Kunekunes

MEET PANSY!
MEET PORTER!
The Kunekune is a small domestic pig breed from New Zealand. The Maori people used the name Kunekune meaning fat and round. The origin of this little pig is unclear but they were endangered in the 1970s with only 50 purebread pigs remaining. Michael Willis and John Simister, wildlife-park owners, started a breeding recovery program, which in turn encouraged other recovery efforts. In 1995, the first Kunekunes arrived in the United States. As of 2010, the breed no longer faces extinction.


This wonderful pig is people friendly and easy on the environment. They don't root like other pigs, they are grazers and can be sustained on grass. Kune's are a small variety, although larger than the popular pot bellied pigs, full grown Kunekune's can reach 90-120 pounds.  Comparitively, a market pig can reach 1000 pounds easily. Kunekune's are great with children and have a wonderful disposition towards people as well as other animals. Our first female pig, Pansy, is regularly visited by our cats, chickens, peacocks, and our Great Pyrenees, Shep.


In 2005, Jim and Lori Enright of USA KuneKunes imported the first kunekune pigs from Great Britain. While on a pig buying trip to England with several swine experts from two universities and a swine genetics group, Lori Enright was able to acquire foundation breeding stock for the Enright's future breeding program. The Enrights have been instrumental in promoting the breed in this country and are the first breeders to freely sell breeding stock to others. Mr. and Mrs. Enright are the co-founders of the official breed registry in the United States, American KuneKune Breeders' Association established in 2006. http://www.sites.google.com/site/americankunekunebreeders/Home.


Kune Kune’s Characteristics
The Maori pigs have a round, compact body. Their snout is very short, and turned up.
Their ears vary in structure. They can be completely erect to semi-lopped.
Their coats come in an incredible variety of colors, textures, and patterns. Examples are black, white, ginger (red), and brown. The coat patterns can be spotted, striped, solid, or marbled. The texture can be smooth, rough, long or short.

PANSY
PORTER
Oliver (R) and Oleander (L) Future breeding pair

A unique feature of the New Zealand pig is the ‘tassel’ or ‘wattles’ they have hanging from their lower jaw called piripiri by the Maori people.

Verde Farm is an associate of the American KuneKune Breeders’ Association (AKBA) and
members of the British Kunekune Pig Society

Pansy's Sire is Elvis whose Sire is Winston (imported Te Whangi boar)
Her dam is Priscilla, a Jenny sow, which makes Pansy a Jenny.

Porter’s Sire is Vardaman (imported Tonganui Boar Line)
His dam is Fancy a Jenny sow, which makes Porter a Tonganui.