The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: harry on July 12, 2012, 11:32:48 am
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several posts have asked if kune kune meat is any good..... i killed my first batch of 7 kks 2 months ago all about 11 months old, ime not convinced that home reared meat is that much tastier, my chickens, ducks etc taste ok ...duck eggs really good but ime was not a huge fan of home reared food. ive now had my pork ribs they were so tender every time i lifted a rid bone to eat it it fell out of the meat a clean as a whistle and was so tender, had the sausages burgers etc all ok. boiled a ham this week, how nice and tender was that so soft etc, ime converted to slow growing pigs etc, looking forward to the other cuts, anyone asking about kk for meat, just get them.
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:yum: :thumbsup:
Glad you're enjoying them Harry :wave:
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i had my first KK meat the other day and it was delicious. I was very surprised having been used to the bigger breeds, but i would definately reccomend it
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they are small but delicious ... at least, ours were! :pig:
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I have some weaners for sale. Any takers?
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These may be stupid questions but I'll embarass myself anyway:
1. do KK make good "baconers"?
2. how much meat would you expect to get back?
3. what would be a "target" live weight before slaughter?
4. Average age to get to no.3?
5. Best time to buy weaners?
Thanking you all :)
Sharon :wave:
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Lots of people will tell you "no, can't make bacon from a Kunekune" :-\ but those same folk would probably tell you the meat was rotten and not to waste your time with them ;) :D
It does take a while for them to grow to a size worthwhile for making bacon - at least a year and more commonly 14-18 months. We've made lovely bacon from Kunekunes at 18months - it was a bit fatty, but the gilts we bought were really fat when they came here and we slimmed them down a bit - but could have done with more weight off them ;) As long as you don't let them get too fat when growing, it should be fine though :thumbsup:
Our 'pork' Kunes generally go off around 10-12 months old, around the 60-70 liveweight mark and we get 30-40Kg of pork cuts back. The older ones for bacon were 18 months and deadweights were 100Kg - so their liveweights would have been around 130-140Kg ish.
Because they do take longer to raise for slaughter it's not quite as easy as get in spring, send off in autumn the way you would with most rare breed weaners. But getting them spring/summer time is probably best as this way they'll get the most goodness/use from the grass and they'd be ready to send off the following year.
Only thing I would say though is that Kunekunes will need much more space than standard pigs or you will end up having to suppliment their grass ration and they will end up fatty - half an acre as a minimum for 2, allowing you to rotate too.
HTH
Karen
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you can make bacon from any size pig but the smaller the carcase the smaller the eye of the the rasher
as to kunnie meat being rotten it would depend on how long it was lying for before you used it the big thing is what it has been fed on before slaughter if it was fed on a diet based on cauliflower cabbage and sprouts it will taint the meat
we find that the time and effort never mind the cost to get that small carcase cannot be justified by the qutsie factor alone but each to there own
as to the largest weight before slaughter that all depends on the slaughter house and what is the maximum size they will take some have a limit of 90 kilos some will take them to125 kilos others will take sows that are 300kilos a pig killed and gutted will yield 70% of the original liveweight minus head trotters and hide it yields about 50% then you have the bones big pigs have big bones small ones have small bones
the Hampshire's that we have can achieve 120 kilos at six months that is you only keeping them for 4 months if you get them at 8 weeks old and cost per kilo is less than any other pig to produce decisions decisions decisions :farmer:
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kune bacon tastes good, i have had a fair amount now from HH and it has been great...
i don't grow my own so can't comment on time taken or feed etc, all i know is my tastebuds were happy...
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be a devil bloomer try something different :innocent: even it is a saddelback :farmer:
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have also had osb and have large black on order, as and when i finally meet you Robert I will no doubt purchase some of your fine pig products too...
I like pork, I like to know where my food comes from after that i'm prepared to experiment...
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you would be cheaper raising your own or even buying a finished pig
funny you should mention you like to know where your food comes from supermarket pork is derided always yet there lamb beef chicken and even veg is just accepted a weird perspective some folk have :farmer:
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we are going off topic, but i like to know where all my food comes from, i don't have land to raise my own yet, but i have ordered a whole pig for the end of the year...
i have lamb and chicken also coming for my freezer from smallholders...
veg i grow a bit myself and otherwise buy as sensibly as i can...
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i have wised up with kunes........ my first lot where piglets 8 weeks old killed at 11 months, then someone advertised 3 x 5 month olds free to good home so i took them........ they had a good home for 6 months then went.......... then i heard of 2 kunes 1 year old free...people buy them as pets then find it was a big mistake. and just want to get rid of them. these 2 are now 15 months old and have cost me £20 in feed so will go for bacon and sausages in a few more months.there are plenty of kunes free at about 6 - 12 months old...... i told people of about 12 in my area as i couldnt take them....stick an add in your local free ads and you will get some. free to good home i tell them they will free range for 6-12 months then will be butchered if they ask but genarly they dont want to know.
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Is there a "past by" age when their meat would be too fatty/tough?
Does eating them count as a "loving home" as that's where most advertisers want them to go.... :-J
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The oldest KK we've eaten was a "rescue" over 4 years-old & she was fine, though a wee bit on fatty side - good for sausages though :yum:
I don't see any problem with giving them a "loving home" before eating them - IME they are usually so glad to get them off of their hands you never hear from the folks again (especially the ones with no provenance!).
I keep hoping that one day folks will start treating KKs as pigs, smaller than other breeds, but pigs none the less - NOT bl**dy fashion accessories >:( ... rant over :-X
:love: :pig: :love:
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Hmmmm....definitely food for thought (no pun intended) as there are 3 x 2 year old sows to good home near me! They would have a very good home. First.
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I'd say go for it Bb - ideal time of year, they should be fine on just grass at that age, so no costly feed bills - gives you a few months to get them into shape :yum:
Just a quick tip - check their feet are ok - many that have been pampered have ruined feet (a bit like a pony with laminitis) & you may never be able to get the fat off their backs, as they won't want to/can't run about - it's awful the state some folk get them into :o
:love: :pig: :love:
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if the owners want them to go to a loveing pets home let them try to find one or keep them theirselves...... if they want them to go to a good home then take them............ ive been offered 6 pigs off a kune kune rescue place knowing i would butcher them at some time, the rescue people were relistic and know what pigs are for, and cant keep taking adult pigs in forever.......... tell them a white lie to keep them happy (useally the women) ::) ::) ..... i probably wont ever buy any piglets again not when i can get enough for me free at 6 months old, thats the age they relise what a monster they have raised. the last 3 i got were 6 months old and castraited.!!! a lot buy them sold as minatures. if you get them about now its coming into carrot and windfall season so more free feed for the pigs....... picked my first bucket of roadside crab apples today..... ime not tight ime carefull.
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You're not a million miles away from me Harry, so if you ever hear of a couple going spare.... :fc: we are only a family of 2 and a toddler.... :eyelashes:
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