Livestock Talk
The KuneKune is a unique breed of grazing-type pig that originated in New Zealand and was imported into the United States beginning in 1995. KuneKune means “fat and round” in the language of the Māori people of New Zealand. KuneKunes are known as a lard pig, meaning they’re a fatter breed. They have a red, deeply marbled meat considered to be charcuterie-grade. The quality of pork is unsurpassed in flavor and quality.
To learn more about this unique breed, the American KuneKune Pig Society provided us with some great information.
What Makes Them Unique?
KuneKunes tend to not root nearly as much as other breeds of swine, making them much easier on the land. Many don’t root at all.
KuneKunes graze on grass, although they do require daily swine feed. However, they don’t nearly require as much feed as other breeds of swine, making them a thriftier breed.
These small-farm pigs have an incredibly docile temperament and friendly nature making them very easy to handle, which is especially important with their full-grown size at 3 to 4 years old, ranging from 250 to 450 pounds. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.
Who Should Own Them?
KuneKunes’ size, grazing ability, temperament and low rooting make them ideal for small, medium and large homesteads. Some of this multipurpose breed’s uses include:
• HOMESTEADING/MEAT PRODUCTION/ LARD USE: KuneKunes are a slow-growing, lard breed of swine that is used to produce what many would say is the Kobe beef of pork with rich, red marbled meat. The lard is often rendered for cooking, soaps, lip balms and salve.
• 4-H PROJECTS
• LIVESTOCK SHOW
• LAND & ORCHARD GRAZING
• PETTING ZOOS
• THERAPY ANIMALS
How Does One Care for Them?
KuneKunes’s compact size makes them perfect for just about any size farm, and they thrive in all types of weather if they have the following necessities.
• a shaded mud wallow when it is 70 degrees Fahrenheit and above
• ample shade
• draft-free, waterproof shelter
• clean drinking water
• daily pig feed
• forage, hay or grass in the winter when natural forage is not available
• no access to any type of additional salt; pigs don’t sweat
• regular vaccines and deworming
• access to a veterinarian that will treat pigs
• hoof care is a necessity
Find Out More
The American KuneKune Pig Society is an official breed registry of purebred KuneKunes. It has a strong commitment to the preservation of purebred, pedigreed, parentage DNA verified
KuneKunes. Founded in 2013, the AKKPS was the first KuneKune registry structured as a nonprofit, member-driven organization serving the U.S. and Canada.
The AKKPS promotes the KuneKune as a multipurpose, grazing, heritage breed of swine and recognizes all its many purposes.
The primary focus of the AKKPS is to provide the AKKPS membership with a foolproof registration service and to offer a plethora of educational information to the AKKPS membership as well the public. All KuneKune owners and enthusiasts are encouraged to join.
Yearly AKKPS membership dues are $65 and include all registration-related items, as well as a monthly eblast and educational article, access to advanced herd book features, two members-only FaceBook pages where members can connect and much more. A paid membership also comes with voting rights as AKKPS is a membership driven nonprofit organization.
For registry and educational information about the multipurpose KuneKune and the AKKPS, go online to the society’s website: www.akkps.org.