AKBA founder, Lori Enright, will demonstrate how to conduct yourself, as well as your pig, in the show ring.  Patterned after shows in Great Britian, this will be very educational for beginers starting to show their prised Kunekunes.  Open to the public free of charge...

BLACK VALLEY FARM together with KUNEKUNE PRESERVE

We would like to invite everyone to attend one of the first Kunekune shows ever to take place in the country.  Come and see the treasured stock from over nine different AKBA registered breeders as they combine to make history with some of the first award winning Kunekunes in AKBA\'s records.

AKBA\'s president and founders, Lori and Jim Enright, will be participating as judges.  Cyndi Berry of Kunekune Preserve, owner of the remaining herd of original New Zealand imported stock will also be participating as judge. Brian and Alana Schoffstall of Black Valley Farm, long standing breeders of one of the largest herds in the USA will finish out the judging panel.  

This is a unique opportunity to meet some of the most prestigeous Kunekune breeders in the country! 

The show will be followed by a sale of select Kunekunes from registered breeders. 

Deposits are now being accepted for upcoming spring/summer litters.  Breeding quality piglets will be selectively chosen to compliment our remaining 2012 breeding stock.  Our goal is to provide exceptional Kunekues, both individually and as pairs, with diverse genetics and outstanding conformation.   If you are searching for a specific line or breeding, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone (406-599-9797) or through the Contact Us link on our website, as we do not always list every Kunekune we have available...

The Kunekunes listed below can be paired selectively with our 2012 litters to provide some of  the most geneticlly diverse breeding pairs available in the USA at this time.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THIS PAGE.  CHECK BACK FOR FURTHER LISTINGS!!

BELOW: Wilsons Gina/Tonganui x Andrew/Jenny May 10th litter.

Breeding quality piglets:

Solid ginger, double wattled boar.

Black and white, double wattled boar.

Brown and white, double wattled boar.

Pet qualtiy piglets:

Solid ginger, double wattled boar.

Black and white, non-wattled boar.

Solid ginger, non-wattled gilt.

BELOW:  Ramona/Rona x Cornelilus/Andrew March 6th litter. 

  (RESERVED IN FULL.  No piglets remain available in this litter.  We have repeated this breeding and piglets will arrive again in September from this pairing.)

BELOW:  Caledonia/Rebecca Gina x Cornelius/Andrew May 7th litter.

Breeding quality piglets:

Solid Ginger gilt, double wattled.

Solid Ginger gilt, double wattled.

Light ginger gilt, double wattled.

Ginger/black gilt, double wattled.

BELOW:  #0439  Wilsons Gina/Tonganui.  DOB 10/17/11.  Ginger/black, non-wattled. RESERVED!

BELOW:  #0379 Jenny/Tonganui boar.  DOB 09/04/11.  Brown/white, double wattled.

 BELOW: #0378 Jenny/Tonganui boar.  DOB 09/04/11.  Ginger/black, doulbe wattled.

BELOW:  #0373 Rona/Andrew boar.  DOB  08/19/11.  Cream, double wattled.

****We would like to remind everyone that piglets are expected to be picked up upon weaning at nine weeks of age.  If you are unable to do so we are willing to hold them for you.  To help compensate the extra cost, Black Valley Farm will require a $25.00/week boarding fee unless otherwise arranged.****



September 3rd Litter
<Matilda our stunning ginger and black Jenny sow has been bred to Cornelius our Andrew boar.  We anticipate these piglets to be the most extreme of anything we have yet produced.  Both sire and dame display excellent conformations and have the typiest heads of our entire herd. This is our first pairing of these to picture perfect Kunekunes and we are very proud to be able to offer their piglets for sale.  Visit our for sale page for photos once the litter has arrived and our Facebook page for updates.



June 25th Litter
<Agnes, our black and white double wattled Jenny sow, has  been bred to our Tutaki boar.  This is the first pairing of our Tutaki boar.  We are proud to be adding even more diversity to our herd's genetics.  Agnes and Clarence make a lovly pair! Clarence, unfortunatly, is unwatted but we are anticipating Agnes to continue her record of producing ONLY double wattled offspring.

May (?) Litter
<Allegheny, our Wilsons Gina sow has been bred to Cornelius our Andrew boar.  This will be our first litter produced from this pair.  Their distinct genetics, combined with Cornelius' conformation, and Allegheny's coloring should produce some exceptional breeding quality piglets.  Black Valley Farm is planning to retain a gilt for our own herd!

September 20th Litter
<Darby our Jenny sow has been paired with Rupert our Boris boar.  While producing every color Kunekune, we feel that solid black is a very under-rated color for the Kunekune breed.  By pairing Darby and Rupert we hope to offer some stunning BLACK Kunekunes with the Boris bloodline as breeding stock to herds throughout the country.  Deposits have already been placed on this litter. 

Heritage our Rona gilt will be bred with Rupert our Boris boar for a fall litter.  Updates will follow soon. 
Deposits of $250.00 are being accepted.


Please call or e-mail for more information about reserving a piglet from any of our litters.  We are confident that the KuneKune is a fantastic addition to any family, hobby farm, orchard, or animal enthusiast!!

KuneKunes are currently gaining a larger presence in the United States.  However, with limited breeding stock available and newly imported lines just beginning to be bred, they remain a novelty.

Black Valley Farm  is among the top three breeders in the USA.  Our herd includes ten bloodlines, making it one of the most genetically diverse in the country.  With diverse genetics, every available color, and the ability to pair selectively from our large breeding herd, we are striving to produce Kunekunes true to the American Kunekune Association's Breed Standard with superb, true to type heads and sturdy bodies.

Black Valley farm reserves the right to reserve any piglet from our litters that we feel will further our breeding program.  As always, we will try our hardest to guarentee the satisfaction of our buyers!  With the ability to place our piglets with prospective buyers based on their specific needs, everyone is ensured to end up with a "perfect fit" pig. 

Breeders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the lines available in the states.  Color and tassles are also important considerations.  Finding a local veterinarian to work with you who is familiar with swine and line breeding can prove quite helpful. For those just looking for a unique addition to the barnyard or family pet, things are much simpler!!  Throw genetics out the window...any KuneKune will prove a fantastic addition. 

Our foundation breeding stock:

Cornelius: Our first breeding boar to arrive at Black Valley Farm.  He is out of the "Andrew" boar line, cream colored and double wattled.  Cornelius is a striking example of the Kunekune breed.  His dramatic head and bulky conformation contribute to his masculine appearance.  Cornelius contributes significantly to our breeding program.

Agnes:  Is a black and white  "Jenny" gilt.  She was sired from a Te Whangi boar.  She is double wattled and has thrown entirely double wattled stock regardless of the sire.  Agnes was one of our homeliest piglets but has matured into a stunning sow that produces some of our most remarkable litters.

(photo and name coming soon)   His line is "Tonganui".  We were one of the first three breeders in the United States that offered this boar line.   Through our own breeding program we have taken the time to produce an excellent Kunekune to carry on the Tonganui line. Brown and white, double wattled, with a strikingly broad head and correct snout we plan for this boar to be a very active menber of our breeding herd. 

Matilda:  A dainty ginger and black sow.  Also a "Jenny," she has no tassles.  Like Agnes, her sire is a Te Whangi.  We purchased Tillie for her wonderful coloring and gorgeous short snout. She is very petite and has regal femaninity about her. 

Ramona:  A beautiful darker cream sow,  she was the first gilt to be bred here at Black Valley.  A "Rona" sow... 'Mona is a BEAUTIFUL Kune....everyone that visits is drawn to her.  When she looks up at you with her deep brown eyes you can't help but fall in love.  Piglets from her litters are usually reserved well in advance. She is unwattled but has thrown only wattled piglets that possess her pleasing aura and unmatchless temperment.

Allegheny:  This petite little gilt has a look all her own.  With the same gorgeous ginger and black coloring of Matilda she adds long wavy hair to our breeding program. Her very attentive personality is endearing and her mothering skills are the best in our herd.  Her litters produce gorgeous coloring and are some of the largest we produce. 

Rupert:  Registered as Rupert the Black, this special boar is from the Boris line.  Black Valley Farm has purchased one of the first two breeding Boris boars that Cyndi Berry of Kunekune Preserve has produced.    Deposits on his future litters were received before we even brought him home to Black Valley. We are now expecting our first litters from him. As he matures we are thrilled with his exemplary Kunekune appearence and his confidence as a breeding boar.  

Heritage:  Heritage is the first piglet that we have chosen to retain from our own breeding program.  Her dam is Ramona and her sire Wendell.  She is a solid ginger double tassled "Rona" gilt.  Her short snout and large ears are characteristics that are signiture of the breed. She shares her mother's gentle temperment and we are anticipating some very distinctive litters in the near future.

Caledonia:  We are simply thrilled to have the opportunity to add the "Rebecca Gina" line to our herd.  Recently imported by Susan Drake of Long Island New York, Caledonia is out of the first Rebecca Gina litter to be born in the USA.  She has beautiful conformation and semi lop ears.  Her beautifully full upturned snout is our favorite characteristic!  Caledonia is ginger with black markings.

Clarence:  Our handsome "Tutaki" boar is ginger and black.  He has such a unique look (like his sister Caledonia) with the semi lop ears and the longer hefty body.  We are looking forward to making Clarence a prominent breeding boar in our herd.  With only five other breeders offering this recently imported line we will produce some of the first breeding Tutaki boars for sale.

357 days remaining and OH so much to fill them with! 

Too many irons in the fire—don’t count your chickens before the hatch—no use crying over spilled milk—don’t put all your eggs in one basket—between a rock and a hard place—free as a bird—good fences make good neighbors—haven’t got a row to hoe—light as a feather—feeling his oats—little strokes fell great oaks—make hay while the sun shines—many hands make light work…

We, who’ve actually dropped a whole day’s worth of eggs, we wish we would’ve used two baskets.  Not everyone has pondered the weight of a feather in their palm. Have any of our acquaintances watched with satisfaction as their calves kick up their heels after a few pounds of extra oats?

Just sayin’.

This calling, by which physical work can be rendered enjoyable and interesting, requires certain characteristics that may be learned, but that I believe are mostly inborn.  –Gene Logsdon, The Contrary Farmer

I was given my Grandfather’s milking pail for Christmas.  It was the most meaningful gift of my life…

This year Black Valley Farm can’t help but gamble that all our chickens are bound to hatch!!

<As Regional Coordinators of The American Kunekune Breeders Association we have decided this year to host several Kunekune workshops, we have volunteered to coordinate, oversee, and edit the AKBA Quarterly Newsletter. (You can now subscrib through our website.)

< Convinced that we have a breed of swine that has an unfathomable potential for sustainable farming, we will begin welcoming our first litters of the year in February…

<Anticipating dairy production, and itching to once again see goat kids dancing across our pastures, we will be bringing in our first buck shortly. 

< Sausage, butter, pumpkins, zinnas, cheese, sunflowers, apples, raspberries, asparagus, sauerkraut…these have become our dinner conversation topics.

<Clover, legumes, herbs, timothy,  and winter wheat wonder through our minds as we extend our pastures.

As our dreams take shape and our seeds sprout and our herds increase we hope to be able to share with as many of you as possible the joys of laughing over spilled milk, knowing that there will be more in the morning! 

We invite you to check back with us frequently as our plans for workshops, field days, farm tours, and a tremendous Fall Fest unfold. If you want to hold a piglet, butt heads with a goat, pick a flower, find an egg, or even hoe your own row—we’re right here and willing.  We’ll even send you home with a feather!

It is, nevertheless, a fact, that there is no more docile or tractable animal on a farm than a well-bred pig.  –Joseph Harris

I think we all as breeders would agree that our foremost goal as members of the American KuneKune Breeders Association is to produce quality breeding stock.  I would hope that it is safe to say as well, that anyone considering becoming a registered breeder also holds this goal as priority.

A Breed:  A group of animals that is consistent enough in type to be logically grouped together, and that when mated within the group reproduces the same type.  –Juliet Clutton-Brock,   A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals

Quality: A measure of excellence or a state of being free from defects, deficiencies, and significant variations, brought about by the strict and consistent adherence to a measurable and verifiable standard.

We originally intended for this blog to entail the different approaches to breeding—individual pairing, group mating, and multi-sire systems—as it main focus.  After approaching the subject from multiple angles I realized in order to take the subject seriously we must first discuss the motivating factor behind selective breeding in the first place.

To a certain degree, each individual breeder will develop a strategy for the specific combination of philosophies, situations, and goals that are unique to the herd he or she is breeding.  One of the most provocative attributes of our breed is the fact that Kunekunes are so easily tailored to such a wide array of enterprises….companion, pastured pork, orchard or vineyard gleaner, and to some simply the opportunity to make an investment in a recovering breed.  Once we have taken our personal aspirations within our herds into consideration we will all inevitably fall back on the question “What sets my pigs above all others in my sphere?” In answering this question correctly our Breed Standard comes into play. 

The goal of any breed standard is to help breeders visualize characters and traits that should be included as typical of a breed…  “Type” is very difficult to define, but includes all aspects that make breeds unique.  “Type traits” are those characteristics that set one breed apart from others in the same species.  The individual animals of any breed vary in “typiness”, which is the relative degree to which individuals express the type traits, and therefore represent the breed in its uniqueness within its species.  Animals that strongly express the breed type are generally referred to as “typey” and are difficult to misclassify into any breed but their own due to their expression of breed-specific characteristics.  Typey animals also have a subtle but important overall appearance that stamps them as not simply randomly bred…Breed type is the sum of physical, behavioral, and functional traits, and while these may not always relate directly to functional conformation, they do serve as important indications of the integrity of a breed’s genetic package.  –D. Phillip Sponenberg/Donald E. Bixby, Managing Breeds For a Secure Future Strategies for Breeders and Breed Associations

(The AKBA breed standard can be referenced on their website under SUBPAGES on the home page.)

Kunekunes are unique within their species.  Black Valley Farm, having no prior experience with swine, is still realizing the validity of this statement.  Our breed boasts extremes both physically and temperamentally.  There are of course subtle differences within the breed—even within our own herds.  As breeding stock matures and piglets are produced each breeder will develop an “eye” for what their breeding program will aspire for. 

In our last blog we discussed the history of bloodlines.  It is important when discussing and developing our breeding strategy to take into consideration that pairing what we feel to be our superior boar to our superior sow is not always the best option. Just as there are different approaches to the physical act of mating your pigs there are also various approaches to the philosophies of breeding.  I’m sure we have all heard the terms inbreeding, linebreeding, outcrossing, linecrossing, and crossbreeding. 

Inbreeding: The mating of first-degree relatives.  (offspring, parents, and siblings)

Linebreeding: The mating of related animals, but of less close relationship than first degree.  (aunt to nephew, grandparent to grandoffspring etc.)

Outcrossing:   The opposite of linebreeding. The mating of animals that are not related.

Linecrossing (subcategory of outcrossing):  The mating of unrelated animals from within the same breed.

Crossbreeding (subcategory of outcrossing): The mating of animals from two different breeds.

The practices of linebreeding, as well as inbreeding, are utilized to produce genetic uniformity in offspring, which turn produces homogeneity and predictability.  When coupled with positive selection and a trained eye, the result is a productive, predictable gene pool.  Too much genetic uniformity over time can however, result in loss of general vigor, loss of reproductive performance, and an expression of undesirable recessive traits.  This is where outcrossing comes into play.

Scenario:  Your herd includes two sows (Jenny/Andrew and Jenny/Te Whangi) and a boar (Andrew/Jenny). Depending on the exact pedigrees, you are either inbreeding or linebreeding.  In order to outcross and avoid the pitfalls of breeding too closely you would choose to either bring in a sow (Rona, Wilsons Gina, Rebecca Gina, Aria Giana) or boar (Tonganui, Boris, Tutaki, Mahia Love) of different lineage.  There are considerations for either choice. 

1.  Purchase a Rona sow.  You can now outcross her to your Andrew boar and produce either a Rona/Andrew or an Andrew/Rona that could in turn be breed back into your Andrew/Jenny, Jenny/Andrew, or Jenny/Te Whangi offspring. 

2.  Pruchase a Mahia Love boar.  You can now outcross your boar to either your Jenny/Andrew or Jenny/Te Whangi sow.  A Jenny/Mahia Love can be retained and bred back to your Andrew/Jenny boar.  A Mahia Love/Jenny boar could be retained and bred back to the other of your original sows.  By purchasing a boar rather than a sow your immediate options are broader by producing two outcrossed litters simultaneously. 

The deciding factor of this decision should be based both on the “typiness” of your present breeding stock as well as your breeding options.  Is your Andrew/Jenny boar the epitome of the Breed Standard?  Go with the sow.  Is your Jenny/Te Whangi sow the image you would like to see stamped on your entire herd?  Consider the boar.  Whichever the choice, bloodlines as well as conformation come into consideration on both sides. 

Bloodlines or strains within a breed are those subpopulations that have been isolated from one another for several generations (usually four or more) with the consequence that they are somewhat genetically distinct from the other bloodlines.—The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

Now that we are considering more fully the proposition of breeding we will discuss three forms of pairing our pigs for mating… individual pairing, group mating, and multi-sire systems.

Individual pairing: The mating of one male and one female at a time.

Group mating: The placing of a single male to mate a group of several females.

Multi-sire systems: The placing of multiple males to mate either a single female or a group of females.

Black Valley Farm has utilized all of the above breeding techniques. 

There has been discussion among breeders whether to attribute Kunekune’s “breeding quirks” to either a breed characteristic or the long term results of close breeding practices.  Whichever your personal opinion, I think most experienced breeders can attest that immediate results are not always produced when pairing our pigs.   Sows can be staunchly particular about the boar that services them.

 Ideally one would be able to place the desired boar and sow together, wait for estrus to occur, witness a breeding and count 116 days for the expected litter.  This is not always the case.  I have personally shared with several breeders who were unsuccessful in mating their pairs for quite some time.  Black Valley Farm has shared in such woes.  There does exist within AKBA the experience necessary to assess the situation and offer proven advice for the desired results. 

Rather than go into lengthy detail on specific situations I will instead list some of the solutions that have granted successful results. 

1.  Kunekunes are docile in temperament and contented.  When housed together from a young age, the probability of complacency with one another does become a factor.  Separating males from females for a period of as little as a few weeks can prompt the desired response. 
2. Certain gilts approaching the age of sexual maturity but not displaying signs of estrus can be encouraged to begin their cycles.  An age old remedy shared by breeders and veterinarians alike is a short excursion.  Crate her up, take a leisurely drive, and deposit her with the desired boar in  unknown surroundings and, odds are, she will be more receptive to his advances.
3. In larger herds with multiple herd sires it is common to run boars together when not in use.  When introducing new, young, or inexperienced males into the herd environment it is not unheard of for certain boars to be at the bottom of the established “chain of command”.  When attempting to pair such a male with an older mature sow ranking high in her own herd she often tends to reject his timid advances.  There are several options if this is the case:
   1. If your dominant sow has become accustomed to being serviced by a particular boar, it is possible to station her preferred suitor on the opposite side of a fence line in the hopes that she will stand for him.   While he engages her attention the desired boar will be given the
   2. Choose an acceptable inexperienced gilt to pair with the boar and she will likely be receptive.  After breeding has occurred, and your boar has gained confidence, reacquaint him with the previous sow and he may display more authority.
   3. opportunity to service her.
   4. One multi-scenario solution is the placement of multiple boars with an unreceptive gilt/sow.  As we all know, swine have the capability of producing multi-sired litters so as a rule, unless producing litters where parentage is unimportant, breeders avoid multi-sire systems.   With the strict oversight of AKBA to insure the integrity of our breeding herd, DNA requirements allow us the advantage of employing this system to our advantage.  Multi-sired herds put selection pressure on male competition.

Without engaged and dedicated breeders, breeds lose their relevance in the agricultural landscape and risk being relegated to the status of trivial artifacts or face extinction. –D. Phillip Sponenberg/Donald E. Bixby, Managing Breeds for a Secure Future

As registered associates of The American Kunekune Breeders Association each of us has dedicated ourselves to maintaining the integrity of the Kunekune breed, as well as promoting their usefulness in multiple markets.  We each benefit personally by this relationship with a reputable breeders association as we are offered credibility and well as additional exposure.  Upholding registration requirements that surmount those of more common breeds, maintaining the “set” prices for our breeding stock, and striving to produce quality both conformationaly and genetically, provides us quite a platform for declaring the uniqueness of our breed. 

For those of you considering your own breeding program Lori Enright, President and Co-founder of AKBA has outlined the registration requirements for registering litters with AKBA.  Anyone purchasing breeding stock from an AKBA registered breeder can rest assured that their purchased Kunekunes have met these guidelines listed below:

1.  A Prefix, identifying name or abbreviation, must be registered with AKBA by application and fee.

6.  Registration is the sole responsibility of the breeder.  AKBA does not recognize paperwork coming from anyone but the breeder

Part 1:

Kunekune Bloodlines and their history in the United States…

The first importation of Kunekunes pigs into the United States was in 1995 by Katie Rigby of Abilene, Kansas.  They were imported directly from New Zealand, their country of origin, where the conservation of the breed first began.  Katie Rigby partnered directly with the New Zealand Kunekune (Breeders’) Association and had the approval of the Elders of the Maori people.  At a later time Rigby again visited New Zealand, accompanied by Gwin Stam of Jefferson, Oregon who partnered with her in bringing additional Kunekunes into the country.  Rigby retained most of the imported pigs, but some traveled later to Oregon to become the “West Coast Herd.”  Mrs. Stam later partnered with Pam Bell of Northern California and together they established a small breeding operation that mostly remained within the Pacific Northwest.  This herd has since died out. 

From The American Kunekune Breeders Association—Quote:
Rigby, being extremely protective of the breed, was very selective about who would get breeding animals and in more recent years, sold only spayed and neutered pigs to those she considered "qualified.”  Ms. Rigby was the founder of the now defunct "Kunekune Registry of the Americas" and "OINK" corporation.  In 2007, her herd consisting of purebred Kunekunes, Captain Cookers, Pot-bellied Pigs, and other breeds was sorted into three distinct groups.  Breeding Kunekunes were designated to go to two separate locations.  One group now resides in New York where Dawn Camp of Camp Skipping Pig selectively breeds and raises "pet" kunekune pigs.  The remaining purebred kunes went to "Kunekune Preserve USA" owned and operated by Cyndi Berry of Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina where the breeding program thoughtfully considers the conservation and improvement of the breed.

Thus entered the Tonganui, Boris, and Wairua boar lines, as well as the Rona and Wilsons Gina sow lines to the United States. 

In 2005 Lori Enright of Olde Reminisce Farms (at that time USA Kunekunes) traveled to Great Britain and purchased the foundation breeding stock for her future herd.  The entirety of the Enright’s first import was purchased from the British herd of Andy Case.  These four Kunekunes (two sows and two boars) would be the foundation stock for all breeding pigs sold in the USA until 2009.  One of the gilts included in the Enright’s import proved to be infertile and a litter would never be produced out of her line.  The Enrights were the first to freely sell breeding stock to the public.  Mr. and Mrs. Enright are the co-founders of the official breed registry in the United States, American KuneKune Breeders' Association established in 2006. 

Thus entered the Te Whangi and Andrew boar lines and the Jenny sow line. 

Cyndi Berry of Kunekune Preserve USA began registering her breeding bloodlines with The American Kunekune Breeders Association in 2009.  The same year she and Lori Enright negotiated a trade of pigs between their two breeding herds.  This was the first crossing of two closed Kunekune herds in the USA.  Cyndi Berry, being very protective of the breed’s future, had previously chosen to sell only spayed or neutered pigs.  After careful consideration, in 2009 Berry decided to sell breeding stock solely to breeders registered with AKBA.   Black Valley Farm was the first breeder to purchase breeding stock from Cyndi Berry, and in March of 2010 we brought home our Tonganui boar and Rona gilt.

*(Kunekune Preserve’s lines are traced directly to the imports of Katie Rigby from New Zealand and include the Tonganui and Boris boar lines as well as the Rona, and Wilsons Gina sow lines.  Olde Reminisce Farms’ (formerly USA Kunekunes) bloodlines can be directly traced to the British herd of Andy Case and include the Te Whangi and Andrew boar lines and the Jenny sow line.)

* Black Valley Farm, in recent years, has personally spoken with Dawn Camp of Camp Skipping Pig, about the possibility of obtaining her only remaining line—the Wairua boar line—that was not duplicated in Cyndi Berry’s herd.  Camp, like Rigby, was adamant that her pigs be sold solely as pets.  Under no condition was she willing to “contribute” to the “pollution” of breeders (AKBA registered breeders).  Camp’s firm belief is that the Kunekune breed should never be used as meat pigs or even be actively bred.  In the last few conversations I held with her,  she had decided it was her responsibility to let her lines die out.  Her concern was that the Kunekune’s fate in the United Sates would duplicate that of the Vietnamese Potbelly Pig. 

Since the Berry and Enright trade, and Black Valley Farm’s purchase, a dozen other breeders have developed/begun breeding programs utilizing both Berry’s and Enright’s bloodlines. 

In 2010 USA Kunekunes added an additional boar line—Mahia Love, and gilt line—Aria Giana.  These two Kunekune were imported directly from New Zealand along with others that the Enrights are working to obtain from the Northern California couple whom they partnered with to bring addtional lines into the United States.  This is the first importation from New Zealand since the Rigby imports of the 90s. 

In 2011, Susan Drake of Long Island Kunekunes imported (from Great Britain) a breeding pair of Kunekunes.  Their sow, being bred in quarantine, farrowed shortly after her arrival home to the Drake farm.  Producing the largest litter of piglets to date in the records of AKBA, her Rebecca Gina gilt produced ten piglets sired by her Tutaki boar.  Black Valley Farm was the first breeder to have the opportunity to meet Susan and her pigs in person, when in June of 2011 we traveled from Pennsylvania to Long Island to pick up our boar and gilt as well as a boar and gilt headed for Kunekune Preserve. 

Thus entered the Mahia Loveand Tutaki boar lines, and the Aria Giana and Rebecca Gina sow lines.

*(If you would like to learn about our visit with Susan Drake and see pictures of her pigs you can visit our blog at www.blackvalleyfarm.com).  Some discussion has begun to take place between breeders concerning the size of the Drake imports.  Having met Susan’s pigs in person, I can attest that they are indeed significantly larger than the Kunekune population already in the USA.  They do however display the normal characteristics of the Kunekune breed—dished face, short upturned snout, and wattles, accompanied by the traditional color variations and coat.  Unwilling to challenge the integrity of the British Kunekune Society, AKBA has decided to honor the registration of the Long Island Kunekunes pigs.  Black Valley Farm has discussed with various breeders who purchased from the first Drake litter, the conformation of their piglets.   Olde Reminisce Farms as well as Good Meadow Farm have decided not to include their Drake piglets as part of their breeding programs.  Black Valley Farm has already begun to utilize our Tutaki breeding boar and have plans to breed our Rebecca Gina gilt in February.  We feel that the Drake lines have just as much to offer the breed as the lines previously imported to the United States.  However, we will advise buyers of the possibility that piglets purchased from breedings including either of Drake’s lines have the potential of maturing at a larger rate and size.  For breeding programs utilizing the Kunekune for meat this could be looked at as an asset rather than a drawback; however breeders should keep in mind that Kunekunes are small swine and breeding for larger pigs is not upholding the true characteristics of the breed. 

This is a short outline of the history of the Kunekune breed in the United States as well as the bloodlines available.  All of the above facts can be elaborated on and different points of view can be obtained from the different individuals mentioned above.  If anyone has specific questions about bloodlines listed in any AKBA registered breeding program I would encourage you to contact that breeder directly.  As the Enright and Berry lines become more and more entwined each breeder has begun selectively pairing their pigs to produce the conformationally correct Kunekune that is stated in the AKBA Breed Standard. 

*Anyone desiring printed copies of the AKBA Breed Standard, for either personal use or distribution to the public, can contact AKBA or Black Valley Farm. 

Photos in order from top to bottom:

Solid black Boris boar.

Ginger and black Jenny sow.

Solid cream Rona sow with litter.

                                                                  Black and white Mahia Love boar.

                                                                  Ginger Tutaki boar.

                                                                  Ginger Tonganui boar and solid cream Andrew boar.