ginger bee farm
About our kune kune breeding program
We raise wonderful Kune Kune pigs in beautiful coastal New England. We believe that Kune Kunes are the perfect beginner pig and homestead lard producers, and we’re passionate about putting these sweet, docile heritage pigs in more family homesteads and small farms. We hope you’ll join us, and experience the joy of owning Kune Kunes.
The Ginger Bee family
We focus on evidence-based breeding
kune kunes are whimsical and wonderful, but they're still pigs
You will read all kinds of mystical or magical things about Kunes - from the idea that they never root to the myth that they can survive purely on grazing. Those are not true - Kune Kunes are small, efficient pigs, but they're still pigs and need good pig care. We don't sell you a line - we sell you a healthy pig and accurate information about how to succeed just like we have.
We track and prioritize diversity
In a rare breed, inbreeding is dangerous
We've sourced our breeding pigs from all over the country in order to minimize coefficient of inbreeding and produce healthy, robust piglets.
we believe that every pig deserves the best
our kune kunes live enriching, interesting, and natural lives
Pigs are meat animals, but they deserve happiness, dignity, and respect. We keep our numbers low and our housing large in order to allow our pigs to be calm, comfortable, and uncrowded. We encourage them to play, we give them toys, we vary their food tastes and textures, and we move them frequently so they stay entertained and interested. They stay in small, bonded family groups, and are never distressed, in pain, or neglected.
Why do we register our KuneKunes with AKKPS?
When you buy a Kune Kune pig or KuneKune piglet, you have the choice between using a breeder who registers with AKKPS (American KuneKune Pig Society) and IKHR (International Kunekune Hog Registry). Some breeders dual-register, but others choose one over the other. As a broad generalization, AKKPS focuses on the original Kune Kune, with all the variations that naturally occurred in the first imports. It is flexible on size, on wattles, on color, and so on. IKHR (again, as a generalization) focuses on making the Kune Kune a better fit for American palates and American homesteads. IKHR values faster growth, a meatier pig, and larger size. We think that you should choose which registry fits your needs best; here’s why we choose AKKPR.
Slow growth and appropriate size
AKKPR is a natural fit for breeders who (like us) believe that the KuneKune should not be a big pig. Our Yuna is about as big as we'd ever want to get, and we're hoping her babies are more moderate in size. We think KuneKunes are best when they're small, gentle, easy pigs, able to be handled by everyone and able to be picked up and moved if necessary.
A lard pig, not a bacon pig
The IKHR has a major focus on "improving" the KuneKune and offering it as a source of pork and bacon. We feel strongly that there are more than enough pork and bacon breeds out there; a true lard and charcuterie breed is the much rarer commodity and one that we prize. We don't want the KuneKune to look or produce like the typical American hog.