If you don't have enough pasture for your Kunekune pigs to graze, you may wonder whether Bermuda grass or Bermuda hay can take the place of the alfalfa you've been feeding alongside their grain or pellets. The short answer is yes—Bermuda can be a perfectly reasonable supplemental forage for many Kunekunes, especially mature pigs. But there is an important catch: Bermuda and alfalfa are not nutritionally identical, and neither should be expected to replace a properly balanced swine ration.
Bermuda Is Forage, Not a Complete Pig Feed
Kunekunes are excellent grazers, but they are still pigs. They do not digest fibrous forage the way cattle, sheep, or goats do.
That means Bermuda grass can give pigs something to chew on, provide fiber, satisfy some of their natural grazing behavior, and contribute some nutrition—but it should normally be considered the forage portion of the diet.
If you're feeding a commercial complete swine pellet, the pellet should supply the important protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and energy the pig requires. Bermuda hay can then be offered in addition to that ration.
If by "grain" you mean straight corn, oats, barley, or another grain rather than a formulated complete feed, that's different. Grain alone does not provide a balanced pig diet. A vitamin-mineral and protein source would still need to be incorporated into the ration.
Bermuda vs. Alfalfa
The biggest difference is nutritional density.
Alfalfa is a legume and is generally higher in protein and more nutrient-dense than Bermuda grass hay. Bermuda is a warm-season grass and is usually higher in fiber.
That doesn't make Bermuda "bad" hay. It simply means you shouldn't assume that a pound of Bermuda provides the same nutrition as a pound of alfalfa.
For mature Kunekunes that are maintaining weight easily and receiving a balanced ration, that difference may actually be perfectly acceptable.
For growing piglets, lactating sows, thin pigs, or animals with greater nutritional demands, however, I would be much more careful about allowing a lower-quality, high-fiber hay to displace the feed they really need.
Hay Quality Matters More Than the Name on the Bale
One bale of Bermuda can be very different from another.
Young, leafy Bermuda harvested at the right stage can be considerably better feed than coarse, mature Bermuda that was allowed to become stemmy before cutting.
When buying Bermuda for pigs, I would look for hay that is:
- Clean and dry
- Free of visible mold
- Free of excessive dust
- Relatively soft and leafy
- Not excessively coarse or stemmy
- Properly stored and protected from weather
If you're buying a large quantity, a forage analysis can tell you far more than simply knowing that the bale is "Bermuda."
Which Kunekunes Can Use Bermuda Best?
I would be most comfortable using Bermuda as supplemental forage with mature sows, boars, barrows, and other adult pigs that maintain weight easily.
Mature Kunekunes can be surprisingly efficient animals. For some pigs, giving them forage between measured meals can help satisfy their desire to eat and forage without simply increasing the amount of concentrated feed.
Growing piglets are different.
Young pigs have relatively high nutritional requirements for their size. If they fill their stomachs with too much coarse hay and then reduce their intake of balanced feed, growth and development can suffer.
The same caution applies to a sow nursing a litter. Lactation is one of the most nutritionally demanding times in a sow's life, so that isn't the time I would intentionally replace nutrient-dense feed with large quantities of fibrous hay.
What If My Pigs Have No Grass to Graze?
That's really where Bermuda hay can be useful.
Not everybody has acres of grass available. Some owners have dry lots, wooded areas, winter pens, or paddocks that pigs have already turned into bare ground.
There's nothing wrong with providing harvested forage instead.
You can offer Bermuda hay in a clean feeder or rack where the pigs can pull out what they want. Expect some waste—pigs have never received the memo about the price of hay.
Keep baling twine, net wrap, and other packaging completely out of their reach.
If your pigs are currently eating alfalfa, I would make the change gradually rather than removing the alfalfa one day and giving them nothing but Bermuda the next.
Start mixing or offering some Bermuda with the alfalfa for several days and gradually increase it. Watch how much they actually eat and keep an eye on manure, appetite, body condition, and overall appearance.
Don't Feed the Hay Bale—Feed the Pig
This is probably the most important part.
There isn't one feeding program that is right for every Kunekune.
A mature barrow that gains weight by looking at a feed bucket doesn't need the same diet as a growing gilt. A pregnant sow doesn't have the same requirements as a nursing sow. A breeding boar maintaining condition doesn't need to be fed like a rapidly growing market pig.
Around here, the practical test is always the animal in front of you.
Look at:
- Body condition
- Growth
- Muscle development
- Activity level
- Coat and skin condition
- Reproductive stage
- Amount of balanced feed being consumed
Then adjust the ration accordingly.
So, Can You Switch From Alfalfa to Bermuda?
For many adult Kunekunes, yes.
If the Bermuda is clean, reasonably good-quality forage and the pigs are also receiving an appropriate balanced ration, I would have no objection to using Bermuda as their supplemental hay.
Just remember what you're changing.
You're replacing a relatively nutrient-dense legume forage with a generally more fibrous grass forage. You're not replacing the pig's balanced feed.
For a mature Kunekune needing something to graze and chew when pasture isn't available, Bermuda can make a lot of sense.
For piglets, lactating sows, or pigs that need additional nutrition, I'd be more conservative and make sure forage isn't filling them up at the expense of the nutrients they need.
That's the difference between simply putting hay in front of a pig and actually managing a feeding program.