Frequently Asked Questions

Pigs are priced individually based on conformation, bloodlines, gender, age, coloration, etc.  Generally, registered gilts start at $600, registered boars start at $500, barrows start at $250. 

Please contact us to discuss prices for a specific pig.  

The kunekune breed was almost extinct in the 1980's because they weren't preserved and protected. Breed preservation and improvement are a big part of our farm plan.  So we do not offer intact pigs unregistered. Only pigs that meet our standards are offered registered. If you're looking for a pet, and not interested in breeding, two barrows are a great choice! 

Generally, no.  Kunekunes are herd animals.  They are very intelligent and social.  A bored pig can get into a lot of trouble.  Kunekunes will be happiest with at least one pig pal.  

That's a big no!  Dogs are a predatory animal, pigs are a prey animal.  They should never be left unsupervised. Pigs and dogs communicate in very different ways.  What one considers playing, the other considers aggression.  Even the sweetest, well-behaved dog can injure a pig.

Again, ideally no.  Cows and horses can accidentally (or intentionally) step on a kunekune and injure them.  As far as companionship for your pig, putting a pig and a goat together is like a stay at home mom with a toddler all day.  No, she's not alone but its not really companionship.

Kunekunes are very easygoing and docile by nature.  They will get along with pretty much any other livestock.  Getting along usually depends on the other animal.  Our pigs live with our goats, alpacas, livestock guard dogs, and birds of all kinds. 

Your main concern will be feeding.  Goats tend to be dinner time bullies and will drive the pigs off from the food.  Different species also have different nutritional needs.  Goats need salt in their diet, but salt can be dangerous to pigs.  Have a plan in mind to separate your animals at feed time. 

Starting with a breeding pair of piglets isn't ideal.  Kunekune do mature more slowly, but still by the age of 6 months the males start to take interest in the females.  That is WAY to early for an accidental breeding.  You will need to separate your piglets by 6 months of age and you're going to have two lonely piglets. 

The ideal way to start out is two gilts/sows, a boar, and a barrow.  Your barrow can be a companion for any of the pigs, allowing you to rotate breeding pairs. You can also make plans to have your barrow be a grow out.  If you're starting out in meat production, you're realistically looking at 2+ years before you would have a litter of your own and grow those to any size. Your barrow grow out could be ready to process between 12-18 months.  

Not everyone is ready to jump into kunekune farming right away.  You can also start out with a gilt and a barrow or two gilts. 

30 years ago pot belly pigs were all the rage.  They sold for thousands of dollars.  Today you will find them all over Craigslist for $25 and frequently dumped in shelters.

The kunekune breed is the best pig breed, of course we are biased. But the only way to preserve the breed is through utilization! Not every piglet will meet breed standards.  If you in turn breed and sell pigs that don't meet breed standards, the market will quickly become flooded with sub-standard pigs.  Our beloved kunekunes will end up in the same class as the pot belly and "mini" pig.  

If you love the breed, help to preserve them! If you're not willing/able/interested in processing your own meat, consider owning neutered pigs.  They are the SWEETEST! 

Yes and no.  Lets define "pet".  I know there are a lot of people that keep single pigs in the house. But I don't encourage it and I generally will not sell kunekunes to this type of home.  As we mentioned, kunekunes are herd animals.  And they are grazers.  And they can grow to over 300lbs.  This isn't the best set up for an inside pet. They are also not considered a "mini"/pet breed and are not allowed within the city limits in most parishes/counties.

Kunekunes do make AMAZING farm companions! They do need room to graze and a good solid fence. They can come in the house to visit. But they will be happiest spending most of their time outdoors with the pig pal grazing, enjoying the sunshine, and a good mud hole! 

Yes!  All pigs can and will root. Kunekunes root much less than commercial pig breeds and are much less destructive. Kunekunes short, upturned snout is made for grazing, not rooting. But if your lawn looks like a golf course, don't let a pig on it! 

They are most likely to root for one of three reasons 1) Boredom, remember a lonely pig is a bad pig.  2) Lacking diet, if an animal is missing something nutritionally, it will search it out. 3) There's something tasty just under the surface! Pigs have a great sense of smell.  If there are acorns, grubs, or roots under the top layer, they will root them out.  

Before we moved, we had sassafras trees on the property.  We would come out some days and they would have the whole pen smelling like root beer when they found some tasty sassafras roots.

Kunekunes are not prone roam and they are easily contained.  They will test the fence of a new enclosure, and if you have a weakness in the fence, they are kind enough to point it out for you.  But they will quickly learn if you have a secure fence and will not work to escape.

Our outer perimeter fence is 4' wire livestock fence.  The boars and sows/gilts share a fence line, so that fence is made from cattle panels.  A sow in heat on the other side of the fence can be enticing for a boar. So we like some extra strength between the pens.

Can they live on pasture alone?  Probably.  But they will not grow as quickly or be as healthy as if you supplement their feed.  

Most people will confuse grass with pasture.  Grass most definitely won't meet the nutritional needs of a kunekune.  A cultivated pasture with hay, radishes, turnips, clover, legumes, and grains can comprise most of a kunekune's diet.  But most of us don't have that kind of pasture, so we rely on pelleted feed to provide the minerals and nutrients the pigs need - including lysine and selenium. Please see our feeding regime information on the care page.  

Unfortunately, no.  This is not just a farm, this is also our home.  For my sanity and the biosecurity of the herd, we don't have visitors come just to see the animals. We are more than happy to provide pictures and videos of piglets that you are interested in and answer all the questions you may have.

If you would like to pick up your pig in person, you are welcome to do so.  We do take precautions, like elasta-boots and hand sanitizer, to minimize risks to our animals. We can introduce you to the herd and show you our farrowing pen, shelters, and feeding set up at that time.  

After your pig heads home we are still available when you have questions.  We have formed long lasting friendships with many of our past customers.  When you take home a Liberty pig, you get a lifetime subscription to me! 

Contact us! Shoot us an email or a message on the Liberty Farms Facebook page.  We like to talk to prospective buyers about what they are looking for and what their breeding goals are. We can give you realistic information about raising and breeding kunekunes. And we will let you know if we have pigs that might meet your needs.

Once you've selected a pig, you can place a non-refundable $150 deposit to hold your pig until weaning or until pickup.  We accept deposits by PayPal.  Please contact us before sending a deposit.