[Beewyched]

2 sisters = 2 x PMT with teeth - double trouble, they'll cycle at the same time most likely too 
Probably better with 2 castrates for long-term "pets" - though you may be ok with a gilt & castrate together, though I've been told of a KK gilt who beats-up her brother every 3 weeks for not being able to "perform"    
 

[Button End Beasts]

Sorry to jump on this post but I have a question...


How do you think a Kune Kune would get on with a 1 year OSB gilt (hopefully soon to be mum when she meets her boyfriend iin next few months)? I'd like a permanent companion for my OSB and really like the look and sound of Kune Kunes. I was offered 2 gilts for free a few months ago, but at the time it was soooo wet and I didn't really want 2 extra pigs and the owners, rightly didnt want to split them up.


Trouble would be with feeding but then we are used to feeding the big pig separately from weaners anyway.

[HappyHippy]

Kunekunes get on with just about every species known to man 
You'd need to watch your OSB didn't bully it and they'd have to have plenty of space so the OSB wasn't rooting up all the grass that the Kunekune needs to graze on.
I'd be tempted to mix 2 Kunekune with your OSB, rather than just one (strength in numbers and all that  ) and see how they go (you could always send one off to slaughter eventually if the union worked). I've kept mine seperate from all my big pigs so far, but might try running them all in the big field this year and see how it goes 

[Button End Beasts]

HH -so Kunes HAVE to have grass to graze on? That would rule them out as a companion pig then cos although we rotate and reseed the pig runs, they pretty quickly turn to bare mud, either through Flo rooting or the ground turning to mush. We could let them out at weekends in with the sheep - although Flo would not be happy at being left out! Flo has done the odd spot of digging in the big sheep field which my OH was not happy about.  !I guess we couldn't guarantee the Kunes wouldn't do the same?

[HappyHippy]

You couldn't guarentee they wouldn't root, no  Some don't do it at all and others do it quite a bit, they're less likely to do it and being snub nosed the damage is far less than the bigger pigs.

I suppose you could try keeping them together and just have a hay rack for the Kunes  But we've always run ours on grass, when there is grass . When they're in, in the winter we give hay and hayledge instead.
HTH

[ppd]

My 3 KKs live with Matilda the tamworth sow and they all do really well together. Matilda has trashed the field, but the KKs get hay daily and I have half the field taped off with electric fencing for spring/summer grass for KKs.
I had thought of putting up a post and rail fence between the trashed bit and the grassy bit that was high enough for the KKs to get under, but not Matilda, come spring. Not sure if that would work or not

[HappyHippy]

I had thought of putting up a post and rail fence between the trashed bit and the grassy bit that was high enough for the KKs to get under, but not Matilda, come spring. Not sure if that would work or not

I think you'd find you had a limbo dancing Tamworth  the grass is always greener and they always find a way  If she's respecting the leccy fencing I'd stick with it for now 

[Ladygrey]

Mine have no grass at the moment due to the fields just being so muddy!
not actually from rooting but from the pigs walking and making it yucky! I need to sort my drainage somehow and do some re seeding this coming weekend on the worst poached bits (gateways and walk ways)

so I give them an arm full of haylage in their huts in the evening and they gobble it up , I think they need the fiber more in the winter as (I think) its heating and helps keep them warm well thats what I imagine anyway...

[little blue]

Kunekunes get on with just about every species known to man 

including goats!
(we had a shed-delay so they all mucked in together for a while!)

[Ladygrey]

friendly with....


Lambs


Children


dogs

[Button End Beasts]

Lady grey those are the best pictures ever!  

[ppd]

Lady grey, well what can I possibly say that will let you know how absolutely wonderful those photos were, especially the dog one
and the very thought of a limbo dancing Matilda makes my mind boggle
Maybe I should do it and get it on video

[Button End Beasts]

Another question! Are Kunes as hardy as say, the OSB's? We do not have any barns so they would have to stay out all year, although they would of course have nice warm arks with plenty of straw. And if they are cuddled up to the big ginger, then they would be positively toasty!

[hughesy]

Question. Everyone says they're cheaper to feed. But it takes 10 - 12 months to hit pork weight. How does this work out from a "meat pig" point of view?

[P6te]

Hi Hughesy,

If you know how much you are going to feed them, the cost of feed and your target pork age my calculator will tell you the rest ... see here to request a copy.

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=30635.0