New Forest Pigs and Piglets
- a life of swine!

New Forest pigs and piglets provide a laugh a minute, if like me you are able to share your life with them and their daily antics. The pigs have been put out this year from 11 September so you should be lucky and spot some!

New Forest pig enjoying the summer sun

New Forest pig relaxing - they are stress-free!

New Forest pigs enjoying the summer sun

Where Can You See New Forest Pigs?

I am lucky enough to live very close to New Forest pigs and piglets in the New Forest National Park. I saw this little group snuffling and scratching around out side the pub! If you go to Godshill you may see them near the Fighting Cocks pub.

You may also see them around the Bramshaw area (postcode for general area SO43 7JF). Sadly, many have been hit by cars travelling too fast or without due care so their numbers are getting less and less.

New Forest pigs sleeping happily in the sun.

New Forest pig and piglets out grazing during pannage season

If you visit around September/October/November you should be lucky enough to spot pigs in the open New Forest. They will have been put out on the Commoners Right of Mast. ( To be a New Forest Commoner your property has to have Commonin Rights, not every property in the National Park has these rights.  Here's what Rigth of Mast means

• Common of Mast
• The right to turn out pigs during a season known as Pannage.
• The start date of Pannage is decided by the Verderers but it always lasts for at least 60 days.

The Verderers of the New Forest announce the start of pannage when the acorns begin to fall in autumn. Pigs eat green acorns and beech nuts, which would otherwise be poisonous to ponies. Pannage dates last for at least 60days. They may be extended depending on the quantity of fallen green acorns on the forest floor, a decision which the Verderers will make as the time goes on. 

New Forest pig we called Mama outside our gate - her best side!

Why are New Forest pigs put out for Pannage?

They eat the green acorns before the ponies can get to them, and so prevent the ponies getting the extremely painful, and potentially lethal condition called "colic".

Warning: never touch any New Forest animal unless you have the owners permission, for your own safety please.

We have a couple of pigs who pass by each day. We have called them Grandma and Mama - very soppy and sentimental but who cares?

The black and pink pig "Grandma" really is lovely - yes pigs can be described as lovely. She will communicate through a series of meaningful grunts and likes to have her ears tickled.

She is very clean, contrary to myth that pigs are dirty animals, and only occasionally gives off a heady aroma of warm pig! When she had her first brood of piglets she had 8. Six survived and we had hours of fun as they grew up around us.

They would greet us and play with our trainer laces.

New Forest pig we called Mama outside our gate

One day my son was tickling a piglets belly and, like a puppy he put his little trotter in the air for a bigger tickle, unfortunately he was on a slope and slipped down the hill!

Pigs do get run over on the New Forest roads. Like all animal accidents they are very upsetting! My animal road deaths and accidents page gives you some helpful safety tips to keep the animals and yourselves safe on our New Forest roads.

If the pigs are out there are piglets about too - so this is doubly bad news for a forest animal.
Would you like to have your say on animal accidents - here is your chance - just fill in the from and share your views with all of us!

I hope you have luck seeing some Forest pigs and piglets if you decide to have a well earned holiday break or weekend away in the beautiful New Forest National Park.

New Forest pig - sleeping soundly amongst the sheep

Forest pig and sheep sharing their space

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