TLDR: Arnold Ziffel was the pet pig on Green Acres, played by a series of Chester White piglets trained by Frank Inn. He won three PATSY Awards, and the rumor that the cast ate him is false. Checked October 17, 2026.
Of everyone in Hooterville, the pig had the best attendance record and some of the biggest fan mail. Arnold Ziffel watched the evening news, signed checks and went to school, and the whole town treated him as a person.
The lone holdout was Oliver Douglas, who insisted a pig was a pig. Here is the story behind Arnold, the many pigs who played him, and the question everybody eventually asks.
Who Was Arnold Ziffel?
Arnold was the pet pig of farmers Fred and Doris Ziffel on Green Acres, and Wikipedia describes him as a Chester White. The Ziffels raised him as their son, and Hooterville went along with it.
Oliver was the only one who kept saying he was just a pig. The show let him say it, and nobody ever listened.
Who Played Fred and Doris Ziffel?
Hank Patterson played Fred Ziffel, first on Petticoat Junction and then in 84 Green Acres episodes between 1965 and 1971, per Wikipedia. He was born in 1888 and died in 1975 at age 86.
Barbara Pepper originally played Doris, and she left because of heart problems. Fran Ryan replaced her for the rest of the series, according to the Beverly Hillbillies Wiki.
When Did Arnold First Appear?
On Petticoat Junction, before Green Acres had even premiered. Wikipedia says Arnold debuted in the second-season episode “A Matter of Communication,” while ME-TV names “Bedloe’s Most Fiendish Scheme” in spring 1965.
Either way, he beat Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor to television by months. Read how the Ziffels crossed between shows in our guide to the Hooterville crossover episodes.
What Could Arnold Do?
On screen, he could write his name, change channels and sign checks. He also watched the CBS Evening News and attended grade school, per Wikipedia.
He became an abstract painter nicknamed “Porky Picasso,” and a painting titled “Nude at a Filling Station” won first prize out of two thousand entries. His romance with Mr. Haney’s basset hound Cynthia ended when they realized their love could never be.
In one storyline Arnold goes to Hollywood and is fired from a part meant for a horse, which Wikipedia says is implied to be Mr. Ed. Read the real story of the talking horse.
Was Arnold One Pig or Many?
Many, since Wikipedia says piglets played Arnold with at least one new piglet each year of the six-year run. ME-TV adds that the first Arnold was male, while later seasons mostly used females because they grew more slowly.
Snopes says estimates put the number at about a dozen, though nobody knows exactly. The pay was real, because Wikipedia reports a female piglet earned $250 a day under a union contract.
Where Did Arnold Come From?
The sources disagree. Wikipedia says at least one Arnold came from a farm in Union Star, Missouri, while ME-TV and the Mooresville Public Library blog point to the Jim Clem farm near Mooresville, Indiana.
Both can be true if different piglets came from different farms. Nobody kept a ledger of the pigs.
Who Trained Arnold?
Frank Inn trained Arnold, per Wikipedia. Inn said pigs must never be forced or scolded, or they simply refuse to work.
Inn’s whole story is in our profile of Frank Inn, and he also trained the dog in our piece on Higgins from Petticoat Junction.
Did Arnold Win Any Awards?
Yes. Wikipedia says Arnold won three PATSY Awards for Inn during the 1960s, and ME-TV calls the PATSY the Golden Globes for non-human performers.
ME-TV adds that he lost one year to Flipper and beat Ben the Bear and Clarence the Lion in others. Few human sitcom stars of the day could claim a better record.
Did the Green Acres Cast Eat Arnold?
No. The rumor claimed that the cast ate Arnold at a farewell barbecue, and a purported 1995 TV listing repeated it, per Snopes.
Inn said none of the pigs was eaten, and that they lived out their lives on farms. ME-TV reports that a crew member invented the barbecue story after tiring of fan questions.
Fans took Arnold seriously enough that a class of Ohio sixth graders pledged to give up pork chops, according to Wikipedia.
Was Arnold Buried With Frank Inn?
Here the story gets murky. Wikipedia says one Arnold is buried with Inn at Forest Lawn, while ME-TV says Inn kept an urn of Arnold’s ashes and asked to be buried with them.
Inn’s daughter told NPR the cemetery did not allow the animals to be buried with him, as we explain in our Frank Inn profile. We would not state it as fact either way.
Where Else Has Arnold Turned Up?
Wikipedia says Arnold is mentioned in the diner scene at the end of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction in 1994. He is also a favorite of news director Dave Nelson on NewsRadio.
The human cast is in the Green Acres cast guide, including Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. The Ziffels’ home town of Hooterville shares its stories with the Petticoat Junction cast.
Arnold Ziffel: Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Arnold Ziffel?
Arnold Ziffel was the pet pig of Fred and Doris Ziffel on Green Acres. Hooterville treated him as their son.
What kind of pig was Arnold?
Wikipedia describes Arnold as a Chester White domestic pig.
Was Arnold played by one pig?
No. Wikipedia says piglets played him, with at least one new piglet each year, and Snopes puts the total at about a dozen.
Who trained Arnold the pig?
Frank Inn trained Arnold, according to Wikipedia.
How much was Arnold paid?
Wikipedia says a female piglet playing Arnold earned $250 a day under a union contract.
Did Arnold win an award?
Yes. Arnold won three PATSY Awards for Inn in the 1960s, per Wikipedia.
Did the cast of Green Acres eat Arnold?
No. Frank Inn said none of the pigs was eaten, and Snopes calls the rumor false.
Who played Fred Ziffel?
Hank Patterson played Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.
Who played Doris Ziffel?
Barbara Pepper originally played Doris, and Fran Ryan replaced her for the rest of the series.
What episode did Arnold first appear in?
Wikipedia says it was the Petticoat Junction episode “A Matter of Communication,” though ME-TV names a different episode in spring 1965.
