Looking for livestock that are easy-keepers, friendly, and compact? The Kune kune (pronounced, Koo-nee Koo-nee) pig just might be the answer. While these little pigs are larger than the popular Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs of the 90s, they are still a mere shadow of their industrial-size, commercial cousins.
New Zealand’s first people, the Maori, were the first keepers of the Kune kune, which is why they are also known as the 'Maori pig'. The origination of the little pigs remains unclear, with several theories on how they were aquired. In 1992, the Kune kune pig was imported from New Zealand to Britain, and have only very recently reached American breeders. In the 1970s, the breed was nearly non-existent and in 1988, The New Zealand Kunekune Association was incorporated to save the small pig from extinction.
The Kune Kune’s Characteristics
- Kune’s adult weight is anywhere from 90-120 lbs, with boars sometimes weighing in at 200 lbs. This sounds big until you realize that a full-grown farm hog can exceed 1000 lbs!
- The Maori pigs have a round, compact body.
- Their snout is very short, and turned up.
- Their ears vary in structure. They can be completely erect to semi-lopped.
- Their coats come in an incredible variety of colors, textures, and patterns. They come in black, white, ginger (red), and brown. The coat patterns can be spotted, striped, solid, or marbled. The texture can be smooth, rough, long or short.
- A unique feature of the New Zealand pig is the ‘tassel’ or ‘wattles’ they have hanging from their lower jaw.
- Kunes are omnivorous (opportunistic eaters).
The Kune’s Diet
One of the nicest things about this small livestock is that they are grazers, and usually do well on pasture grass alone. Although, if need be, Kunes will be supplemented with a feed in the winter. They are also pasture-friendly in the sense that unlike most pig breeds, they are not designed to ‘root’. Rooting, or digging up the soil or grass with their snouts is a normal characteristic for most pigs, and they can do damage to land if they are not properly fenced in their own designated area.
What Do You Do With a Kune Kune?
- Kunes do a fantastic job keeping the grasses, and weeds down in vineyards, and orchards. They will also be more than happy to clean up the fallen fruit!
- They can be raised for meat.
- Kune kunes can be used in a rotation of sustainable farming/agriculture.
- They can be trained to find the highly-sought-after truffles that grow under certain European trees.
- You can show and breed the Kunes.
Small Pigs Make Great Pets
As far as livestock goes, the smaller pig breeds are among the best as pets. Pigs are exceptionally smart, falling right up there with dolphins, and chimps on the intelligence list. They are also very clean animals, preferring a short kiddie-pool to cool off in as opposed to a mud puddle. Not to mention, pigs don't get fleas.
If that isn’t convincing enough, the Kune’s gentle nature make it terrific around kids. “The Kunes are notably different than other pig breeds in that they are born friendly,” Kune kune breeder, Lori Enright says, “As babies, they will come right to you instead of away from you.”
Want to lean more about the Kune kune pig? Go to The New Zealand Kunekune Association.
Related Reading
Want to read more about pigs? Check out How To Care For A Potbellied Pig and The Intelligent Pig.
Chris McLaughlin - Chris McLaughlin's gardening books include "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables." Check out her complete profile.
