Back on June 3, 2021 when the great folks at The Humane Society of Harford County in Maryland brought Benjamin to us, he wasn’t the only special pig that tagged along. Also in their possession seeking a forever home was Hamilton, a baby pig whose history was a bit of mystery.
From what we know, Hamilton was purchased by a lady at a Pennsylvania farm to give as a gift to her unsuspecting husband. The husband was not too thrilled with this, so Hamilton wound up in the care of the Humane Society of Harford County. Initially covered in mites and malnourished, he was nursed back to great health and arrangements were made to bring him out to us for his forever home.
Since coming to Piggins and Banks, Hamilton is definitely a crowd pleaser! He is always at the gate to greet you at mealtime and absolutely LOVES to get a pet and belly rub. He has even made the local paper!
After doing some researched based on his long legs and peculiar solid hoof, we believe Hamilton to be a breed of pig known as a “mulefoot”.
The Mulefoot is an American hog breed that is named for its most distinctive feature, the solid, non-cloven hoof which looks like the hoof of a mule. This characteristic will occasionally occur as a single gene mutation, producing occasional “mulefooted” pigs within a variety of other breeds. In contrast, the Mulefoot breed is consistent in appearance and behavior, with qualities that have made it valuable in American history and a conservation priority today. Mulefoot hogs are compact in appearance and weigh 400–600 pounds. They are solid black with white points occurring rarely. The ears are pricked forward.
https://www.livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/mulefoot
Help Support Hamilton
We depend on the support of kind-hearted people to help ensure pigs like Hamilton receive the best daily care possible! Please consider making a small donation or even sponsoring Hamilton as a virtual pig parent. All donations make a positive difference in the lives of our pig residents. Should you choose to sponsor Hamilton, you receive a welcome packet, some keepsakes, on-demand updates about him, and even a free ticket to one of our guided tours so you can meet him in person!