#BEST DOG BREED FOR HOBBY FARM FREE#

I highly recommend her books Soil Not Oil and Stolen Harvest.) Three and half months later, Shiva gave birth to seven gorgeous piglets. (Shiva is named after the world-famous Vandana Shiva, a physicist and agronomist from India. My husband and I were in the barn one morning helping our goat deliver her first kids when we heard a passionate pig conversation between our boar, Newton, and our gilt, Shiva. I’ll just take a nap over here… so sorry.” With time and maturity, though, he will chatter nonstop in her ear and roar frequently, sounding like a grizzly bear. You wouldn’t consider - no no, of course not. We imagine them saying, “Excuse me madam, but your aroma is quite alluring. It takes some time for the males to build up confidence. While they are sexually mature by between five and eight months, they may not be interested in breeding for another six months. Kunekunes are slow-growing and take their time before getting saddled with a bunch of piglets. Heat lamps should be installed with the utmost caution so that a poorly hung or defective lamp does not burn down the barn. Kunekunes do not need extra heat unless piglets are born in cold temperatures. Pigs do not soil their bedding like ruminants in confinement. Taking them off pasture during the rainy season prevents soil compaction. Shelter from rain can be created for minimal cost from recycled materials.ĭuring winter months, our pigs sleep in the barn with access to an exterior gravel paddock. They generally stay in a pile to remain warm and conserve energy. The pigs usually sleep in the open unless it is raining. We have a section in each of our pastures and over part of the paddock. We had the good fortune to obtain scrapped sections of a carbon-fiber rocket fuselage from a developing space travel company these make excellent shelters. Pigs on pasture still need shelter from rain. Although it is quite a bit more expensive than conventional feed, the price of the pork can offset this cost if advertised as organically-fed.

#BEST DOG BREED FOR HOBBY FARM FREE#

We also like the fact that organic grain is mostly free of genetically-modified organisms. We purchase organic grain and pellets not only for the health of the pigs, but also for our own protection from pesticide residue in the dust. We prefer alfalfa pellets because nothing is wasted and it is easier to feed. Kunekunes should be fed alfalfa hay during the winter when they are off pasture. We feed them old leftovers and keep everything fresh in the fridge - although the farm dog already has dibs on any and all meat scraps from the kitchen. Beets, carrots, and potatoes are their favorite vegetables. Pigs will eat just about anything from the garden other than onions and garlic.

In the fall our friends supply windfall apples and pears. Our local brewery supplies us with 25 gallons each week of an organic amber ale swill (non-alcoholic effluent from the brewing process) that is filled with yeast and enzymes. When the pasture stops growing in late summer we add alfalfa pellets and produce scraps.

With shade from tall evergreen trees, even less may be available. Grass only contains adequate protein levels five months of the year here in western Washington. We add approximately 2 cups of organic mixed grain (15 percent protein) both morning and night for each pig. Supplementation is sometimes necessary, depending on the quality and quantity of available pasture. We rotate our pigs through five pastures, moving them every other day during the spring and summer. One boar can easily keep eight sows in pig, though. Our county conservation district has advised us that our pastures can support two boars, eight sows, and their piglets. We have more than a dozen neighbors surrounding our 4-acre parcel. My husband and I raise our Kunekunes in a semi-rural environment within the growth management boundary of Olympia, Washington.

This keeps the neighbors happy, and both kids and adults love to visit. Kunekunes are odorless, quiet, and safe for children. Gourmet chefs in Los Angeles have declared Kunekune pork outstanding. Kunekunes are grazing pigs and are able to grow on low inputs, making them an ideal breed during periods of escalating grain prices. They have short, upturned snouts that discourage rooting, and they do not challenge fences. Females average 100 to 175 pounds, while males can reach the 200 to 250-plus range.

Best dog breed for hobby farm