroy an area.

Do you have a farm up there you could get kune kunes from? I don't know their growth rate. Normally I would tag misfitmorgan but she's not going to be on for a while so maybe @farmerjan would know about them?


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## frustratedearthmother (Jan 17, 2017)

If you're interested in a smaller pig have you looked at AGH's?  Kune Kune's are pretty pricey.  But, I totally agree with @NH homesteader that you might want to think about raising a meat pig before you jump into breeding.


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 17, 2017)

I know nothing about pigs but have seen the price tag of kune kune pigs  Seems pricey if you are just looking at raising meat for the freezer. 

Would it be more cost advantageous to just raise up a feeder pig and slaugher at a younger age if size is an issue?


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## Latestarter (Jan 17, 2017)

The other thing to think about is, if I recall correctly, you're on 1 (one) acre of ground, that is completely wooded and being cleared for a home/barn/workshop combination bldg. Then you plan to have a garden and will need to plan out dry lot spacing and pens/housing for the animals. And of course you'll need to clear and prep the property for all of this first.

You intend to have goats, and have inquired about alpacas, llamas, donkeys, and several other breeds/species of animals for your property, and now pigs. I don't want to sound mean spirited or anything like that, but you seem to want enough animals to populate a property of 10-20+ acres with ease. Many of the animals you've mentioned require at least some space to thrive. With that many animals and that limited space, you will not be able to provide pasture/feed for any of them for more than a day or 2 before all that's left is mud/dirt.

I don't understand how you will be able to manage/keep all of them healthy/happy successfully on such a small piece of property... The cost to feed all these animals is going to be huge, not to mention housing for them all and the space requirements that they simply won't have, and the manure load and the vet bills if something should happen... I guess I'm just confused/bewildered... Maybe you're just expressing wants/desires/dreams vice reality? 

Am I missing something here?


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## TAH (Jan 17, 2017)

I will answer you'll in a bit and go in-depth on what we are doing.


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## whimzy (Feb 1, 2017)

I have a small herd of 11 Kunekune pigs. Here are some answers to your questions based on good quality Ohio pasture.

*Can we sustain 4 pigs in a 50'x55' area?*    No! That might be big enough to grow out 2 piglets to butcher weight if you provide all the feed

My piglet weaning pen is 50'x100' and can sustain a weaned litter of 6 from age 8wks up to 4 months when the pasture is growing with addition of 1 cup of 16% pig feed each piglet per day, then i would move them to a 1 acre pasture to grow out.

My pigs also get veggies, fruit and excess hard boiled eggs from the laying hens.

With no pasture or during winter they need a minimum of 2 cups of pig feed, 2 cups of alfalfa pellets, plus ample hay each per day in addition to any milk, veggies etc you might feed them

*Is a 50'x55' area a big enough area for Kune Kunes?  NO*
Grazing animals need a lot of space to graze, it is recommended that you have 1 acre(250'x250') for every 5-6 Kunekunes, Compared to Dexters at 1 per acre or full size beef cow at 1 per 3-5 acres, it works out for a small homestead.

*How many- 4, 1 male and 3 female?  *1 breeding pair is enough for most families with enough to sell some.~12 pigglets per year, would need 2 acres to grow out with minimal supplements. 
What you are planning would produce ~36 piglets per year, average litter for Kunekune 6 (3-12 depending on age), 2 litters per year per female.

*How long does it take them to get to butcher weight?* 
Best to grow them out to 12-15 months (150-200lbs) for marbling and bacon development.


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## frustratedearthmother (Feb 1, 2017)

Good info @whimsy.  Thanks!


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## NH homesteader (Feb 1, 2017)

Great info and welcome! That was really informative!


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## micah wotring (Feb 1, 2017)

X3!


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## TAH (Feb 1, 2017)

I think we are going to raise 1-2 feeder pigs a year. 

Now what breed would be best?


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## Latestarter (Feb 1, 2017)

Greetings and welcome @whimzy  Thanks for sharing that enlightening information! Hope you'll stick around and maybe share some pics of your pigs. Make yourself at home!


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## Bruce (Feb 2, 2017)

What @Latestarter said @whimzy 

How convenient that you joined at the right time to give info to @TAH


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## NH homesteader (Feb 2, 2017)

Probably joined to give info to TAH?

As for breed, what's available around you? Any of the heritage breed hogs are good. They're all pretty hardy. Durocs are good... I guess see what's available first. People up there will know what does well in your lovely weather, lol. We personally like the Old Spot/Duroc cross a lot.


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## TAH (Feb 2, 2017)

There are mostly Tamworths around here, but there are a few Berkshires. I can get weaned Tamworth pigs for $75 each.


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## samssimonsays (Feb 2, 2017)

I would definitely do the feeder pigs first before jumping into breeding. It is so hard with 1 acre of land to plan for all these animals that need land to graze and forage to thrive or be a big money pit in the feed department.


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## OneFineAcre (Feb 2, 2017)

The ones I'm feeding out now are Duroc x Berkshire.


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## NH homesteader (Feb 2, 2017)

I have never raised Tamworths... But if they are a reasonable price (that's reasonable here so I assume it is there as well) and easy to get I would go for them. No point breaking the bank to raise feeder pigs when you've never raised pigs before, get something basic and cheap (obviously healthy) and see how it goes.


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## NH homesteader (Feb 2, 2017)

https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/tamworth


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