Top tips for kunekune care
Food
While kunekune require approximately 75% less grain than commercial pigs, they still need some grain to supplement their grazing and complete their diet, especially when pasture quality and quantity diminishes.
The New Zealand Kunekune Association (NZKA) recommends the below feed rate of commercial pellets made with 12 to 16.5% protein, when there is some pasture available. – adult boar or sow – 1 to 1.5kg per day
– lactating sow – 1 to 1.5kg + 0.2kg/
piglet/day
– 0.5kg per day – 0.75kg per day
Pigs should be fed twice a day when grass is poor, and have ready access to clean water. Adult sows can drink up to five litres of water a day during lactation, particularly during hot weather.
Space, shelter and fencing
To satisfy their urge to graze, kunekunes should be given a 10th of a hectare (quarter acre) of pasture per pig.
While settled pigs are not known to challenge fencing, it’s wise to install good netting fences, electric fences, or a single hot wire to prevent any escapes.
Pigs are not heat tolerant and so need an area of shade or a well-ventilated shelter in summer. Given the chance, they will make a mud wallow to keep themselves cool and keep the flies off.
The ideal pig shelter is one that is big enough to hold all the pigs with some room to spare, is well ventilated but not draughty, and will keep out the rain. A solid floor is best, and bedding such as shavings or sawdust can be added for warmth.
Social lives
A study by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna found that kunekunes develop complex social families, teaching, collaborating and learning from each other. Kunekunes are herd animals – they are far happier and healthier when kept in pairs or groups. Many breeders run the boar and sows together for long periods of time and only separate them at farrowing time.
While they will usually graze quite happily with other stock in a paddock, they are known to eat afterbirths from other animals and may sometimes take baby lambs and goats. For this reason, don’t run kunekunes in with other stock at birthing time.
Buying a kukekune
Where possible, buy registered stock from a respected breeder. Kunekunes vary in size, shape and colouring, so there is always a matter of personal preference as to what looks like a desirable pig. The main things to look for are a short snout, tassels present, healthy legs and feet, and good temperament.
Where possible, buy two together so that they are company for each other. When taking a new pig or piglet home, put them in a secure pen or small paddock for the first few days until they recognise you as the food source. Once they have settled down and are not under stress, it is ok to let them out but be aware that they will explore opportunities for escape.
Health
Kunekunes, like other grazing animals, can be prone to internal parasites that sap their nutrients and generally erode their condition, making them more susceptible to illness. According to Slow Farm, the best ways to treat or prevent parasites in kunekunes are: chemical dewormers such as Ivermectin rotational grazing. This is when the pigs are moved to new pastures regularly before the parasite eggs hatch. Without a host, the worms die off and eventually your farm’s parasite population can be greatly reduced. The downside to rotational grazing is it requires a lot more work.