Ipswich Farm Mourning Loss Of "Beloved" 1,000-Pound Pig

IPSWICH (CBS) - A popular farm in Ipswich has lost a valuable member: "Big Boy" the pig.

Miranda Russell owns the farm with her husband, but "Big Boy," who died last week at the age of 11, owned the hearts of their customers.

"He was the main reason why a lot of our customers came to see us," said Miranda. "I've had customers coming in and shake my hand and tell me that they're so sorry about our loss of 'Big Boy' so it's been really touching."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports.

Patrick Henry, Miranda's brother, takes care of the animals at the farm, and he took care of "Big Boy."

"He was a born eater and he had a large outsized personality, as well as body," said Henry. "It was not fun to see the last few weeks, where he just had a much harder time getting up, and we knew he was on his last legs."

"Big Boy" came to the farm in 2000 and lived a relatively long and comfortable life as the main attraction at the farm.

A sign honoring the pig hangs outside his pen:

"He outlived all expectations of longevity for a hog his size, and we are very grateful for every day we had with 'Big Boy.'"