Pigs

We have been looking into having Pigs on our property for quite a while now.  There are two approaches that are of interest to us.

Range Grown Tamworth Pigs

We've taken the plunge and are getting breeding stock for raising Tamworth pigs on an acre of land that we have fenced and set aside for that purpose.  We will be rotating them onto the pasture as it grows in and letting the pigs have freedom of foraging in addition to their feed.  The combination of exercise and foraging is known to create the best tasting bacon, pork and ham available. 

We should have weener pigs available in August of 2012 and feeder/grower pigs available December of 2012.  Those dates could be a month or two sooner depending on how scheduling goes.

KuneKune

KuneKune are pigs from New Zealand that provide real pork (unlike potbellied pigs) and have a breeding weight of 90 to 120 pounds with an extreme weight of 200 pounds.  This is especially appealing to us for a breeding program that we and our children can work with without having to deal with 700 to 800 pound breeding sows and boars.  The KuneKune are known for being truly docile and well mannered which is also a bonus.

One of the bonus features of the KuneKune is that they are a grazing pig that can sustain itself on pasture with our sheep.  This will fit into our current farming practices.

The negative for our obtaining KuneKune is that they are so rare in the United States that their pricing for breeding stock is a bit extreme for our budget.  We will see what future years bring as far as availability, pricing and our budget.