Care and Shelters

Shelters

Kunekunes need access to shelter. Our kunekunes almost always sleep in their shelter, I have witnessed them sleeping outside their shelters in August/September when our temps are in the 90's.

We have a fan in our maternity/farrowing barn for summers. The sows are moved to the farrowing barn a few weeks before delivering so they can settle in. Premier One heat lamps are installed in farrowing stalls for when the piglets arrive. We hang the lights over a corner area that is seperated from the sow by a crush rail. Heat lamps or a heat source is necessary b/c the piglets cannot regulate their own body temp until they are around 8 weeks of age. Lack of a heat source usually causes the piglets to sleep next to sow and run the risk of smothering. Since we changed to the corner system, we have not lost one piglet to the sows sitting on them in their sleep.

Our boars often share a larger shelter with our goats. We had to put them in the same paddock orginally b/c we ran out of space. We have since built the boars their own shelter, but they still go and sleep with the goats.

Bedding

We prefer to use pine shaving bedding. Mites are a concern when raising any animal. Bedding that it tubular (hay straw and pine straw) gives a hallow space for mites to reside and hide. We clean stalls daily (when occupied) and sprinkle with diatomaceous earth and allow it to dry before adding new shavings.

Water

Kunekunes need access to fresh water daily. Water is essential for their health and well-being.

No Salt

Kunekunes do not need a salt block! Salt can be toxic to pigs due to their lack of sweat glands.

*what we list on our page is our experience, we are farmers, not Veterinarians and do not attempt to replace your local Veterinarian. That said, in some areas it is sometimes hard to find a Vet with Kunekune experience and we want to help as much as possible.