About Kunekunes
Kunekunes (pronounced "cooney cooney")
are a heritage breed of pigs that were almost extinct. The origin is uncertain due to the lack of documentation. Kunekunes resemble some Asian and Polynesian breed of pigs. They were believed to be brought to the Maori people in New Zealand by whalers in the 1800s. They were rediscovered around 1970 in New Zealand with only 50 purebreds left. A conservation program was started with 6 sows and 3 boars in New Zealand. In 1992, kunekunes were imported to the UK. There have only been 5 imports of Kunekunes to the United States (1996,2005,2010, 2012). This means all registered Kunekunes today can be traced back to the original al few pigs.
There are so many great reasons to own Kunekunes:
- Docile and Friendly behavior
- Love human interaction
- Grazing breed of swine
- Less prone to rooting
- Farily easy farrowing and great sows
