My dad and mom went to the small animal auction and bought a pig. They were told it was a KuneKune at the auction but it didn’t look like one to me. My dad named the pig Arnold, he seemed to be quite timid and he was a little guy hopefully he is sweet. We can be hopeful, right?
Dad put him in one of the barn stalls while he built him a pen in the garden area. He wanted the pen to be movable so that it could be moved all over the garden area. He got it all fenced in a made a little house for him.
Kunekune (pronounced cooney cooney) pigs are know for being excellent grazers and they do not rut up the ground like other pigs. They have a very sweet and loving demeanor. Sprinkles was the best pig ever, I am still sad that we had to give her away when we moved from Dalhart since we didn’t have the farm yet to move her to. She has a wonderful new family and I am thankful for that. Kunekune pigs also have waddles or tassels that hang down from under their chin, Arnold did not have them. Maybe he is part kunekune but definitely not full.
Arnold began rutting up the ground right away. Luckily the ground in the garden needed to be tilled. He did quite a large patch in a short amount of time. Arnold was very busy. It didn’t take him long to escape from the pen. I can just imagine in my mind Hunter, Mom, and Dad chasing the pig around. I laugh thinking about them chasing this pig all over the farm. I got this text from my dad “The pig escaped… not sure if he dug out or jumped the fence. It sure was a sight, Hunter has no clue on how to catch a pig, your mother is to slow, and I’m way to old for this shit.”
They finally got him barricaded and put into a stall in the barn while they worked on revamping the pen. Dad said he was not easily coaxed with food, that makes it a bit more difficult. Dad is want exactly sure where he got out so they put barbed wire around the bottom of the enclosure in hopes it would keep him in and they put a pallet under his house to keep it off the ground.
Buford came to help with the fence building since the Arnold was in the barn. Arnold loved Buford but unfortunately the feeling was not mutual. Buford would try to head butt him anytime he came close to him. Dad was ready to butcher Arnold after the escape. He offered Arnold to the neighbors and after they discussed it for a couple days they took him up on his offer. I’m sure dad was glad to know he would not be chasing Arnold around anymore.
The same neighbors came and cleaned out the manure and hay piled up in the barn to use for their garden. We definitely did not need it or want to haul it all up to our garden area. The barn was finally cleaned out. What a relief! It was just asking for a family of rats to move in this winter, so glad it is gone. Look how good it looks now!
Pink Squirrel Farmstead 