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Looking for a Breeding Pair of Kunekunes? Things to Consider.

We get asked frequently for “breeding pairs.” Did you know that you shouldn’t raise breeding pairs together? They may either breed way too early, or they may friend zone each other and not breed at all. Trust us…we had this happen.

Suggested starting packages

2 pigs Minimum

  • 2 Registered Gilts (unrelated)
  • 2 Registered Boars (unrelated)
  • 1 Barrow & 1 Gilt
  • 1 Barrow & 1 Boar

4 pigs

  • 2 Registered Gilts & 2 registered boars (all unrelated)
  • 1 Registered gilt, 1 registered boar, & 2 barrows
  • 2 Registered Gilts, 1 Registered Boar, 1 Barrow

The idea is to set up your pigs so that you can separate the males and females and they still have a companion. We are happy to help you put together a Kunekune pig package that makes sense for your farm. We also know other reputable breeders that we can put you in touch with to help you find the best pigs.

Tips

  • Have seperate paddocks and housing for gilts and boars.
  • Seperate all boars and gilts by 4 months of age to avoid accidental breeding.
  • Typically kunekunes will not become sexually mature until 9 months of age or more, but can develop faster.
  • Use shade cloth or a hot wire on any shared fencing as they can breed through a fence.
  • When you think your fencing is strong enough, check it again. Boars will surprise you with their desire to get to the ladies.
  • Watch your gilts for signs of heat and mark it on the calendar. They come into heat about once every 21 days once they begin. This is a good way to watch them for signs of being bred. If they miss a heat cycle they could be pregnant.

Honestly, it can be exciting to start putting your herd together, but it is a good practice to purchase your gilt and boar from different breeders to really mix up the bloodlines.

You can run trial breeding on the AKKPS herd book website to see what a potential breeding match would look like in terms of COI (Incidence of Inbreeding). Do your homework, and enjoy your pigs.

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