BUCKS: New arrivals at Odds Farm (From Times Series)

BUCKS: New arrivals at Odds Farm

11:18am Tuesday 28th October 2008 in Bizarre London

A litter of rare piglets have arrived at Odds Farm Park for the first time in three years.

The 11 tiny Kune Kune pigs were born at 5pm on October 19 and are now making good progress with proud mum, Barley.

They are the first litter of the breed, which only has six bloodlines in the UK, to be born at the farm in three years.

Kune Kune's, known for their varied colourings, evolved in New Zealand but it is not known how the pigs came to be on the antipodean islands.

One theory is that the Maori's - New Zealand's native people - brought them over, but the tribe did give the pigs their name, pronounced cooney cooney, which means small, fat and round.

The litter, made up of five girls and six boys, have been a hit with visitors to the farm in Wooburn Common, who can watch them in the pigsty through a window in the tea room.

Clare Middleton, livestock manager, said: "They're brilliant, they have been fine from the day they were born, they have just gone from strength to strength.

"Because they're really, really small and tend to grow quite slowly they're quite a hit I think."

Matt Cambridge, livestock assistant added: "Barley is a brilliant mum. As the breed are friendly and love human contact, it’s going to be great fun looking after them."

A pair of piglets from the litter will stay to be brought up on the farm, while the other nine will be found homes as pets