By: René McCracken, NTCC Ag Director
It definitely was a different kind of thanksgiving on the farm here at NTCC. The recently purchased breeding pair of Kune Kune pigs decided to pick Thanksgiving evening to farrow or give birth to eight healthy piglets. My family and student workers, security(Lisa and her husband), all were on hand to basically be “in the way” as Chive (mama pig) managed like a pro to have all 6 girls and 2 boys like it was an everyday event! Both breeding pigs were purchased from DEW Farms with the help of a Perkins grant. The two have quickly become a favorite part of the 20 acre Sustainable Market side of the Farm and Ranch and are providing more opportunities for our students to gain hands on experiences on a working farm.
The Kune Kune pig breed is one of the only breeds of pigs raised for meat that can be finished without feed supplement. Their slow growth and minimal adult size of just 200 lbs. makes for a much better fit for our sustainable farm side. Their short snout and reluctance to root up the ground make their impact on the farm soils and ground much more compatible. However, it was the sheer approachability of this breed that made my final decision that they would indeed fit our farm. Since Thursday, we have had visitors of all kinds to come and visit the piglets and their mother and learn more about the breed! For many this is the first time that they had seen pigs of any kind and Chive and her litter were accepting of all!
The litter will be weaned at 8 weeks and we will soon select which ones we will be offering for sale and which ones we will retaining for breeding. All piglets will be registered with the International Kune Kune Pig registry and type matched to their parents. In fact, our boar (male) pig genetic line is one of the rarest and most sought after for those considering raising registered Kune Kune pigs. The Tutaki line originated from New Zealand originally and the sow (female) line-Aria Ginanna originated in Great Britain. Students taking our Small Farming HALT 2321 class in the spring will be registering, learning and caring for these cuties and getting Chive ready to breed back again. The short gestation period for all swine breeds is just 3 months + 3 weeks + 3 days.
Because of this, most of our students will be able to witness and learn a full cycle with them. If you would like to come by for a visit ~ just let us know and we would welcome the snuggles! All are ready for their piggy selfies!
