Kunekune (breed of pig)

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A fully grown sow.

Kunekune is a New Zealand land breed of pigs.

history

Kunekune pigs at Haidlhof in Lower Austria
Kunekune pigs at Gut Aiderbichl , Henndorf

In the Maori language , Kunekune means "fat and round". DNA analysis suggests that the Kunekune pig is of Asian origin and descended from domestic pigs, which probably came to the island in the early 19th century by whalers or merchants. Pigs with similar characteristics are found in Asia, South America, and Polynesia.

Held almost exclusively in Maori communities and largely unknown to Europeans, the Kunekune were "rediscovered" in the 1970s. It is estimated that there were only 50 purebred pigs left in New Zealand at that time. A joint excursion to the Staglands Wildlife Reserve and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in 1978 or 1984 resulted in the acquisition of all the animals for sale that Michael Willis and John Simster could get hold of in Te Kuiti and the Waharoa district . The 18 animals, including 6 sows and 3 boars with purebred or almost purebred genes, were brought to the South Island for a conservation breeding program . Almost all of the kunekunes that exist today are descended from these animals. In order to protect the breed from extinction in the event of an epidemic, conservation breeding was extended to another continent in 1992. Kunekune have been held in the UK since then. Other exports followed later.

Whereas in 1993 the population for New Zealand was estimated at 100 to 1000 animals, in 2004 it was assumed that there were 5,000 animals. In 2012, the UK registered 1,782 breeding sows in the World Register of Animal Genetic Resources of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization . Stud books are also kept in the Netherlands and the USA. In Germany too, animals can be found at private owners and in zoos.

In Austria there is a research project of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna , where more than 20 animals are kept at Haidlhof in Gainfarn and their socio-cognitive abilities are being examined due to the similar conditions to wild animals.

description

A boar pig

Adult kunekunes weigh between 70 and 100 kg. They are 55 to 60 cm high at the withers and 95 to 115 cm long. Kunekunes are short-legged and have a very short snout. As a rule, they have erect ears; but there are also lop ears. Two tassel-like protrusions hang from the neck, like many goats; in the Maori language they are called piri-piri.

Kunekunes are hairy with dense, long and soft bristles, different colors and color combinations are possible. Adult boars have sharp, easily visible tusks.

Kunekunes are friendly, calm grazing pigs that can be fed almost exclusively on grass and are not dependent on concentrated feed.

As a rule, three to seven piglets are born per litter. Litters with more than ten piglets are rare.

Web links

Commons : Kunekune  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Grit Imhof: The Kune Kune pig. Breed portrait on www.vieh-ev.de
  2. ↑ a b About Kunekunes. (No longer available online.) In: www.kunekune.co.nz. The New Zealand Kunekune Association, archived from the original on May 3, 2015 ; accessed on June 2, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kunekune.co.nz
  3. ↑ a b c Kunekune Swine. In: Breeds of Livestock. Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University, accessed June 2, 2015 (English, breed description).
  4. ↑ a b c History of the Kunekune pigs. In: britishkunekunesociety.org.uk. The British KuneKune Pig Society, accessed June 2, 2015 .
  5. ↑ a b Kunekune History. In: www.kunekune.co.nz. The New Zealand Kunekune Association, accessed June 2, 2015 .
  6. ↑ a b Grit Imhof: Kune Kune on kunekune.de.tl
  7. ↑ a b Kune-Kune / United Kingdom. In: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. FAO , accessed on June 1, 2015 (English, data sheet).
  8. ^ Kunekune / New Zealand. In: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. FAO , accessed on June 1, 2015 (English, data sheet).
  9. ↑ Kunekune / Netherlands. In: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. FAO , accessed on June 1, 2015 (English, data sheet). Over. In: britishkunekunesociety.org.uk. Kunekune Vereniging Nederland, accessed June 2, 2015 (English).
  10. ↑ American Kune Kune Pig Society , accessed June 2, 2015.
    American KuneKune Breeders' Association , accessed June 2, 2015.
  11. ↑ Kune Kune  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at the Messerli Research Institute accessed on March 4, 2017@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.vetmeduni.ac.at