Origen of the Idaho Pasture Pig (IPP)

BY: Shelly Dixon (Farris) IPP breeder & co-founder

We hope that by sharing this information with you, the true history of the IPP won’t be forgotten.

Gary and I are the founders of a new breed of pig called Idaho Pasture Pigs. We call them IPPs for short. These pigs are all-natural, pasture-based, meat pigs. They have great personalities and are friendly. They are smaller at maturity than regular pigs, but still, reach market weight in the standard 6-month time frame. They come in a variety of colors. Most have wattles under their chin, and very few pig breeds have wattles. They have short, upturned, snouts that are perfect for grazing. All pigs will forage for food, but the short snouts make them grazing pigs.

We have been establishing this breed since 2007. In 2012, we started offering our breeding stock to the public.

This is the story of our pigs.

Gary and I were married on a beautiful, sunny day, in 2004. We were married here on our farm, which we love so much. We built a pergola by the canal and were married there, in the shade of an old apple tree. After we were married, we were ready to see the farm come to life with farm animals. We both have always had a strong love for pigs. Our quest for pigs began with Gary researching small pig breeds. He wanted a small pig that he could keep forever. He had no interest in butchering pigs at the time. He discovered the Kunekune pig.

The Kunekune pig is a small, pasture pig from New Zealand. They are completely covered in hair and come in a variety of colors. They have really short, upturned snouts that are perfect for grazing. They are also naturally friendly. In 2005 we purchased our first Kunekune pig. Domino was an older boar. Domino changed our lives forever. He was lovable and followed us around like a faithful dog. Gary would go out and sit with him for hours. We just had to have more Kunekunes. Gary found out that Lori Enright had recently imported Kunekune pigs from England and we were able to obtain more Kunekunes from Lori.

Destiny was our second Kunekune, but our first Kunekune piglet. After we had Domino and Destiny, I was able to convince Gary, that if we were going to raise pigs, I wanted big pigs too. I wanted to raise our own meat. I have always lived on farms and I have always raised my own meat. It is very important to me to know how the animal was raised, and that it was loved and cared for. I do not want hormones and excess antibiotics in our food.

Sassy was our third pig, a Duroc. Destiny and Sassy were 2 days apart in age. It amazed us to watch the two of them grow. The size difference and rate at which they grew were completely different. Sassy was super friendly, but a pig does not have a name like Sassy without good reason. She was also a pistol. She got big fast. She was a rooting machine and could flat clear ground. Meanwhile, Destiny was small and growing slowly, so slow that we were concerned that there must be something wrong with her. She would calmly wander around the pasture grazing grass and not rooting at all.

As our Kunekune herd grew and our big pig herd grew, the difference between the two was like night and day. The Kunekune pigs were so docile and gentle. They would graze contently in the pasture. They did not bother the fences and were easy to handle. When the piglets were born, they had no fear of people and would crawl right in our laps. From day one, the Kunekune piglets were our best friends. The sows did not get upset when we picked up the piglets. They seemed to want us in with them and their piglets. The big pigs were the exact opposite. They were friendly because we invested hours in working with them to make them that way. They only grazed the grass when conditions were right. They could root and rip up the ground at other times. They tore up gates and fences; several times a 12-foot gate has been taken right off of its hinges and removed. The piglets were so flighty and scared of people, that they would hurt themselves trying to get away. It did not matter how much time we spent working with them, they remained this way until they were older. The sows were extremely protective of the piglets. We could not even think about picking up piglets with momma close by. We had to walk softly and talk softly when we entered their pens. It amazed us how fast an 800 lb pig can move.

During this time we spent a lot of time reading old pig books. We wanted to raise pigs the way they were raised 100 years ago. We talked to people all across the country that was currently raising pigs, used to raise pigs, and who wanted to raise pigs. We found that many people would like to raise pigs, but because of their size and disposition, they were not doing it. They all seemed to have one thing in common; they wanted a smaller, friendlier meat pig. This pig that they wanted just did not seem to exist. The Kunekune pig in our opinion is not the perfect meat pig because of their slow growth rate, rarity, and expense.

An idea began to immerge. What if we could incorporate all the great characteristics of the Kunekune pig like their short snouts, grazing ability, and gentle disposition, and combine that with the fabulous meat qualities and faster growth rate of our big heritage pigs? We wanted a pig that was smaller in size at maturity but still reached market weight in the standard 6-7 month time frame. We wanted a pasture-based pig, which meant we needed shorter snouts. We wanted the piglets to crawl into our laps and not run away scared. We wanted the sows to have a gentler disposition. We also wanted to recreate what pigs used to be like in the 1920s and 1930s before we as man changed their diets, living conditions, body styles, and personalities. The Kunekune pigs are a throwback in time, they look like what all pigs used to look like.

So our journey began in creating the perfect, pasture-based meat pig. We spent thousands of hours researching pig breeds and how they were developed. We found out that it takes a minimum of three different pure breeds, seven generations, and of course documentation to establish a breed. We researched which grasses and legumes were best suited for pigs. We researched which breeds were the best for the quality of meat and then we went to work on making it into a reality. We chose the Kunekune pig as the base of our breed; they offer many great qualities to the mix, like their smaller size, extremely short, upturned snouts, and excellent dispositions. We also chose the Berkshire breed. They are heritage pigs, known for their excellent meat qualities. They are slightly smaller at maturity than other breeds. They are great mothers and have a gentler disposition. Until the 1970s the Berkshire had a relatively short snout. We also felt like many breeds originally made up the Kunekune breed and felt like the Berkshire could have been one of those breeds. We chose the Duroc breed as our third breed in the mix. The Duroc is known for its great meat qualities, fast growth rate, a relatively short snout. They were developed right here in the United States. The downside to the Duroc is that they do not have the friendliest disposition. We named our breed “Idaho Pasture Pigs”, we call them IPPs for short. Kune Kunes are extremely laid back and are not the most aggressive breeders; big pigs are a bit different. There were times when we had to take two steps back, to take one step forward. A new breed of pig has not been established since the 1950s. I know that many people thought we were crazy to take this on, but I know others could see what we were trying to do. We never lost sight of our goals, and kept working towards them, even when it seemed we were getting nowhere. We have tweaked and experimented with different percentages of the breeds that we are using. Every litter that we produce just gets better and better. I have been adamant about not selling any breeding stock until we had the perfect pig, even when people wanted to buy them, and my husband wanted me to sell them. We started selling breeding stock in 2012. I have been called a “snout snob” and I am. We are critical of the pigs we produce and keep only the best of the best for breeding purposes.

The pig we had envisioned in our minds became a reality. What we set out to accomplish with our breed, we had done. Our IPPs graze grass like they are starved for it. They are gentle, and smaller in size at maturity. The piglets are not scared of us and crawl into our laps. We could not be happier with their conformation. They have erect ears, most have wattles, compact bodies, and a nice layer of fat that makes the meat excellent. They reach market weight in 5 ½ to 7 months, depending on the feeding program. They have nice legs and well-rounded hams. They are spotted in color with some being black and white and some red and black. We have several lines available and continue to create new lines. We have been in uncharted territory through this whole process; no one was doing what we were trying to do. Everything was an experiment, with no guarantee of the results. It has been a long journey but a good one. I realized through hard work and dedication that dreams do come true. Our journey of pigs will continue, and we will continue to change and grow. This is the story of Idaho Pasture Pigs and what inspired them. It all started with one little Kunekune pig named Domino, who changed our lives forever.

Also see: Idaho pasture pig genetic background