Perhaps you already own a Kune Kune pig or maybe you've been fondly daydreaming of getting a few of your very own. The question has likely come to mind, what do I feed my Kune Kune?
Kune Kune's have somewhat unique dietary needs from typical meat pigs or hogs that you may have grown up with on the farm. Kune Kune's are what is known as a Lard pig. This means they tend to produce a lot of lard (aka a type of fat) which is useful for soap, cooking, and many other wonderful things. However for optimal meat quality or just optimal health of your pig, you want to be careful to not feed your pig in a way that gets him too fatty.
If you ask 20 different Kune Kune breeders on what to feed your pig you will likely get 20 different answers. It is one of those things that can vary widely from breeder to breeder. There are varying factors that contribute to this variance such as location, the type of feed that is locally available and living conditions of the pig, such as are they pasture raised or do they not have a pasture to feed from?
Kune Kune pigs generally require a lower protein and higher fiber diet. It is recommended to not provide feed with more then 16% protein. This helps to keep your piggie from becoming obese which can be harmful to your pig's health. A diet rich in veggies is definitely a plus, your piggie will thank you. We also like to supplement our pig's diet with Alfalfa (we feed from bales, not cubes), especially in the winter when the grass isn't as plentiful. However, feed alfalfa in moderation as it is fatty.
Personally we like to let our pigs Pasture graze during the day and at night we like to put them in their enclosures so they are safe from feral hogs and coyotes.
Since they enjoy munching away on grass during the day, below is the diet we feed ours to keep them from becoming obese while ensuring their nutrient needs are met. Keep in mind additional nutrients are generally required for bred sows but these are our general feeding guidelines for non-bred pigs:
We like the complete nutrient rich diet this feed provides. I have found the pig's seem to feel fuller on this feed vs other feed mixes we've tried in the past. Therefore less feed is needed.
How much feed? Generally the feed ratio recommended is 1.5% of the pig's body weight. So a pig weighing 50 lbs will be fed approx 3/4 lbs of food a day per pig. This is equal to about 3 1/4 cups of food. There are several pound to cup calculators online to help you with conversion rate as your pig grows in size. This doesn't have to be an exact science but is a good rule of thumb to follow.
•Vegetables & Fruit
We love feeding our pigs leftover veggies and fruits. I keep a mini scrap bin on our kitchen counter for tossing left-over bits of veggies such as carrots, lettuce or sweet potatoes. Pigs also love apples, grapes, pumpkins and squash. One food to avoid is raw potatoes. Sweet potatoes however are fine to feed. We have a few local restaurants that donate their scrap veggies so our pigs have fresh lettuce and veggies to enjoy. Pigs also love acorns.
•Alfalfa - We like to feed premium quality alfalfa grass to our pigs. Just be careful to feed these in moderation, more like a treat as they can make a pig fatty. We prefer not to feed Alfafa cubes as they tend to expand inside the pig once digested and can cause stomach issues and discomfort and if eaten in large amounts could become dangerous. If you do feed alfafa cubes you will need to pre-soak them prior to feeding so they expand before being fed. We like to use alfafa from hay type bales that we source locally.
For the best diet needs for your individual pigs we recommend you seek the advice of a veterinarian. Let them know the type of land the pigs live on or their living environment and they can best advise the food needs for your pet.
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