Start with Your Goal and the Breeder’s Program
Tell the breeder whether you want pets, registered breeding stock, pasture pork, a future herd sire, or companion animals. Ask what the breeder selects for and how the available pig fits that purpose. A responsible answer should discuss strengths, limitations, and suitability—not promise that every pig can do everything.
Quick answer: Ask for evidence that supports the sales description, then evaluate whether the animal fits your farm and experience.
Read one of our many articles about Kunekune structure, temperament, and how to select breeding stock.
Ask About Identity, Pedigree, and Registration
Confirm the pig’s registered name or identification, birth date, sex, parents, registry eligibility, and whether transfer paperwork is included. Ask about relatedness if you are buying a pair and request copies of relevant pedigrees or test results before final payment.
- Registration documents ancestry; it does not guarantee breeding quality.
- Verify that names and identification match the animal offered.
- Ask which tests are complete, pending, or not performed.
- Clarify who pays transfer and testing fees.
Evaluate Structure, Reproduction, and Temperament
Request current photos or video showing movement, feet, legs, topline, body, head, bite, and reproductive anatomy. For breeding animals, discuss teat count and placement, testicles or vulva, fertility history, litter performance, and any known defects. Ask how the pig behaves around people, feed, fencing, transport, and other pigs.
Avoid relying only on color, wattles, pedigree names, or a single genetic result.
Review Health and Management Records
Ask about diet, current body condition, parasite monitoring, vaccinations, medications, illnesses, injuries, quarantine, and the herd’s biosecurity practices. Obtain dates and withdrawal information for treatments when relevant. Discuss what the pig is accustomed to eating so changes can be made gradually.
No breeder can guarantee lifelong health, but a transparent breeder should provide known history and explain what has not been tested.
Put the Transaction in Writing
Review the deposit, refund, pickup, transport, health-certificate, registration-transfer, fertility, and support terms before paying. Confirm what happens if the animal becomes unavailable or fails a stated condition. Prepare fencing, shelter, companions, and quarantine before pickup.
Continue with How to Choose Kunekune Breeding Stock, Breeding Stock Purchase Process, and Livestock Transport and Pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does registration prove a Kunekune is breeding quality?
No. Registration documents recorded ancestry and eligibility; structure, reproductive soundness, health, temperament, and performance still require evaluation.
Should a breeder provide genetic test results?
Ask for the tests relevant to the animal and your purpose, then verify the report and identity. Not every test is necessary for every sale, and no single result replaces whole-animal selection.
What photos should I request?
Request current side, front, rear, head, feet, and reproductive-structure views plus video of the pig walking naturally.
What is a major red flag?
Pressure to pay before records are reviewed, refusal to discuss faults or health history, mismatched identification, vague terms, or claims that one pedigree or test guarantees quality.