Do kunes root?

Chubs never roots up his pasture, but he will use his snout to dig a deeper wallow when it’s especially hot.

This is probably the most asked question about Kune pigs, and the answer is both simple and not: kunes never root— unless they do.

Kunes are a true grazing pig, so they do exceptionally well on pasture as long as there is something for them to eat (green stuff) and their nutrition is being rounded out with a small amount of pig grain to make up for mineral deficiencies like lysine, copper, and selenium, all of which are usually lacking in NC pastures. (A solid test will tell you for sure.) Part of what makes kunes uniquely excellent on pasture is that their shorter upturned noses are perfectly angled for grazing but not for rooting up the soil like pretty much all other pigs do. If you’re looking to improve pasture while preserve precious topsoil like we are in the Sandhills of NC, you simply cannot beat kunes. And if your goal is sustainable meat production, kunes the most eco friendly pork one can produce.

All this said, don’t believe anyone who says kunes NEVER root. It’s just very unusual for them root, so when they do it there’s usually a good reason that their farmer should pay attention to.

In my experience, kunes will root if:

1) they are hungry and in search of minerals or roughage as I mentioned. I find this is especially true in winter when their bodies are telling them to pack in the calories. I find that adding soaked alfalfa pellets (maybe roughly one third as much alfalfa pellet as they are getting in grain) bulks up their food nicely and supplements what they are missing in green grass. Some folks find that their kunes enjoy eating hay and alfalfa hay; mine don’t although I wish they did. If you find that your kunes are just plain ravenous and/or underweight despite getting the correct amount of food, you may need to worm them with a broad spectrum wormer like ivermectin.

2) they are overheating. All pigs require wallows to regulate their body temperatures anytime the weather is over 70°. This is literally a matter of life or death for the pigs, so if you don’t provide a pool or dig them a wallow, even a short snouted kune will take matters into their own hands, err, snouts and dig down to cooler dirt or mud.

3) they are bored or anxious. Kunes need at least a quarter acre per adult pig total per year. Kunes are extremely social and solo pigs are much more like to root than two or more pigs; it helps relieve stress. Kunes are extremely smart and foraging keeps their brains usefully engaged. *Ideally* pigs will be rotated to new pastures every month or so using temporary fence to keep their forage diverse and fresh. You can also help them stay entertained by scattering small bits of apple around the pasture to find, or with a plastic treat ball as long as their aren’t in an electrified fence.

Plastic treat balls are a great way to entertain kunes— especially youngsters.

4) they are naughty teenagers. I would say that about half of my teenage pigs (4-8 months) go through a phase where they just want to root. Fortunately they will grow out of this and don’t root very deep (maybe 2-4 inches) but you have a pristine part of your property you don’t want damaged, probably don’t put naughty teenager pigs there. They will grow out of the rooting, but in the meantime consider setting up their fence in an area where maybe, say, you’d like to plant a wildflower meadow or something.

5) they are not purebred kunes. I have learned (the hard way) that folks will cross other breeds with Kunes and still call them Kunes. It’s bafflingly common. All other breeds of pigs root, so unless you have a Kune pedigree in-hand there is no way to no what kind of behavior you can expect. It is for this reason that we are moving towards raising all registered pigs and that I recommend spending the little bit extra to know for sure what you’re doing. You’ll save money in the long run on pasture repairs, let me tell you!

6) they might just be a rogue jerk. Kunes are so sweet and lovely that it’s hard to imagine one being a jerk, but sometimes the DNA arranges just so and a jerk is born. And here’s the thing, this shouldn’t happen in this breed. The Maori actively bred for docile, friendly pigs that were easy to live with; the classic chill Kune temperament is an important part of the breed standard. A good Kune breeder will take this very seriously. So if a Kune has been given everything it needs to be happy and healthy and it’s STILL doing destructive behaviors like rooting, pushing fences, or even nipping, please don’t breed that pig. Those genetics need to stop right there. In my breeding program I can usually spot a jerk by four weeks and make a point to sell that piglet to someone looking to raise pasture pork (especially if they have woods where the rogue rooter cannot do much damage). I wouldn’t feel good about selling a jerk as a pet as these guys are strong and dangerous. As uncomfortable as it makes some folks to talk about it, I think it’s important to give livestock jobs that match their skills. And sometimes that job is becoming a family’s dinner after a happy, humane life. Fortunately with kunes this issue rarely comes up.