Autumn Acres Mini Pet Pigs

Episode: 31/ Season 2 / February 21, 2023

The History and Temperament of Kune Kune with Lindsay Dennis

Aloha, my name is Lindsay Dennis. I’m married to my best friend Micah and we have two boys, Kona who is 11 and Kai who is 9. We live on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii! We have a family ranch called Kaohe Corral where we raise cattle and Kunekune pigs. We also have horses, dogs, chickens and a donkey. We try to grow and raise a lot of our own food and be as self-sufficient as we can. We also live completely off grid, so we make all our power from the sun, heat our water from the sun, and collect rainwater for all our water sources! We’re trying to raise our boys to develop farming and ranching skills that will help them to continue to be self-sufficient into adulthood. They’re favorite part of it all, including mine, is the pig part!

The day after Lindsay got engaged there was an ad in the newspaper for potbelly pigs so she asked her fiancé if they could go see them. She fell in love instantly and asked if she could get the pig and her fiancé said yes so they got Petunia. They had Petunia for 13 years and she was unlike any animal she had ever had. After Petunia passed away they learned a lot about what to do better next time and started to research and find another pig they could get for their farm.

Lindsay first saw a Kunekune on a trip to New Zealand and fell in love with them. She decided then that some day she would get a Kunekune. But in Hawaii it is rare to find that breed. Four years ago she found an intact male Kunekune on Craigslist. They went and looked at him and she immediately fell in love with him so they got him and named him Milford. She later came across a woman on the island that had a herd of Kunekune pigs but had to move back to the mainland and asked if Lindsay would be willing to purchase her herd of Kunekune pigs so they all could stay together. They did purchase the herd and have had a few litters. Now they have 9 adult Kunekune pigs and litters of babies here and there. They sell their pigs as pets and for meat also because many people on the island are becoming homesteaders and prefer to grow their own meat.

Lindsay tells us about her Kunekune pigs and lets us in on who her favorite is and why they are.
She explains why they decided that Kunekune are a great breed for their farm. She learned that if they have the correct grass they can live off of grass alone. She also explained that they do not have the high energy that some other breeds have so they don’t try to escape as much as other breeds. They also root much less often than other breeds but if you want them to root up an area they will within 4 to 5 days.. Since they live off of grass and fruit their poop is a great fertilizer also.
She tells us the history of Kunekune pigs and explains the blood lines to us.
She explains the Kunekune temperament.
We discuss what to feed them when they are not getting grass and what to give them if they are having dry skin issues.
She tells us her opinion on how they do as a house pet and what they need.
She tells us her biggest challenge with her herd of pigs and her favorite part of owning pigs.

Key Takeaway: Research before you get a pig! Never buy a pig on a whim. Do not buy a pig from someone who will not let you see the piglet’s parents and where the piglets and pigs are living.

Lindsey’s Link:

https://www.instagram.com/kaohe_corral/

Autumn’s Links:

Website:

https://www .autumnacresminipetpigs.com/

Email:

Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com

Educational Membership Group:

https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/

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