Meet the Pigs — Merrymac Farm Sanctuary

Big Bernadette and Baby Penelope joined MMFS during the winter of 2023 when their house/barn caught on fire, and they ended up needing a soft landing. Bernadette was only about a year plus and Penelope was just a few months old when they arrived at the sanctuary. Both needed some time to adjust and settle in before they headed to Cornell to get spayed. These two are both Idaho Pasture Pigs and are the largest pigs at the sanctuary currently. They spend the day grazing, laying in some mud, napping and hanging out together. We are hoping they will incorporate with some of our other pigs with time.

Biggie joined us as a three-month-old baby farm pig who was the runt of the litter and had “failure to thrive” as a day old baby. Most farmers will just kill their piglets when this happens, but little Biggie was a lucky guy. He went into foster care where he was hand raised. He has been neutered and is up-to-date on all things baby so he can eventually join Buster.

“Busta” found himself finding freedom after he escaped a slaughterhouse in Connecticut and he took off (smart dude)! He ran into a public walking trail where he eventually was caught and taken to the Humane Society. He has become the first farm pig at MMFS. He is already a big boy at only 6 months old. We can not wait to see him blossom! Buster Video

Button is from New Jersey. She was rescued by Eastern Snouts when she and her three litter-mates found themselves homeless as young piglets. Button is our smallest pig, yet she is a fearless and independent girl. She can be skittish around people, probably due to a pretty rough start in life. But she has Piglet as her best friend and they cuddle every night in their comfy blankets.

Chi Chi joined us after his family experienced changes. He was living in a second story apartment where as a baby his owners could carry him outside, but as he got bigger that quickly changed. Chi Chi became an inside only piggy who was beginning to have some bad habits. When he joined MMFS he was overweight, his feet were in need of being done, and his attitude was pretty sad. His family loved him and they still do love him– but it was not the right place for him to be. Through the last few months we have seen a great transformation in ChiChi. He has now had two foot trims, better nutrition, daily outside time, and we are still working on his occasional aggression when he gets too tired or shuts down. Very proud of this sweet boy!

Sisters, Eloise and Gertrude were rescued by Eastern Snouts Rescue. They are from New Jersey. There was an emergency case where a farmer/homesteader was threatening to cull all the animals on the property if not immediately rehomed, including several very young piglets. Eastern Snouts intervened and saved these two girls. About 50% of potbellied pigs are rehomed within the first year and sadly these two were no exception.

Eli might be the happiest piggy out there. Constantly wagging his tail and getting in to everyone’s pens to eat their food. He is young and agile and knows how to manipulate every little opening to see a way in! He joined us from Eastern Snouts Rescue because he needed a permanent place to land. He is a little unsure about men in his life, so we encourage new folks around him to introduce themselves slowly.

We decided that he needs to be called Eugene after Eugene Levy because he is so handsome with his big dark skin patches over his eyes that he looks like he has big eyebrows like the handsome Eugene Levy!!! This sweet guy has just joined the sanctuary after his dad needed to make life changes, and he knew that his needs were not being met. Eugene had some catching up to do on nutritional needs and medical needs. His feet and tusks were overgrown, his skin was in rough shape and his diet needed improvement. Even through all of this, he has been a real sweetheart right from the start. Transitions are very hard on pigs, so we are really proud of this big guy for handling it so well.

Harriet joined MMFS during the winter of 2023. She needed to be placed in a home where she could learn some manners and parameters of being a polite pig who would not bite. Her previous piggy parents loved her very much, but they knew she needed a different home. Harriet is a Kune Kune pig with beautiful calico coloring which everyone is very drawn to. She has learned it is not polite to bite people, but we still keep a watchful eye on her. She goes about her day pretty much wanting to find some snacks, make her way into the classroom, or lay in the mud. Overall she has adjusted to life at MMFS pretty smoothly.

These two pigs came to us from The Barn Sanctuary in Michigan. They were saved from a 26 pig hoarding case. They are hard to tell apart, however Huey has a little white spec on his nose that you can glimpse as he is zooming past you in the barn. These two are fitting right in. They are curious, fun, and best friends.

Julian is a brave, bold young man who joined us from Eastern Snouts Rescue. He was needing a new home like so many deserted pigs, and he has moved right in to MMFS quite easily. His eyesight is not the best so we are always working on getting him moving more and ask folks just to approach him slowly. He is a total character, loves just about everyone and everything!

Lily came to the farm after being kicked out of her house for not “behaving” well. Piggies are very food motivated. She was living in a house with food and a small child, and it was too hard to have boundaries with non-pig-educated owners. She is the QUEEN at MMFS, and loved by so many. She loves her routine, snuggles with her kitties, and somewhat tolerates the new pig friends! She is a middle-aged piggy with some arthritis and has some difficult skin. We are working on her pain management for her mobility and constantly working on her skin.

Piglet joined us in the spring of 2023. This little pig is cute as a button. He confidently walks around the sanctuary as the self-appointed “top hog.” He is a young pig who was bought as a “teacup pig” in New York City. He will get much bigger as he gets older and is better suited for life on the farm. We love seeing his little pink snout and wagging tail here at MMFS.

Tucker came to MMFS from a family home in Pennsylvania. He started outgrowing his home and his owner was not able to take care of him. He is one of the newest members of the sanctuary coming to MMFS in Sept 2023. He is decompressing and trying to get used to his new routine. We will make sure he is on healthy food and has a comfy place during this transition.

Winter is a big, beautiful piggy girl who has joined MMFS from a home in Vermont where she started as a baby inside a house (like so many pigs do) and slowly got moved to the garage and eventually she was moved to the outside. Her outside area consisted of a veal hut for her house and she was living in pretty muddy conditions which has impacted her skin as well. She recently was spayed - thank you so much to Green Mountain Animal Defenders for sponsoring this - and is much more comfortable. She is also loving her new diet of grain and fresh produce. And we learned that she absolutely loves pumpkin. She has a great spirit to her, and she deserves a second chance on a better life.

Walter is a young farm pig who showed up in the backyard of a homeowner in central Vermont. With no one looking for him, we can only guess about his history - Did he fall off a transport truck? Did he run away from a local farm? We will never know, but he is safe with us. He is a calm boy who seems unfazed by the busyness of the barn. He loves blueberries and laying in his comfy hay for a good nap.