By: Brittney Malvitz

Malvitz Family Farm

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A very important aspect of breeding kunekune to take into consideration is what will you do with your piglets once they are weaned. Whether you are just starting your kunekune journey or have been breeding for a while, it is crucial to evaluate each and every piglet before you decide on its destination. It is very rare to have a whole litter that would be considered breeding quality and be sold as registered kunekune. Take the time to look over each piglet and watch them as they grow. They change and grow so quickly that one you thought might not make the cut may surprise you. Or, one that you thought looked amazing may have flaws show up. You will want to evaluate each piglet’s teat line, feet and pasterns, top line, head shape, snout, and overall health and check for any hernias or birth defects. 

 

So what do you do with the piglets that don’t make the cut to become registered breeders? Luckily kunekune are a multipurpose breed and have many other uses. Kunekune have delicious, red marbled meat and can be grown out for butcher. Kunekune make great homestead pets that can be used to clear orchards and help with pasture maintenance. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t let any unaltered kunekune leave your farm unregistered. Boars can easily be castrated, but it can be costly to have gilts spayed. Many breeders will keep the unregistered gilts to grow out for meat. 

 

Here is an example of what one farm does with a litter of piglets. After evaluations are done on each piglet, they decide which will be registered. After that, the boars that did not make the cut are castrated and sold as meat grow-outs or homestead pets. The gilts that did not make the cut stay on the farm to grow out for meat. 

 

Remember that AKKPS member portal has the option that allows members to log in and change the status of their pigs. 

 

Evaluating piglets and pigs is a skill that takes time to acquire, so be patient with yourself and your breeding program. If you have questions, always contact your mentors or breeders you trust.