Do you think he's a pure kunekune?

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:33 pm

Hi,

I bought a kunekune girl from the cotswolds farm park and brought her home up to Orkney, I decided it wasnt fair to keep her on her own and wanted another kunekune.

The only one I could find on the island was an 18month old boar. I decided I would get him and he is kept the other side of the fence so she can have company. I was planning on breeding once she is a year old.

He didn't come with any papers but when I saw him he was kept in a small pen with a large black and GOS and was very skinny, I cdnt leave him there and had to take him home for a better life with a big field to roam about in. The folk I bought him off assured me he was pure but that they had never registered the litter. Apparently his mum came from someone in Aberdeen.

Anyway the point of this is that I wondered if you thought that he is just a very underweight kunekune or do you think he is cross with something else?

He is all black and i've never seen a pure black kunekune before?

Will try and add a pic

Thanks

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5 ... 2436400847

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:35 pm

not sure how to add a picture so have added a facebook link - he's the black one in the album

Thanks for any replies - be great to hear your views

Pandora · Post by **Pandora** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:35 pm

I'm not a member of facebook (not enough spare time for 'social' networks) so I couldn't see his piccie. But I've had a couple of all black kune piglets in my litters, and yours would be skinny if he's had to battle a LB & GOS for his dinner, in a confined space, without grazing!

You did a very commendable thing, rescueing that poor fella for a better life. However, I would not think it a very good idea to breed from him if you have no provenance... unless you are just breeding for meat? What would you tell people buying piglets, if you don't actually know? Why would anyone NOT register their purebred kunekune at birth, as it is free to do so?

I'm also surprised the first people homed a single piglet with you, when you didn't already have pigs, as they are herd animals. I'm so sorry you have had to learn the hard way, that it pays to travel if necessary, and do some homework first. Best of luck.

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:45 pm

Had a look at the photo and i have to say i would be surprised if he is a pure bred kunekune.
On the good side, at least your little gilt now has company and the poor skinny pig has a much better life.

I would see if you can get him castrated so they can live together. there is no point in breeding from him as pandora says as you won't be able to sell your piglets as pure bred kunekunes as you have no pedigree for the father so you won't be able to register them.

your gilt looks a sweetie, hope it all works out ok,

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:56 pm

thanks for your replies.

They managed to get ?100 each for the other piglets in the litter when they were young - goodness knows how!

Im still very glad I got him as its lovely seeing him so happy

I thought of getting him castrated and getting a kunekune boar and hopefully they would get on, he was previously living with one intact and one castrated boar.

I was kinda hoping he would take more of a kunekune shape as I have people that would buy the piglets as pets - thats only 4-6 of them though so would have to decide if I could rear piglets that came from my pets for meat :s

I have never received papers for my wee girl - should I have? I know she's deffinately registered so have been meaning to give them a phone at adams farm

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:54 am

Yes, you should receive a pedigree for her - chase them up on that as they will just have forgotten i expect.

Your boar should get on fine with a castrate but once they reach sexual maturity two entire boars will fight.

I hear lots of stories from people who have paid a lot of money for kunes they think are registered. i'm afraid in the end it is just a case of cutomers being conned but there's not much you can do about it.

i always advise people buying to ask for the parent bloodlines etc. but of course its easy to be wise after the event. you can also check whether someone is a member of the BKKPS - if they're not then they can't register piglets.

Post by **simon** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 9:44 am

I have seen quite a few pedigree black kunekunes, and currently have a pedigree sow that looks like this. Obviously thats not to say this pig is a pure bred, and I would wonder why someone would keep a boar whole and not birth notify. So I'd agree with the above comments.

He does look to be still a bit thin. Have your wormed him? It can be difficult to put weight on. But don't necessarily feed him to be barrel shaped - kunes come in different shapes.

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Post by **simon** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 9:52 am

Out of interest, whats stopping him from lifting up the sheep hurdles?

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:18 am

simon831 wrote:Out of interest, whats stopping him from lifting up the sheep hurdles?

he was only in there temporarily while we were finishing redoing the fences. The photo was taken the day he arrived but we put fencing stabs in too while we were finishing so they couldnt escape! lol

We're moving in March and will then have 4 fields and will be renting more so he's a very lucky boy

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:24 am

simon831 wrote:I have seen quite a few pedigree black kunekunes, and currently have a pedigree sow that looks like this. Obviously thats not to say this pig is a pure bred, and I would wonder why someone would keep a boar whole and not birth notify. So I'd agree with the above comments.

He does look to be still a bit thin. Have your wormed him? It can be difficult to put weight on. But don't necessarily feed him to be barrel shaped - kunes come in different shapes.

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Thanks for posting the pic for me!

I also can't understand why anyone wouldn't register a litter.

He's been wormed and i've managed to get some extra supplements from the vets so add to his food to help build him up. We also get 1 or 2 bin bag a week full of cabbages, cauliflowers, tatties etc from work which is a good help.

From what I can gather he was only being fed on barley and left over food that the goats didnt want

so its no wonder he's so skinny poor boy!
Would I be able to see a pic of your sow?

Post by **simon** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:29 am

This is her sister, who I've now sold but looks the same.

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:31 am

wendy scu wrote:Yes, you should receive a pedigree for her - chase them up on that as they will just have forgotten i expect.

Your boar should get on fine with a castrate but once they reach sexual maturity two entire boars will fight.

I hear lots of stories from people who have paid a lot of money for kunes they think are registered. i'm afraid in the end it is just a case of cutomers being conned but there's not much you can do about it.

i always advise people buying to ask for the parent bloodlines etc. but of course its easy to be wise after the event. you can also check whether someone is a member of the BKKPS - if they're not then they can't register piglets.

I will do that

thanks. I saw the gilts litter on the pedigree site and they've just registered a few more litters so know they're genuine. I know what bloodline she is but have no idea what he is which also puts me off considering putting them together. The wife I bought him off of was finding out for me and supposed to let me know when i picked him up but obviously that didnt happen. Im sure she said they werent registered because she had lost the mothers papers - could that be true?

Is it more difficult to get him castrated now he's 18months old?

How do I check if she is a member of BKKPS?

Thanks

savi1987 · Post by **savi1987** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:33 am

simon831 wrote:This is her sister, who I've now sold but looks the same.

Aw lovely thankyou

I suppose its possible he could be pure but i'll never know! lol

wendy scu · Post by **wendy scu** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:46 pm

you can still get him castrated but it will be a general anesthetic job so will cost a bit more.

Stefan · Post by **Stefan** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:59 pm

I recently had to rehome a boar who came from similar conditions, only he wasn't fed at all....
I took him in with his girl after he was rescued but he started to break out and challenge the younger boar.
I didn't fancy shutting him away on his own until the gilt I had earmarked for him was old enough, so decided to find him a better home. He went off to live with 3 large white sows locally...

Never got any papers for him but believe he was pure bred. Was going to breed for meat / pets with him.

His girl hates his company as he was a food competitor and he always won judging by the state she arrived in.
So it was better to separate them. She is actually overweight now, can't stop eating the poor thing. She free ranges on 26 acres following me around to shed some weight off her.