Why Kunekune Pigs in Idaho Make Great Family Farm Pigs

When we started building Reynolds Family Farms, we knew pigs were going to be part of it. But we didn't want just any pigs. With nine kids, a homeschool family, and animals that are part of our everyday lives, temperament and manageability matter just as much to us as what an animal can produce.

That's one of the reasons we chose Kunekunes.

Why We Chose Kunekune Pigs in Idaho

Kunekunes are a smaller heritage pig breed originally from New Zealand. They're known for their friendly personalities, manageable size, and ability to thrive on pasture.

For our family farm in Nampa, Idaho, those qualities made them especially appealing.

Our kids are involved with the animals every day, so we wanted pigs that could become part of farm life rather than animals that always needed to be kept at a distance. Our Kunekunes are curious, food motivated, and full of personality, and it didn't take long for them to become some of the kids' favorite animals on the farm.

A Pig That Loves the Pasture

One of the things that makes Kunekunes different from many traditional pig breeds is how well suited they are to grazing.

Kunekunes can get a meaningful portion of their diet from good pasture, although they still need proper nutrition, minerals, fresh water, and supplemental feed based on their needs.

Their shorter snouts also generally make them less destructive rooters than many larger pig breeds. That doesn't mean they never dig, because they're still pigs, but they're often a great fit for families and small farms that want pigs integrated into a pasture based setup.

That's exactly what we wanted at Reynolds Family Farms.

Why Kunekunes Make Great Family Farm Pigs

Their size was another major factor for us.

Full grown Kunekunes are still substantial animals, but they're generally much smaller and easier to manage than many commercial hog breeds. Combine that with their typically social temperament, and it's easy to understand why they've become popular with homesteaders and family farms.

For our kids, caring for the pigs means learning about feeding, pasture management, animal behavior, responsibility, and eventually breeding and raising piglets.

That's the kind of hands on education we want our farm to provide.

More Than Just Friendly Pigs

Kunekunes aren't only kept because they're cute and friendly.

They're a true heritage meat pig known for producing flavorful pork, and their ability to utilize pasture makes them especially interesting for families interested in raising more of their own food.

For us, that's part of the bigger picture.

We want our children to understand where food comes from, how animals should be cared for, and how much responsibility goes into raising livestock well.

Kunekune Piglets Are Coming to Reynolds Family Farms

This is where things are getting especially exciting.

We currently have one Kunekune boar and two sows here at Reynolds Family Farms, and we're expecting our first piglets in the coming months.

If everything goes as planned, this will be our family's first experience welcoming a litter of Kunekune piglets to the farm.

And with nine kids around here, I'm pretty sure there won't be any shortage of people volunteering for piglet duty.

We'll be sharing the entire experience, from preparing for the litters to meeting the piglets and watching them grow.

Raising Kunekune Pigs in Nampa, Idaho

As Reynolds Family Farms continues to grow, our goal is to raise healthy, well cared for animals while giving our children opportunities to learn skills they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Our Kunekune pigs are becoming an important part of that.

If you're looking for Kunekune pigs in Idaho, interested in future piglets, or simply curious about the breed, we'd love to have you follow along.

You can learn more about our herd on our Kunekune Pigs page and watch for updates as we get closer to welcoming our first piglets here at Reynolds Family Farms.