[maffp]

Hi!

I recently got four kune kune sows and am keeping them in my woodland - mainly in order to control the bracken. I know there is an issue with sheep ticks when the bracken shoots up. Thing is I can't find anything about sheep ticks and pigs. Do they bother them? Do they need injections?

Thanks

[robert waddell]

never had any experience with ticks       but i have heard that in tick areas the stock has to be acclimatised
it will be interesting to hear if your kunnies graze or root  as it seams to be confusing that they have changed there digestive system

[maffp]

Hi Robert and thanks for the quick reply!

What do you mean the stock has to be acclimatised? And also changing their digestive system? (Sorry... bit of a noob). They came from an entirely mud pen where all their food was supplementary. The wood has some edible vegetation but I'm supplementing with grass nuts, sugar beet pellets and normal pig nuts. It's a dry woodland floor (very peaty) so I'm scattering the nuts in the undergrowth to encourage them to root around (which they seem to be thoroughly enjoying!).

[robert waddell]

if you buy in stock from a non tick area there could be reactions to the tick bites  only seen it once with cattle advertised as being tick acclimatised
pigs do not have a digestive system that allows them to live on grass as cows sheep and horses do
there is a misconception that kunnies are a grazing pig    and no i am not running for cover on this one

[SallyintNorth]

It's a fact that cattle are acclimatised to the local ticks (and their diseases.)

I had a friend in Devon bought in some Blue Greys from 'oop Narth'.  A significant percentage died from tick-borne diseases.

I don't know about pigs and tick-borne diseases - but pigs are phsiologically very similar to humans, and we can  get Lyme disease (so can dogs), so if you are in a Lyme disease area, that could be a big risk running pigs in bracken.

[HappyHippy]

there is a misconception that kunnies are a grazing pig    and no i am not running for cover on this one

Okay, since you're not running for cover, here's my best shot 

Quote from the New Zealand Kunekune Association website......

"Kunekunes are a grass grazing pig and can cope with a high fibre diet, with adult Kunekunes being able to maintain body condition on good quality pasture alone. As pasture quality varies, however, it is normal to supplement their diet when pasture is in short supply. If you don't want to use commercial rations, be careful that the supplement are of sufficient quality for what the pig needs".

The full article can be read here http://www.kunekune.co.nz/article-diet.html

I think perhaps Robert, you'd be best to get your facts straight before you post chaper and verse on subjects you're not overly familiar with  Unless of course, you know better than folk who've kept them since the 70's?

Karen 

[robert waddell]

Karen you were at the same QMS course as i was and the guy there said it was a misconception that pigs can get full sustenance from grass
 they are simply not designed for grass               there is a queer difference in the grass quality in new zealand and the paddock's that pigs are turned out into in this country
i also remember you quoting an American site that was grazing alfalfa and clover mixtures again a big difference in quality 

[HappyHippy]

Karen you were at the same QMS course as i was and the guy there said it was a misconception that pigs can get full sustenance from grass
 they are simply not designed for grass               there is a queer difference in the grass quality in new zealand and the paddock's that pigs are turned out into in this country
i also remember you quoting an American site that was grazing alfalfa and clover mixtures again a big difference in quality 

Had the guy from QMS dealt with Kunekunes ? I very much doubt it since he'd worked in the commercial sector 
The American site you refer to (well, it's Canada actually but I don't expect you'd know that as I doubt you read the article fully ) if you'd read it you'd have seen it is a man who raises meat pigs on protien from dairy waste and mixed grazing - but that wasn't Kunekunes, so don't see what you think it has to do with this ? I read lots of information from lots of sources and if I can pass on something relevant or helpful then I will

Obviously we're never going to see eye to eye on the Kunekune issue, but I do wish you'd stop downing them at every opportunity and saying things which just plainly aren't true - I raise mine for meat on grass and 1lb of food a day without any problems whatsoever - as someone in the position you are I think it's high time you showed less bias towards certain breeds  But hey ho, that's just me 
Karen

[dixie]

My friend has 2 kunes that free range over a few acres, they don't get fed anything all summer, and have vegetables and fruit fed to them in the winter, they never have pig food, and are about 8 years old and very healthy.

[lill]

Is this going to be another debate on pigs  , everyone is entitled to their own opinions, people just need to find out for themselves if kune kune are a "grass pig" and live on 1lb a day  . It is peoples choices if they make a mistake once, then they are less likely to make the same mistake again. Some people like the minimum of fat, a growth to kill weight in about 4 and a half months, big loins , others like plenty fat, pigs that can take a year to get to a decent sized weight, and smaller carcase . It would not do if everyone had the same opinion now would it.

[robert waddell]

we have  had kunnies as well as iron age pigs and of course the Tammie's and various other crosses sure pigs eat grass  but if you have decent grassland pigs is the last thing you would  have running on it even if there noses were wired to stop them turning it into the Somme never mind the action of there trotters     the ground conditions are just not suited for grazing pigs 
now do enlighten me and countless others what the difference is betwean a kunnie and any other pig that makes kunnies able to survive on grass with minimal purchased feed   and put pork on there carcase
it is hard enough to get the QMS to recognise pedigree breeds they have an interest from the commercial side of pork production  both you and i have to pay towards them with little or no return for it and not even a squeak when the rest of the industry is roaring
it is not a case of seeing eye to eye or downing them at every opportunity that is your perception  they have a place in pig farming as does all the other breeds you have tried  we tried them and did not find them appropriate
now 1 pound a day over 14 months is £56 for bought in feed to get your kunnies to a carcase weight of 95 kilos and that is not the excellent grazing of new zealand  or the alfalfa and clover of north America
it is high time these commercial breeders were using kunnie  pigs 

[dixie]

Going back to the op, it seems treatment for ticks would be the same as mange, if you inject them with ivermectin it may prevent tick problems, and will certainly prevent any worm or parasite they may have/get.

[robert waddell]

we use premadex for worms and lice and it does not say anything about ticks     spot on treatment is for ticks on cattle but says nothing for pigs if you ask your vet they can enquire at the manufacturer they may have a specific treatment or prevention for them  some products can be used but are not specific to pigs

[maffp]

Hmm, mush to go on... thanks for all the input! I was thinking I would use a granular wormer but it seems it'd probably be a good idea to use a wormer injection so I can control ticks at the same time. Are there any guides for injecting the pigs? I certainly can't afford to be having a vet come all the time. My friend is a doctor so I could have him do the first injections as a lesson. But how best to do it... how best to get hold of them? Where exactly should the needle be inserted?

[dixie]

The best place is behind the ear, there's a fleshy pad. Get the ivermectin to room temp as it is quite viscose and harder to inject when cold. You have to be confident, quick and precise. Lots of videos if you do a google search, how to inject a pig! I used to slap my pig whilst she was eating, to numb it, then jab. Helps if you slap each time they eat, they then get used to it, a few days later slap then jab, hopefully they won't notice, sounds odd but it worked for me until I bought a masterject vaccinator.