The Kunekune—‘fat and round’ in Maori —is shorter in the leg and more compact than any British pig breed; it weighs up to 240lb, compared with up to 700lb for a Tamworth boar. They convert into tasty hams and sausages, but are also cuddly and comical and produce adorable, titchy piglets.
This is why, points out the BKKPS, many animals graze their way into old age instead of making it to the butcher. ‘If you are concerned that you may get overly attached to your pigs before they go for slaughter, it really is worth deciding from the outset that you won’t give them names,’ advises its website.
That’s an owner’s prerogative, of course, but the cuteness factor, combined with the global trend for expensive, handbag-sized pets such as Vietnamese pot-bellied pig crosses that walk on diamante leads, means the farming industry doesn’t take Kunekunes as seriously as they deserve, despite the BKKPS’s membership of nearly 500 being healthier than for any other native pig breed.
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