An IKHR Sanctioned program for Kunekune Hog Preservation Through Utilization.
Formally the International Kunekune Pig Pork Project, International Kunekune Pork Producers has taken the lead in promoting the Kunekune Hog for its incredible ability to graze grass cleanly and thrive in various production environments all while turning it into beautifully succulent, red, well-marbled and delicious tasting pork. This, along with copious amounts of excellent, pure white fat and beautifully unblemished leaf lard.
THE STORY
The AKPR/IKHR was the first organization to promote the breed as a meat animal in the USA securing its status around the world as pig perfect for large or small farms, urban/city farms, homesteaders, pastured pork production, charcuterie aritsans, home butchery, farm to table eateries, and the list goes on.
A growing number of Kunekune Hog breeders and farmers in countries around the world are recognizing the added value the breed can bring to their many varied operations. These dedicated breeders wish to honor the legacy set forth by the Maori people of New Zealand and have taken on the responsibility to preserve the breed through its utilization as a meat animal.
The IKHR seeks to access the hard data that these unparalleled breeding programs can provide to the historic record of the Kunekune Hog breed all across the globe. All breeders of purebred, registered Kunekune Hogs are invited to become one of the valued members of the Project and to join us in providing this much needed data with the goal of a secure future for the Kunekune Hog breed. *The data that is collected and recorded by the Project will be provided to its members and calculations for selection of breeding pairs to optimize production in their operations will be supplied by the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement.
IKHR Carcass Merit & 200 in 12
IKHR is pleased to be moving ahead in conjunction with International Kunekune Pork Producers to take our carcass merit initiative to the next level.
Many livestock breeds are marketed on carcass merit. This has prompted greater interest in breeding and feeding animals that produce desirable carcasses. Improving carcass merit starts with genetic selection in choosing parents based on carcass traits.
The initiative aims to enable IKHR registered breeders and pork producers the opportunity to unlock valuable information within their breeding herds. This information will aid in improving carcass output in market animals and selecting optimal breeding specimens to move a breeding program forward.
The first tool we are introducing is agricultural ultrasound to assess loin depth and back fat thickness.
IKHR is sanctioning ultrasound technicians throughout the US and Canada for ultrasound services to ensure consistency. We have also laid out parameters for these measurements – hogs must be 1 year of age when measurements are obtained and technicians will be collecting a measurement of loin depth, back fat thickness and weight. This data will then be provided directly to IKHR and plugged into our BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) system to calculate results. These results will then be relayed back to our breeders.
Hogs participating in this portion of carcass merit will have the opportunity to earn a 200 in 12 stamp on their pedigree, which will certify that the hog has met this milestone.
A pilot project for this program has been running at Ivanleigh Farms in Ontario, Canada for over 8 years and counting. Ivanleigh Farms is the first farm in North America, and most likely the world, to utilize agriculture ultrasound for breed optimization and carcass merit in the Kunekune Hog Breed.
The benefits to participating in such a program are proven and the IKHR is pleased to be able to offer it to other breeding programs. Currently there are sanctioned ultrasound technicians located in Ontario (CAN), Iowa (US), and Montana (US) with talks happening in other locals. The IKHR is focusing efforts to sanction ultrasound technicians in provinces and states in which breeders who are part of the International Kunekune Pork Producers reside.
To locate an ultrasound technician near you, please check out IKHR Breeder Resources.
For more information, please contact IKHR directly at internationalkunekuneregistry@gmail.com
