A sad update today.
One of our KuneKunes passed away last night. Both me and my husband were in with the pigs when it happened.
They were asking for cuddles when one of them layed down and his heart just gave up.
We are experiencing unusual high temps right now, They were in the orchard in their mud pool all day which is in the shade. This particular pig has been overweight since birth. He drank from two nipples and has been the boss ever since.
I think there is a good chance that the aftermath of the heat caused him to have a heart attack. When it happened the temperature had already gone down and he wasn't feeling hot.
I was sitting next to him and got the feeling something was off just before he closed his eyes, kind of a shiver down my spine. Then he stopped breathing. I tried to feel a heartbeat but there was nothing. My husband who studied to be vet for a while tried to revive him but our dear pig had left for heaven.
I don't select breeds for heat tolerance since we live in a cold climate but I did expect a Kune originating from New Zealand to survive at least when given plenty of water, pool and shade.
It is yet another negative experience with them. It could be a coincidence but we have had pigs for quite some time and have never lost one before.
Our other kune is alone right now so we have scheduled some breeders to visit this weekend however we will NOT get another Kune, it will be a different breed. They don't seem to fit with us. There are certain things we don't like about the breed itself but having one die is a no-no.
I have to admit we are comparing them to the breed we liked most, the Husum red pied. They could take any weather.
I am sure the Kune might be a good match for other homesteaders or as pets. They just don't suit our place and circumstances.
The pigs we are going to look at will be a rooting pig again. We have a couple breeds on our list but not many people keep pigs in our country so finding a young animal that matches our guy might be a challenge. I also have to consider the pasture management when selecting a new pig. I don't have alot of areas that have to be disturbed right now so a fast growing rooting pig might cause damage to our ecosystem. It's going to be a challenge within a short amount of time.
As for the remaining pig, he said his goodbyes to his buddy and carries on. I know he's sad because his behaviour changed slightly. I need to find him another pal fast!