Pigs
Pig
Our pigs are ‘Kune Kunes’. This breed comes from New Zealand, although it is not indigenous to that country – in fact no-one knows for sure how they got there! Kune Kune pigs are particularly friendly, sociable animals and seem to love being around humans, which makes them ideal to keep here at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm.
These pigs are just some of many Kune Kunes now kept in the UK – although in 1976, there were only 18 left in the whole world! Luckily, these 18 were bought and used for breeding. Now, there are over 1000 in New Zealand.
Kune Kunes are smaller than pigs normally kept by pig farmers – they are usually between 60cm and 75cm high. Adults can weigh between 10 and 16 stone! They have long hair, which can be curly or straight and can be a wide range of colours, from cream to gold, tan, black and brown – including spotty ones. Because they are so gentle and easy to handle, they are ideal for new pig keepers. Our pigs eat grass, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as pig feed. They are extremely noisy eaters!
It’s also really important that they have a pig house, as pigs like to be warm and dry when it’s cold and wet outdoors (it gives them arthritis and rheumatism, just like us). We put straw in our pig pens, which needs to cleaned out regularly as pigs don’t like to be dirty. In the summer, pigs like to wallow in wet mud – this cools them off and coats them with mud, which stops them getting too sunburnt.
Kune Kune pigs can be slaughtered for meat when they are about 12 – 18 months old – this is quite late, compared to commercially farmed pigs. Kune Kune pigs are much slower growing, especially if they are kept outdoors on grass, like ours.
