The KuneKune Pig
KuneKune FAQ (coming soon)
About The KuneKune
"KuneKune (pronounced “cooney cooney”) pigs are a good option for small farms and homesteads. The animals’ gentle nature, manageable size and low input requirements beyond minimal rations and standard veterinary care like vaccinations and de-worming, make them a smart pick for those looking for an entry point into livestock production.
For those looking to produce meat for friends, family and paying customers at a farmers market or a farm-to-table restaurant, the KuneKune yields a succulent and high-quality product. Sows reach 200 to 300 pounds at maturity on average, but males can weigh up to 250-400 pounds. In contrast with more commercial breeds, KuneKune pigs require a time period to mature — in some cases up to 16 months. They also have a higher proportion of fat that can be a dream for making charcuterie.
However, if the goal is quality over quantity, KuneKunes are a strong contender when considering a heritage breed. Famous for their fondness for grass, vegetables and fruit, they require little supplementary nutrition beyond two cups of a pelletized grain mixture, twice a day, per pig. Additionally, the KuneKune’s gentle disposition makes it an ideal fit for a family homestead with small children. Unlike some breeds, KuneKunes are not destructive or prone to root.
KuneKunes are medium-sized pigs: They range in height from 24- to 30-inches high, with fully-grown females weighing between 200-300 pounds and adult males hitting the scales at between 250-400 pounds. They are known, above all, for their gentle and friendly disposition. They sport a full covering of hair, goatlike wattles under their chins, short- to medium-sized snouts, short legs and rotund bodies. One trait that many KuneKune fanciers find attractive is their dramatic color variations, which include cream, ginger, brown, black and spotted." - The Charismatic KuneKune by By Ben Trollinger
"KuneKunes are a smaller breed of swine that make them perfect for just about any size farm. One thing that characterizes the KuneKune pig is it's short, upturned snout. This breed characteristic makes them quite suitable for grazing. They much prefer to graze on a pasture over anything else. They fit perfectly in a variety of agriculture environments - Hobby Farms, Orchards, Pets, Petting Zoos, Breeding Stock, Sustainable Agriculture/Grass fed pork, Zoos, Therapy programs, Showing and so much more! The KuneKune pig is unique in that they have a very docile and friendly personality. This combined with their small stature and grazing ability ranks them as a highly sought after breed of swine." - AKKPS
"Kunekune pigs vary from 24″ to 30″ high and weigh between 140-220 lbs. They are covered in long hair, which can be straight, wavy or curly. There is a wide range of colours, from solid to a variety of spotty patterns. An interesting feature is they have a pair of tassels under their chin called Piri Piri. They have a medium head with either prick or semi-lop ears. Their body is best described as non-extreme, not long and lean like a commercial pig, or short and pot-bellied like the Vietnamese variety.
Kunes have a steady temperament and are extremely easy to handle. They are very gentle and ideally suit the new pig keeper who may be intimidated by larger, more boisterous pigs. Because of their small size, they do not cut the land up as much as larger pigs." - British KuneKune Pig Society
"The typical Kunekune nature is of a sociable placid pig that likes close human contact. They are intelligent, resourceful, and affectionate, with a passion for food and a good scratch. Although boars can be aggressive to each other or if a sow is in season, Kunekunes are usually very trustworthy, easy to handle, and safe have children around."
- The New Zealand KuneKune Association
The KuneKune Breed Standard
American KuneKune Pig Society Breed Standard
British KuneKune Pig Society Breed Standard
International KuneKune Hog Registry Breed Standard
Description from the New Zealand KuneKune Association:
The name Kunekune means ‘fat and round’ in Maori, a rather apt description for this unusual looking pig. The Kunekune is smaller that other breeds of pigs in New Zealand, although a very overweight Kunekune can still be a somewhat large pig. The characteristic Kunekune shape is a short-legged, short-snouted pig with a high fat depth giving very rounded body contours. A Kunekune pig in ‘show’ condition looks very different in body shape to the equivalent commercial pig, and the shortened nose and head give the Kunekune an almost comical appearance.
The tassels, or pire pire, are about 4cm long and hang from the lower jaw. Not all Kunekunes have tassels, as although it is a dominant gene the population contains a proportion of pigs without tassels. Occasionally piglets may be born with only one tassel, or sometimes they are not well attached and can be lost through injury. Breeders usually prefer to use only tasselled pigs for breeding, as breeding non-tasselled pigs increases the percentage of offspring without tassels. When a tasselled Kunekune is crossed with another breed, the offspring will be tasselled – so not all pigs with tassels are pure Kunekune.
The coat colour and texture of the Kunekune can vary considerably. The most common colours are black, black and white, brown, gold, tan, and cream, sometimes with randomly distributed spots and patches of colour. The coat texture can range from short silky hair giving a sleek appearance, to long coarse curls that give a more unkempt look. The coat also varies according to the time of year, sometimes resulting in a marked difference between summer and winter coats. Extensive hair loss in summer is common.
The typical Kunekune nature is of a sociable placid pig that likes close human contact. They are intelligent, resourceful, and affectionate, with a passion for food and a good scratch.
History of the KuneKune
The KuneKune is a unique New Zealand breed of pig. Unfortunately, the origin of the breed is somewhat uncertain, as there is a lack of documented information on its introduction and early population numbers. Early records did not differentiate the KuneKune from other pigs such as the Captain Cooker and other breeds and crossbreeds kept by the Maori people. Pigs with similar characteristics occur in Asia, South America, and the Polynesian Islands, but the resemblance is slight and suggestive only of a possible common ancestry.
The KuneKune did not originate in New Zealand, as there are no indigenous land animals there. There are many theories on how they got there, the Maoris may have taken them there, as the pig was very important to the Polynesians, and there are still pigs with tassels in the South Pacific Islands. Early whalers and sealers may have taken them, to be released to breed, to be culled for food on their next voyage, or they could well have been taken by the people who settled to farm in the country. All farm stock was imported. They may be a mixture of pigs from many sources, but whatever their origins, they have evolved into a charming little pig.
The history of the breed is one of a close association with the Maori people, and in the early 1900’s were usually only found associated with Maori settlements. In early times the KuneKune were prized for their placid nature and their tendency not to roam, as they have always been a domesticated pig. They were also valued for the quantity of meat and fat, the fat being used for preserving food.
In the late 1970’s the breed was ‘rediscovered’ and at that time it was estimated that there were only about 50 purebred KuneKunes left in New Zealand. They were not used much for meat anymore by the Maoris, and were virtually unknown to the white population. It was then that two wildlife park owners, Michael Willis and John Simster heard about the pig, and set out across New Zealand to buy every Kune they could find for sale, this only amounted to eighteen pigs, and from this original stock, with later additions of more animals, the studbook was formed. The population in New Zealand is now in a healthy state, and it is proving in great demand as a smallholders pig.
The KuneKune Pig in the U.K.
In 1992 Zoe Lindop and Andrew Calveley had worked in New Zealand for several years and were charmed by KuneKune. After meeting Michael Willis, and learning how endangered these little pigs were they decided to import a small group to breed in Britain. As the Kunes only existed in New Zealand it was important to have a population in another country, in case of disease in their home. Michael bred for them a wide range of Kunes, because it was important to have as wide a variation of genetic stock brought into the country as possible. If they had only brought one type we would not be preserving a true representation of the breed, and therefore would be of no help to the breed.
In 1993 Zoe imported a further two bloodlines, and in 1996 Andy Case imported three more bloodlines into the U.K. In 1993 the British KuneKune Pig Society was set up. As all the original pigs that were imported had full pedigrees it was vitally important to set up a studbook from the start, to register the pigs in this country. To achieve this, and also to promote the breed and look after its welfare the society was started. There are now about five hundred members. The society produces four newsletters a year, and is open to anyone with an interest in KuneKune pigs.
The KuneKune Pig in the USA
All KuneKunes in the United States go back to either direct New Zealand or UK imported stock. There have been six importations of KuneKune pigs into the USA occurring in 1996, 2005, 2010, 2012, and mostly recently, 2022.
In 1996, Katie Rigby imported several boars and sows that would eventually become the Tonganui, Boris, Wilsons Gina, and Rona bloodlines in the United States. She kept a closed herd and only sold KuneKunes as pets. The average size of her pigs was around 250 pounds. Katie Rigby continued to use the New Zealand herd book to register and keep track of her stock while breeding. Her herd has the abbreviation LOA in the herd book. When she dispersed her herd due to health issues, the herd was splite up between several people. Cyndi Berry of KuneKune Preserve, took in Katie's quality breeding stock. Cyndi bred LOA Pretty Boy Floyd to LOA Berry (Wilsons Gina) producing the first United States born Boris, KKP Boris 2 - Rhett Butler. The name Boris comes from Pretty Boy FLoyd's great grandsire a boar named Boris in the New Zealand herd book. This is the start of this lines pedigree but it is believed that the Boris line links back to Willowbank Te Whangi I.
The Jenny bloodline was imported into the United States in 2005 by Lori Enright from the U.K. Her name was Long Ash Jenny 738 "Carrington". Also imported into the USA in 2005, was the Te Whangi bloodline when Lori Enright imported Long Ash Te Whangi 708 "Winston".
In 2010, Barton Hill Kereopa 28 - Contessa was imported into the USA by Matt Burton and Christopher Rowley. The Rebecca Gina bloodline was first imported into the USA in 2010 by Susan Drake from the UK. The sow's name was Dalehouse Rebecca Gina I - Sadie. She was ginger with no wattles and was said to be very big in size. Susan Drake also imported the first Tutaki boar into the United States, Redgeorge Tutaki I - Henry. This boar was said to be very large, possibly due to an outlier in his genetic history. The Ru boar line was imported into the USA in 2010 from the UK by Goose Meadow Farm with Barton Hill Barclay and Barton Hill Middleton. The first Tapeka, NZ Tapeka 1 - Olly, was imported from New Zealand in 2010. The imported sow stood out due to her unique banding that had not been seen before in the United States. In Maori the word tapeka means sash or a wide shoulder belt.
In 2012, Matt Burton and Chris Rowley imported another Rebecca Gina line from the UK name Highley Rebecca Gina XVIII - Tatiana. Tatiana was a ginger and black, double wattled sow. To differentiate between the two Rebecca Gina imports, the later one was named BH Rebecca Gina. Matt Burton and Chris Rowley also imported Rushbury Awakino VI - Pippa into the United States from the BKKPs breeder and former president Sam Jones. They also imported the Tutaki line from Barton Hill in the UK, Barton Hill Tutaki 81 - Darrowby. So as not to be confused with the other Tutaki line imported by Susan Drake, this line was named BH Tutaki. The Whakanui bloodline was first imported in 2010 from New Zealnd with several other bloodlines. Cedric, the first Whakanui, is black and white with double wattles.
From purebred base stock of only 6 sows and 3 boars in 1978, the KuneKune now numbers in the thousands. It is due to the enthusiasm and dedication of people like Michael Willis and John Simister that the breed was saved from extinction. Nowadays, the Kunekune has found its niche as a pet pig. Its unique appearance, placid nature, and small round size that made it unacceptable in a commercial environment has enabled this special breed to find its place in modern life.
Information on the KuneKune history courtesy of the AKKPS and BKKPS.