Kunekune Pigs: Size, Grazing, Fencing and a Long Commitment

Is a Kunekune Right for You?

Kunekunes suit people with grazing land, time every day and a plan for the next fifteen years or more. They don't suit a house, a small yard or anyone hoping for a pig that stays piglet-sized. The name means something like "plump" in Māori, and the breed comes from New Zealand, where Māori communities kept it as a placid grazing pig.

Compared with a commercial farm pig they are small; compared with almost any other pet they are large. A piglet at eight weeks is a tiny fraction of the adult, and growth carries on slowly until about two years old. Our page on the teacup pig myth explains why "mini" kunekunes are a sales word, not a breed.

Character: Calm Grazers That Love Company

Kunekunes are known for being friendly and laid-back, and they graze more and root less than many breeds, thanks to their short, upturned snouts. Less rooting isn't no rooting, though, so expect some digging, especially in wet ground.

Pigs form close bonds with each other, so a kunekune should never live alone. Start with a pair: two sows, two neutered males, or a sow and a neutered male. Pigs given company, space and things to do are far easier to live with than a lonely pig.

Land, Fencing and Shelter

How much land a pair needs depends on your soil, rainfall and how fast your grass regrows, so ask an experienced keeper or your breed society about your conditions. Plan on more than one paddock, so you can rest grazing and stop the ground turning to mud in winter.

• Fencing: strong stock netting or pig netting, close to the ground, with an electric strand at snout height on the inside. Pigs test fences with their noses.
• Shelter: a dry, draft-free ark or shed with deep straw, out of wind and rain, and big enough for both pigs to lie down together.
• Shade and a wallow: pigs can't cool themselves by sweating, so summer shade and a muddy wallow are essentials, not extras.
• Water: a heavy or fixed trough that can't be tipped, checked every day and kept ice-free in winter.

Feeding: Grass First, Pig Feed Second, No Scraps

Good grazing does much of the work for a kunekune, with a measured ration of complete pig feed on top, more in winter when the grass isn't growing. Kunekunes put on weight easily, and fat pigs develop joint and mobility problems, so weigh the ration, keep treats small and check body shape monthly. Clean water must always be available.

Never feed kitchen scraps, leftovers or anything that has been through a kitchen. In the UK and the EU it is illegal for any pig, pets included, and other countries restrict it because food waste can spread serious pig diseases.

Vets, Neutering and Preventive Care

Many small-animal practices don't treat pigs, so find a farm or mixed practice that does before you buy. Ask them about a yearly check, vaccinations and a worming plan for your area, hoof and tusk care, and neutering: pet boars are usually castrated, which makes them calmer and easier to live with.

Worming, parasite treatments and other medicines: see your vet or a pet supply store with trained staff. Farm animals are a food-producing species in law in many countries, even as pets, so treatments follow farm rules and need recording.

Buy from a breeder registered with a breed society, or adopt from a pig rescue, and ask to see both parents as adults.