KuneKune Pigs
Our first Kunekune pigs, Mooney (b/w) and Frankie (b), stepped onto the farm February 2020. A year and a half later, we have ten pigs in our 8 acre backyard. The breed has lived up to its reputation as being docile, friendly, and low maintenance. Our toddler has enjoyed her time with the piglets and still loves to visit the larger pigs with daily treats, We are working on a breeding program with our AKPR and AKKPS registered pigs, and are learning new things about these awesome pigs every day.
History of KuneKunes
While their exact origin is a mystery, these pigs were rediscovered on the island of New Zealand in 1978. After seeing an older pair of Kunekune pigs in a New Zealand zoo, John Simister (founder of Staglands Wildlife Preserve) and Michael Willis (Willowbank Wildlife Reserve) decided to comb the countryside of New Zealand to see if any more of these amazing pigs could be found. The Maori people of New Zealand had treasured and bred these Kunekune pigs(called Kunekune meaning "fat and round") for their delicious meat. As they drove across the countryside they would find isolated farms that had a few Kunekunes, but none for sale. After sitting down to a cup of tea, a few Maori people gifted a pig or two to Simister. Their efforts led to finding an estimated 50-60 pigs remaining on the island and acquiring a small herd for breeding. Their breeding program brought KuneKune pigs back from possible extinction and made them available to the rest of the world. The breed has been exported to both the UK and the US to further preserve them. Without the efforts of Simister and Willis, perhaps the world would not know about these lovable pigs.