Homesteader Hogs
Our Homestead herd is made up of American Guinea Hogs, KuneKunes & Red Wattle crosses. By crossing these breeds, we are striving to create a smaller, quicker growing homestead type hog. We also strive for an easy-going mindset and superb meat quality.
I have been asked several times.... Why crossbreed?
Well in all honesty there are many different valid reasons to do crosses. What needs to be kept in mind about cross breeding is that before you ever start a crossbreeding program you need to have your end goal in mind before you ever start. The more details/standards the better. You have to cull hard and only breed the best of the best to achieve your goal. Proper breeder selection is imperative when starting any breeding program.
Meet Our Homestead Breeding Herd
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KuneKunes
The KuneKune is believed to have descended from an Asian domestic breed introduced to New Zealand in the early 19th century by whalers or traders. The native Maori people of New Zealand adopted KuneKune: the word KuneKune means "fat and round" in the Maori language. By the 1980s, only an estimated 50 purebred KuneKune remained. Michael Willis and John Simister, wildlife-park owners, started a breeding recovery program, which in turn encouraged other recovery efforts. As of 2010, the breed no longer faces extinction, with breed societies in New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the US. The KuneKune is covered in hair which can be long or short, and straight or curly. Hair colors include black, brown, ginger, gold, cream, and spotted combinations. It has a medium to short snout, that is black and either semi-lopped or pricked ears. It has a short, round body with short legs and two tassels (called piri piri) under its chin. The KuneKune stands around 18-28 inches tall, making it one of the smallest domesticated breeds of pig. An adult KuneKune can weigh between 125-400 pounds, well below the 600 pounds of more traditional full sized hog breeds. KuneKune are suitable for a novice owner, as they are placid, friendly, and love human company. They are intelligent and easy to train. The natural habitat for KuneKune is predominantly pasture. They love being outdoors and are suitable for a range of climates, in addition to being ideal for large gardens, and as barnyard pets.
American Guinea Hogs
Guinea hogs are small pigs compared to modern full sized breeds; they weigh anywhere from 100-400 pounds. They are good as free-range foragers but are also at home in a farmyard and are reasonably even tempered. The Guinea hog is not used for commercial farming because of its small size and high lard content. The name derives from the origins of the Guinea hog on the Guinea coast of West Africa. The true African Guinea hogs are a large, red breed with upright ears, bristly hair and long tails, suggesting genetic influence of the Nigerian black or Ashanti pig. They were brought to America on slave ships. Around 1804, Thomas Jefferson acquired some of these pigs, which had arrived from Africa via the Canary Isles. The original strain, although basically black, also had a hint of red and were consequently called "red Guineas"; that strain, well known at the beginning of the 19th century, is now extinct. Later they were crossed with other breeds, including Appalachian English pigs, Essex pigs, and West African dwarfs. This new breed, the American Guinea Hog retained its black color but lost the red tint and is sometimes called a black Guinea. These pigs were popular with subsistence farmers, not only through their ability to forage for themselves, but also because their habit of eating snakes made the farmyard safe for children and livestock. The breed fell out of favor after around 1880, and for a while was in danger of being entirely lost. The red Guinea no longer exists and its exact relationship with the American Guinea and what proportions of other breeds are in its background are not known for certain. However, that there is a relationship is shown by the occasional birth of a reddish pig to the normally black American Guinea parents. There is also a rare "blue" gene that can occur from time to time. It is suspected that there were a number of distinct American Guineas in the past.
KuneKune/American Guinea Hog crosses
The KuneKune/American Guinea Hog cross is purely an economic cross for us. Both breeds are wonderful on their own. Problem is KuneKunes are just too expensive for those wanting them for meat hogs. On the other end of the market Guinea hog pricing is very low. By crossing these two breeds we are able to maintain the docile mindsets, smaller size, fantastic foraging abilities, and superb lard and meat of both breeds. The guinea hog also adds a strong woodland foraging ability to the cross. We also strive for a "pretty" more colorful hog like that of the KuneKune. As most homesteaders spend a lot of time with their animals, as well as living quite close to them. The ultimate goal of this cross is to create a more profitable yet affordable homestead hog that will not disappoint.
KuneKune/Red Wattle crosses
Red Wattle/KuneKune crosses. Both of these breeds are superb all the way around in my book. Both are grazing, docile, lardy, and superb tasting heritage breeds that are amazing on their own.
The main issue for some with the Red Wattle is their immense size. A herd of 600-1500 pound hogs is just not very practical for most people.
The main issue for some with the KuneKunes is their slow uneven growth rates.
By using these two very similar yet different sized hogs we have been able to achieve a hog smaller than a Red Wattle. Yet with a quicker more even growth rate than that of the KuneKune. It all comes down to legitimate breeding practices and creating something of your own that works best for your desired herd.
The main issue for some with the Red Wattle is their immense size. A herd of 600-1500 pound hogs is just not very practical for most people.
The main issue for some with the KuneKunes is their slow uneven growth rates.
By using these two very similar yet different sized hogs we have been able to achieve a hog smaller than a Red Wattle. Yet with a quicker more even growth rate than that of the KuneKune. It all comes down to legitimate breeding practices and creating something of your own that works best for your desired herd.
Lucky- This handsome guy is from one of our very first Kune/Wattle crossings. With a much quicker growth rate than that of a pure Kune yet still in a more manageable size than that of a Red Wattle. This guy was a shoe-in for our homesteader herd.
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Black Betty- Named because of a distinctive large black patch on her hip. This lady is perfection for a first generation cross. Superb mother, excellent build, great size, quick growth rate, and with wonderful foraging abilities.
We had another batch of wonderful first generation Kune/Wattle crosses this year. Depending on growth rates and sizes we may add a couple more to the herd.
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Planned Future Litters/Breedings for fall 2015-spring 2016:
- 3/4 KuneKune 1/4 Red Wattles
- 3/4 Red Wattle/ 1/4 KuneKunes Due late February/Early March
- 1/2 Guinea 1/4 Red Wattle 1/4 KuneKune
- 1/2 KuneKune 1/2 Guinea
- 1/2 KuneKune 1/2 Red Wattle
- 1/2 Red Wattle 1/2 Guinea