When we were telling the kids about the boar that was soon to arrive, my son Jude asked me "is he going to fall in love with a girl pig?". I said that he may be a little young now, but later will probably "fall in love". He then responded "so he is a kid pig?"... and the name kind of stuck. Kid Pig is a registered Mulefoot boar. This is very rare heritage breed from the states. There have been efforts in recent years to bring awareness of this breed, in order to create a market demand that will save it from extinction. Read about how these guys placed number one in a blind taste test against 7 other heritage breeds as well as the commercial piggies: http://www.grit.com/daily-commute/Mulefoot-Pork-Wins-Blind-Taste-Test.aspx . We are so happy with this little guy, but his reception was marked with sadness, as the sow we were bringing home with him was lost during transport. Kid pig is so docile and is more like the family puppy than anything else. He follows us around the farm asking for a scratch and company. I was very pleased upon getting him out of the truck that he refused the store feed, and went right to eating frozen pasture, blackberry bushes, and rooting around for who knows what. This industrious attitude as well as his thick fur and un-cloven hooves make him an excellent fit for our climate and farm.
Hi Joel,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the loss of a pig - awful for so many reasons. Are there any Mulefoot breeders in the NW? I currently raise Berkshire, but would love to try a heartier, rare breed. These look like excellent pigs!
John
natureslaststand@earthlink.net
John - there is one other breeder in Lynden WA who got his the same time I did from Maverik Ranch in South Dakota. He suffered some losses as well, but has a breeding set. Between the two of us we should be able to get this breed going (and available) before too long in the Pac NW. We intentionally got genetic diverity for that reason. Untill then there is always South Dakota. I can't tell you how awesome this breed is, it was well worth the trouble in getting it here.
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