KUNEKUNE PIGS AT CAMP SKIPPING PIG

Kunekune pigs are a rare and endangered breed that originated in New Zealand. Their name means "fat and round" in the Maori language and they easily live up to that with pasture access during the summer. Kunes are grazing pigs and should have access to ample pasture or quality hay if pasture is not available. Their wonderful temperament makes them a great pet for owners with younger children, as well as petting zoos and children's areas in public zoos. They're much more easy going than an average potbelly pig and less inclined to become snappy. They've proven to be much easier to harness train, much easier to handle on trips to the vet clinic, and even quicker to learn to use a ramp when loading into the truck or trailer for a trip. They're naturally more trusting of humans and can't seem to get enough attention, often complicating outdoor projects with their close "supervision" or  tripping us up as we try to manuver around them in the pastures. They flop for belly rubs without even a touch and come running to greet all visitors. Kunekunes come in many colors including solid or combinations of black, white, red, ginger, and blonde as well as  different coat types...long, short, curly, wiry or smooth. Their coats and coloring frequently change as they mature. Their bristles are softer and more hair-like than other pigs' bristles. As such, they're more apt to break off when exposed to mud or rubbing on a fence or something similar. Kunekunes don't "blow" their coats like potbellies, but they do shed. Shedding is a natural process where the emerging hair pushes out the old one. They may have long hairs that form tassels off the tips of their ears, though these are often broken and easily worn off in the dirt.  Kunekunes are noted for their jowl tassels (called pire pire), though not all will have them. Some pigs may have one or none, some tassels may be long and thin and some the size of a pencil eraser and almost invisible under the hair. Ideally the tassels will be well attached to the jowl. Though tasseled pigs are rare, Kunekunes are not the only pig breed to sport this unusual feature. The Red Wattle Hog, Oxford Sandy & Black and Polish breeds also have tassels. Kunekunes are considered a miniature breed, but run a bit larger than an average potbelly. Most of our adults (over three years) weigh in at about 130-150 pounds, the size of our largest pots. Our largest Kunekune boar is about 200 pounds. Some Kunekunes may weigh up to 300 pounds, but over the years the original breeder of our Kunekunes bred to produce a smaller pig. It's important not to get hung up on their weight because pigs are very dense compared to dogs and other animals. Our 125 pound pigs are about the size of a large cocker spaniel that might weigh about 50 pounds. As a rule, our adult Kunekunes are about knee high to a human adult and three to four feet long from nose to tail. This delightful breed was almost extinct not many years ago and is still endangered, though gaining popularity around the world. Our hope is to provide quality Kunekunes as pets to qualified homes. We will never sell any to be slaughtered and will not be providing breeding animals to anyone. Our pigs are pets only and our hope is that there is never a need for Kunekune rescues as there now is for the unfortunate potbellies. Indiscriminate breeding will soon turn these delightful pigs into another "disposable" pet and we cannot and will not contribute to that.

Our Kunekunes will be registered with the New Zealand Kunekune registry and were inspected by Karen Nicoll, from New Zealand,  on November 22, 2009 here in Java Center. It was a pleasure and exciting to meet her and to hear her opinions and suggestions for our breeding program.

 We currently have ten females, six boars, Ahurei (a barrow) and our babies here at our farm in western New York. Though certainly not our goal, this is possibly one of the largest  groups of purebred Kunekunes in the world due to their rarity. The first Kunekunes in the United States were imported by Katie Rigby (Kansas) from New Zealand. All of our Kunekunes are a result of her meticulous breeding program. Over the years she bred for a high quality, smaller pet pig and our herd reflects the success of her efforts.

Ahurei is registered with the New Zealand registry and came to us from Katie Rigby in Kansas. Katie imported the first Kunekunes into the US...12 females and 4 boars. In 1999 she imported two more boars to further dilute the bloodlines and has been extremely careful to keep the bloodlines as far apart as possible when breeding. She also bred for a smaller pig, and most of the resulting Kunekunes are about the size of a large potbelly. "Tuffy" (Kahukara) is one of the first generations born in the US and is larger (about 260 pounds) than his more recently born relatives. Our Kunekunes average about 130-150 pounds. By comparison, our  potbellies average 110-130 pounds. Our smallest potbellies, Snippet, Snurdle and Sassy, weigh about 77 pounds each and are the closest we've seen to fit the description of the mythical "micro-mini".

 Skipping Carlyce and Skipping Truffles arrived in December of 2006 to be our first Kunekune "moms".

  Carly is picture perfect with an adorable short, upturned nose and lovely conformation. Her sweet disposition makes her a hit with everyone she meets and she's an ideal ambassador for the Kunekune breed. In the middle of a meal she'll flop for a belly rub and she comes running for her scratches and hugs. Pigs have a reputation for being very aggressive and protective mothers. When Carly finished her evening meal the day she delivered her trio of babies, she sat next to me as I squatted, looking at the babies. Then she slowly leaned against me, cuddled in under my arm, and together we spent several wonderful minutes admiring the miracle of her new family, my arm over her shoulders. She never once showed any aggression, even when the piglets complained about their vaccinations. She simply "talked" a bit more and closely supervised the process. These are very gentle pigs indeed.

 Like Carly, Truffles is a nice representative of the Kunekune breed, though we don't consider her to be breeding quality and don't intend to breed her. Her nose is longer than is desirable and her legs also bit long. Her black color will likely be dominant, thus increasing the odds of her having solid black babies. Most people looking for Kunekunes are looking for color. She's just a wonderful and affectionate pet. Truffles got her name from her very dark, almost black, chocolate coloring as a baby. She is now solid black. Of course, her extremely sweet nature also played a part in the naming process. Of the two, Skipping Truffles is the more adventurous and is apt to jump her gate looking for trouble. Skipping Carlyce prefers  to keep her feet on the ground and had to be bribed to put her feet up for the above photo. Instead of jumping she prefers to squeeze thru the tiniest of places to escape.

 'Urei, Carly and Truffles have all done the petting zoo and were all much easier to harness train than any potbelly I've ever met. None became upset when the harness was first put on, nor did they mind a gentle tug to encourage them to walk along and follow. They all grumbled a bit when forced to go in a direction other than what they had in mind, but all complied. Their quiet acceptance of the harness was amazing in light of the more common "fits" thrown by most potbellies upon their introduction to a harness and leash. We've found that the baby Kunekunes are much more accepting of a harness than any of our baby pots have ever been, with the exception of Alix, who acted as though his first time in harness was his 500th. The Kunekune babies also love to be held and cuddled. Most potbelly babies require a lot of work to learn that being picked up is OK.

 In addition to the initial three Kunekunes, there are eleven breeding eligible females and six boars. Though we certainly don't intend to breed them all, the variety will allow us to keep bloodlines well separated in an effort to produce the heathiest, highest quality piglets possible. Over many years smaller pigs were selected for breeding, and the resulting Kunekunes are very similar in size to average to large potbellies. "Tuffy", one of the first generations born in the US, is in the 260 pound range, but the Kunekunes that we will use for breeding are much smaller and generally run about 125 to 150 pounds or so. Remember that pigs are very solid and though a 125 pound dog might be very large, a pig of the same weight is much smaller. An average size Kunekune might be about knee high and about three feet long. They are considered a miniature breed. By comparison, market variety pigs can approach couch size and somet
imes exceed 1000 pounds!

                                                           Cherub chomps Talia

Some of the thirteen Kune girls on a beautiful October '08 morning

RUGBY DOES A "MEET & GREET" AT EASTSIDE NURSING HOME. HE SLEPT THRU A LOT OF IT.

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