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Author Topic: Kune kene piglets  (Read 5779 times)

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: Kune kene piglets
« Reply #15 on: August 15, 2013, 08:06:24 pm »
Yes last time i saw them at market they went for a fiver despite them being described as registerable and birth noitified! This was at Salisbury market in Wilts. It was a special rare breed sale too! They probably wouldn't even sell on a normal market day. If you can make that much from them i say make hay while the sun shines... It was once the same with potbellies, next it will be the micropigs and the kk will go to the way of the potbelly no doubt! I have to state i think they are lovely looking little piggies, so nothing against them at all! I am sure if you have the room for them they make nice pets :) (and great pork scratching being such fatty fat fats haha)
 

verdifish

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • banffshire
Re: Kune kene piglets
« Reply #16 on: August 15, 2013, 08:19:38 pm »
The odd thing with micro pigs is there,s technically no such thing and plenty of very unscrupulous breeders selling kunekunes but calling them micro pigs which as somewhat soiled the airpropulsion device for them.

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Kune kene piglets
« Reply #17 on: August 16, 2013, 09:37:14 am »
Kunekunes make fantastic pork pigs  :yum: ours are at 'killing weight' between 10 and 12 months old having only eaten a fraction of a traditional breed. They're only fatty if they're overfed and kept in unsuitable environments (they need plenty of space - half an acre minimum) and that's down to the owner, not the pig  ;)
We've had traditional breeds with more fat on them than our Kunekunes - so the myth about them being fatty is just not true, again it's down to the owner to control the hard feed, they'll not get fat on grass  :innocent:
The castration costs are probably what pushes the price up - a closed castration (to reduce the risk of inguinal hernias) will cost on average £50 per piglet  :o
I could write for hours about how great they are  ::) ;D (you'll all be pleased to hear I'm in a rush and can't  :innocent:) but for lots of people they're the perfect pig  :thumbsup:
Right, off to wean 16 Kunekune piglets and socialise cuddle them  :excited: :excited: :excited:

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Kune kene piglets
« Reply #18 on: August 16, 2013, 09:58:58 am »
Mine have only ever had the normal castration, I have had two piglets go wrong when I changed the vet but apart from that they are usually fine.

I dont advertise my piglets, just birth notify them, then I spose people look them up on the BKKPS website under recent notifications.

I think the appeal for them is that although they are slow growing, they require much less feeding.
They do need a good deal of space though so they dont go fat, my pigs have got a good amount of muscle and are nice and lean. And then if kept on nice flat grass they dont root/root as much

My pigs have not rooted since winter 2011, but when people ask if they root I dont say that they wont! its just my ground is hard and flat and grass, they will root up weeds.

When the sows arent feeding piglets they dont get fed, (well between April-October) but they do have 2 acres of grazing and I have a good supply of windfall apples.

They do make very tasty pork and sausages, the bacon is lovely but I have only tasted my friends bacon as of yet, cant wait to make my own :)

Due to me taking the pigs far (Barton Hill in Hereford) for the boar last time I only just managed to break even

My parents might be moving in the next few months to a house with no land and so I am moving some of my sheep to rented land near my Uni (cirencester) but cannot find anyone who is willing to rent land to 2 pigs (the two sows who I cannot bear to part with)
So my kunekunes might not be around for much longer  :gloomy:

BALLOCH

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Kune kene piglets
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2013, 08:51:27 pm »
Kune kune pigs have taken a knock in price due to the micro pig pet market I think,for a while big prices were being got for pets.This was fine but lead to a lot being bred due to the chance to make money,The problem then arises that people get fed up with there pets when they grow to adults and poss over feed them in the prosses.Kune thrive on grass and veg diet and need very little pig pellets,especialy in summer if grazing is a available,concentrates are needed in winter but they will eat hay and,haylage as well.For a quality breeding pig or boar then I would expect a good price,if reg,but for unreg stock a realistic price should only be the same as any other meat pig.A kune piglet grazing and getting a bit of hard feed will take longer to mature,we kill ours at about 10 months,poss earlier with a boar,maybe taking longer to mature than some breeds but should cost less if on grass.If over fed yes they will put fat on but so will any rare breed pig.Look for a good long back when choosing a piglet for meat.We have been selling kune meat for a few years and its lovely tasty meat and not fatty if the pig is fed right,if you have a older fatter pig and wish to eat it put the whole pig to sausages and ask the butcher not to put all the fat in,i can recommend the meat.Another factor is that the kune has a lovely temperament compared to some breeds and is a pleasure to own.At 10 months you can expect about 43 kilos of meat back from the butcher to enjoy.

 

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