Hänsel and Gretel
They did not get lost in the forest
Hansel and Gretel were not discovered in a crunchy little house, but were screaming for their lives in an animal flap for cats and rabbits. The flap was way too small and so Hansel and Gretel were freed in the middle of the night by the Klagenfurt fire brigade. Hungry, they pounced on the food and let themselves be petted by the rescuers. While the pigs fell asleep with their bellies full, the shelter staff thought about where the two abandoned pigs should spend their lives in the future.
The trip went to Gut Aiderbichl in Carinthia
Since its foundation, Gut Aiderbichl has been committed to the protection of species, and so in addition to Hänsel and Gretel in Carinthia, four more Kune-Kune pigs inhabit our farms. Casanova, Harry, Potter and Djego live at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf and have become the children's great favourites.
At the end of the 70s, the New Zealand pig breed was threatened with extinction. A breeding programme was set up to ensure their survival, and Kune-Kunes are now bred not only in New Zealand, but also in the USA and Europe.
With their short little legs, they sometimes run away from one of our donkeys or ponies at lightning speed. When the sun is shining, the Kune-Kune pigs lie down comfortably somewhere at the edge of the path and start snoring fervently. If you creep up quietly and stroke their bellies tenderly, they stretch their short legs towards you with pleasure and begin to grunt contentedly until total relaxation sets in.
Hansel and Gretel have some new friends
Markus, the manager of Gut Aiderbichl Carinthia, tells us that Hänsel and Gretel are at the top of the hierarchy of the pot-bellied pigs Flo and Liesi, Leo, Big Mama, Gusti, Zwergerle and Bärbel. The "new ones" were immediately integrated into the existing group. Every day the pot-bellied pigs are outdoors with Hänsel and Gretel and it can happen that one or the other mischief happens.
Although Hansel and Gretel have only been at the farm for just under three weeks, they have stored an important time in their clever brains: feeding time. Almost on the minute, the two begin to cry out loudly for food. There is always food in the pigsty, so in the afternoon they squeal loudly and go to the feeding trough. Loud smacking gives Markus the impression that his two new additions are completely satisfied with the living situation at the Köglerhof in Carinthia.
Markus knows the pig personalities in the barn very well. He calls everyone by name and even Hansel and Gretel know, after the short time, when they are meant, because pigs remember people's voices, they are extremely people-friendly and often you also get the feeling that they are smiling.
"Thank you Markus, that we have found a home here at the farm!". You can't help but smile contentedly when two little Kune-Kune trunks are stretched out towards you
A pig does not think and feel much differently from a human being
- so we try to treat them better than unfortunately it still happens.
