[devonlad]

Good luck. Sounds like you're a person after my own heart. Getting all the info you can before stumbling in blindly. We kept our first ones about 3 years ago and have always kept to floppy ears. We've had British lop, saddlebacks and large blacks at different times. Always a total joy having these wonderful animals spend their life with us and always blooming tasty. We are blessed with a wonderful abbatoir nearby who are familiar with dealing with small fry like us. Hope you got one too. We don't do many but demand is high and we have to make sure we keep some for us. We do sell to neighbours but have also done some exchanging. Our new ram was paid for in pork.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

The advantages of kunes would be,


they are very docile and friendly so easy to handle and need less space.


they cost less to feed


They are not big pigs so you wont be over porked when you butcher


The downsides are,


 that they take longer to grow to butchered weight but having said that you could butcher whenever you like for your own consumption.


They are a lard pig so unless you buy a lean type from meat rearing lines then you will have more fat than a commercial or bacon pig.


The standard cuts will be smaller such as the leg etc but if you sausage a larger % of the carcass then this is less of an issue and sausage might be easier to dispose of than cuts.


They like a low protein / high fibre diet so you would need some pasture for them. Though being grazers the meat tastes different as a result.


There is no right or wrong answer to the which pig question but although most pig breeds can be mixed I really wouldn't recommend mixing Kunes with any other breed as their temperament is so gentle and placid it really wouldn't be fair on them.


If you want to have a play at keeping pigs, dont want to be overwhelmed with pork, have limited space, some grazing and dont mind keeping them for 12 months try Kunes.


If you want a larger, leaner, conventional pig that you can buy as a weaner and finish in a few months then pick something else.


PS lots of people pass on older kunes that they can no longer keep so you could pick one up that is ready to butcher. Keep it for a few months to see how you get on and then butcher it. There are threads on this site detailing how adult kunes butcher out.

[Marches Farmer]

We have bartered in the past for blacksmithing, haymaking, hedgecutting, grazing, hedgelaying and sheepdog training.   Never underestimate the appeal of good pork!

[WestBerkshire]

We look forward to reaping the rewards of raising our own pigs for their meat, an experience everyone should truly have!

Buffy - How much space would 2 Kunes need?

They sound so ideal for us!

[devonlady]

We have had Berkshires, Saddlebacks, OSB, Old Spots and KuneKune and I stuck with KuneKune in the end. They are a joy to keep, gentle, friendly and very tasty.
Also they won't wreck your land as much as other breeds, though they will dig a bit as youngsters. If I weren't worried about digging I would also keep Oxford Sandy and Black, they are the best flavoured pig and friendly souls.
I gave up pigs due to age and illness but with the help of a grandson will probably get a couple next spring.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Have a look on the BKKPS site. They recomend 5 -6 an acre but that does depend on your land really. They could be in a sacrifice area in winter and pasture in spring and summer. Although often marketed as a non rooting pig they all seem to root a bit from time to time particularly in winter or in wet weather.


There is lots or really useful info on the BKKPS site along with a list of breeders if you want registered stock. If you dont then Preloved is full of unregistered many for free. Though some specify their pigs are not for meat.


The issue with unregistered ones is that they may not be pure and could have a bit of potbelly or some other breed in them. If your fattening for meat that wont be too much of a problem but if you want to breed or if you want to ensure that they have that soppy personality then buy from a breeder that has the type that you like.


You can buy weaners to raise for meat from 8 weeks old and they usually cost about £35 to £50 castrated. If you buy from a breeder who need to move their pigs on or if you were willing to take 3 you could get a good deal.

[WestBerkshire]

I'd much prefer to buy from a registered breeder - I'd definitely prefer the pure bred Kunes, in fact for any breed. I'm a believer in pure breeds and keeping them going.

so it's looking like Kunes are the breed we go with, beginning of spring when the weather's warmer. We'll keep researching for time being. That'll keep us busy and and prepared much greater for the time comes to start our pig raising careers.

We're so looking forward too it! 

Devonlady - sorry too hear for your reasoning of giving up the pigs - I sure hope your grandson pulls you back into it. I bet you miss it so much

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Great,


   visit a few breeders and do your research about herds and bloodlines if you think you might want to breed as well as buying your pig keeping kit. You may have to travel to find just what you want exactly when you want it. A breeder near me has some due this month which will be available in March but I'm not sure where you are located.


 I think you will enjoy them and they are a really user friendly breed to start with. If you find you like keeping pigs you can always try fattening a different breed for your next batch.

[WestBerkshire]

Great,


   visit a few breeders and do your research about herds and bloodlines if you think you might want to breed as well as buying your pig keeping kit. You may have to travel to find just what you want exactly when you want it. A breeder near me has some due this month which will be available in March but I'm not sure where you are located.


 I think you will enjoy them and they are a really user friendly breed to start with. If you find you like keeping pigs you can always try fattening a different breed for your next batch.

We're South Lincolnshire located between the areas Spalding, Wisbech and towards the wash you got Kings' Lynn.

Breeding's definitely something we want to do, but that's only after a year or two of keeping a couple of pigs and we have that confidence in our experience to go through with it. We've never bred our chickens, we're not allowed a rooster ( miserable neighbours ) and we never considered incubation. We don't eat our chickens, just use them for their eggs. So breeding any animal is new to us but definitely something we wish to do!

I know we'll enjoy raising pigs, we love animals altogether - If if kunes fit the bill, we'll just keep going with them. If we decide we'd like more meat, we'll definitely look into larger breeds such as Large Blacks, Berkshire's, etc.

[kja]

  Good for you wanting to keep pedigrees. We are not far from Wisbech and breed British Lops and British Landrace both on the rare breed list, listed and vulnerable. Always happy to help if we can.~

[WestBerkshire]

Good for you wanting to keep pedigrees. We are not far from Wisbech and breed British Lops and British Landrace both on the rare breed list, listed and vulnerable. Always happy to help if we can.~

Hello Kja,

Thank you very much, I can't believe you're close to me. I'm 15 minutes from Wisbech, otherside of Tydd Gote/St Giles.

Small world!