[JoeMac]

Hello all ,
has anyone on here kept kune kunes for meat and if so what age did you send them off to "the place" .I have two that are around six months but they still look very small .They are an unrelated male & female and the boar still has his bits .I would like to send them soon for various reasons such as boar taint and the winter on its way (I have limited space and would like to reseed the field etc ) .I have never sent pigs for meat before and don't really know at what size the meat gets to a useful size (I realize this relates to the breed) .Maybe someone has sent small piggies before and can tell me what they got back .
  The info I have read up gives various ages such as "starting with pigs" it says... kune kunes make succulent porkers from only 5 months old .I have also read 8 months and in another place between 12 and 18 months .I could take a few pics this weekend ,I have some already but there is nothing to give them scale .I warn you though the boar has a habit of charming everyone he meets and he has a lot of admirers .

   Anyway thanks all for any help you can offer

  Joe

[ukag0972]

I wouldn't of thought there would be much meat on them at that age. Kunes are a bit fatty so I'd leave them till they're bigger and worth sending!!

[little blue]

Your boar may be already mature enough to breed - Ive heard of 5 month old kunes being able to impregnent - if he is tall enough to reach and the gilt is facing downhill !!
What bloodline is he? It mat be better to keep/sell him for breeding, and concentrate on casrates for meat.
Our boar has really 'beefed out' since 5 1/2 months (now over 7) so yours should bulk up as he matures. But then you have the taint problem!  Keep a close eye, and let us know!!

[JoeMac]

Thanks little blue ,

  I was told although I'm not sure if it is true that because they have been together from an early age I would have to take the boar away from the gilt for her to come into season .Although the pigs both have 2 piri piri are seem to be very good examples of the breed they are not registered and are without a pedigree .My original plan was to buy two Berkshire weaner's or similar for meat but after reading about how good kune meat is I opted for these two ,thinking that from what I read in the starting with pigs book that they would soon be ready .However another knowledgeable member from this site took a look and thought they were still small .

   From what I can gather if the boar has taint he is still OK for sausages etc ?? They really are lovely pigs & he is such a character but I should have stuck with my original plan especially after the aforementioned member let me have some of his pork in exchange for some geese .It was really tasty !!

  I think with pigs the more you read the more different advice you find but I suppose there is no substitute for experience .It's just lucky that people who do this sort of thing always seem happy to help out and share their knowledge .

[Hilarysmum]

Joe  Mac he will probably be fine with no boar taint, but if he does, avoid using the stomach area (so I am told) and use for sausages bacon and ham.  The bacon will smell when cooking (again so I have been told) but is fine to eat.

[JoeMac]

Thanks Hilarys mum !!

[Di]

I am in the same position as you, roughly.  I have been breeding Kune Kunes for about 5 years now and up until now have sold all the piglets either for breeding or pets.  However I had 2 boars, which I did not get castrated born in February.  They were not good enough for breeding although could have been registered.  I decided to keep them for meat.  They are now 7 months old and I am about to send them on.  I think as its the first trial I will make all sausages as I am not sure how fat they are.  As you say, they don't look all that big compared with 'normal' pigs.  However I understand that after 7 months all they will really do is lay down fat.

I have a couple of friends who have used Kune Kunes for meat.  Andy Case (Starting with Pigs) says he has the back legs boned and rolled and the rest made into sausages and swears they make the best sausages ever.  Another person makes them into joints, chops, etc., but admits the joints and chops are small.   I think its a case of experiment.

Let us know how you get on.

Di

[JoeMac]

I will let you know Di .From what people have said I think I will give it another month and see how they look then .I wouldn't mind trying to make the sausages myself from the halves but I suppose that raises a load more questions ?? thank god I found this site .

   Great to hear from someone who also has kune kunes .

  Thanks again

  JoeMac

[carl]

Hi Joe, You seem to be getting to the right answers now. Glad you enjoyed the pork. The geese have settled in straight away. don't forget you can borrow my trailer when the pigs need to go on their holidays. I'd be tempted to go for a couple of loin joints, leg joints and the rest for sausages. would that old guy still have any butchery equipment he could lend you? or maybe give you a hand.

[JoeMac]

Thanks Carl ,

  I hope to see him this weekend and have a word with him .Maybe I could barter with him in return for some help etc .I am looking forward to it now, although I know I will miss them .Don't quite know how to put this but my wife was in seventh heaven eating your sausage Carl !! Lol .No really ,we both agreed it was really good and a massive change to know exactly where the meat came from etc .Leaves you feeling quite wholesome . Great offer for the trailer as well cheers

 Like I said I will give it another month and see where they're at .

  Thanks again

  Joe

[pink]

i have kune kunes. i have only ever had them for meat! we send them at around 10-11 months and towards the end of the winter - this tends to let them burn some of that fat off, that can be quite excessive at the end of a good summer. The meat is fantastic quite dark in parts which make it really succulent!
i have now started breeding mine and just had our first litter 3 weeks ago. They are such a lovely breed!

[JoeMac]

What sort of meat do you get back from them Pink ?? I mean chops ,joints sausages etc and what sort of size is it and also what weight are the carcasses please (sorry for all the questions) .I can try roughly to work out when mine are ready from that weight .
    If the meat is a success I would love to keep them again they are so easy to keep and a real pleasure to see every day but maybe in the spring

  Thanks

Joe

[Hilarysmum]

JoeMac it may be totally different for you, here our regular abattoir will not take pigs under 70 k. d.w and prefer them at 90.  It may be you would have to get them to a certain weight for the machine? 

[JoeMac]

I'll have to ask about that .carl who is a member on here has used the abbatoir I intend to use so I think maybe he will know .

  Ta

 Joe

[carl]

Joe, at bramhalls,last time i went, ther were pigs 1/2 the size of mine. but ring them (@9.30) on weekdays to make sure.